12 Darien Rd

New Fairfield, CT 06812

$489,000D

5 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,628 sqft · Built 1960 · SingleFamily · Active · 46 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,928/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,564
• Tax + insurance: −$660
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$825
• Net cashflow: $-122/mo
• Annual: $-1,460/yr
• Cap rate: 5.99%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.07%
• DSCR: 0.95
• 1% rule: 0.80%
• Cash to close: $136,920

Investor read

• This is a 5-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $489k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-122 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $468k (4.4% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $393k (19.7% below list).
• It's been on market 46 days — a 3% lower offer ($474k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $393k (19.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $15k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• New Fairfield School District (suburban): math 53% / reading 66% proficiency, ranked #41 of 153 in CT (top 27%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 8% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Meeting House Hill School (math 53% / reading 58%, grade C, #191 of 553 statewide, top 35%, 458 students, 19% FRL); New Fairfield High School (math 57% / reading 77%, grade B, #26 of 194 statewide, top 16%, 686 students, 15% FRL).
• Market conditions: 82 active listings in the ZIP; 1,151 units permitted in Western Connecticut Planning Region in 2024 (714 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $61k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $332k; 47% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 26% chance of damaging wind over 30y — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• It's been on market 46 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 20% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1960 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
• What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
• How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.