16 Main St

Saranac Lake, NY 12913

$409,000C

None bd · None ba · 4,364 sqft · Built 1935 · MultiFamily · Pending · 337 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $4,007/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,145
• Tax + insurance: −$375
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$841
• Net cashflow: $646/mo
• Annual: $7,754/yr
• Cap rate: 8.19%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.77%
• DSCR: 1.30
• 1% rule: 0.98%
• Cash to close: $114,520

Investor read

• This is a 2×1bd/1ba + 2×2bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $409k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $646 ($8k/yr) — positive. Per door: $162/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $401k (2.0% below list).
• It's been on market 337 days — a 12% lower offer ($360k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $360k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $14k of equity ($3k loan paydown + $12k appreciation (2.9% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#274 in NY, #4,341 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, cost of living A-; Watch: health & safety C-, crime D+, amenities D+.
• Saranac Lake Central School District (town): math 35% / reading 48% proficiency, ranked #497 of 590 in NY (top 84%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: built in 1935 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 7 active listings in the ZIP; 218 units permitted in Essex County in 2024 (63 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Essex County population projected at -20% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Current owner paid $50k; list at $409k implies a 718% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (2.9% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $115k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$36k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 8.2% vs local median 2.5% in Saranac Lake — top-decile yield for the area; either an underpriced asset or a hidden risk that comps aren't pricing in. Stress-test before assuming the spread holds.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 337 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1935 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• Crime grade is D in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?