2 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,300 sqft ·
Built —
· Condo
· Active
· 155 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$3,356/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$2,543
Tax + insurance
−$808
HOA
−$2,326
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$705
Net cashflow
$-3,026/mo
Annual
$-36,309/yr
Cap rate
-1.19%
Cash-on-cash
-26.74%
DSCR
-0.19
1% rule
0.69%
Cash to close
$135,772
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $485k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-3k ($-36k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $47k (90.3% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $336k (30.8% below list).
It's been on market 155 days — a 12% lower offer ($427k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $47k (90.3% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
In year one you build about $52k of equity ($3k loan paydown + $48k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
Location reads 77/100 on livability (#117 in NJ, #2,998 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, health & safety A; Watch: cost of living F.
Union City School District (suburban): math 15% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #399 of 472 in NJ (top 84%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 85% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
Zoned schools: Sara M. Gilmore Academy (math 45% / reading 68%, grade C+, #162 of 1,303 statewide, top 13%, 390 students, 57% FRL); Emerson Middle School (math 15% / reading 40%, grade F, #340 of 431 statewide, top 80%, 1,001 students, 87% FRL); Union City High School (math 12% / reading 35%, grade F, #331 of 399 statewide, top 83%, 3,025 students, 83% FRL).
Watch-outs: HOA is 69% of rent.
Market conditions: Rents flat; 287 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 58% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 5,310 units permitted in Hudson County in 2024 (4,154 in 5+ unit buildings).
Hudson County population projected at +29% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$83k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→14/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate -1.2% vs local median 3.1% in Union City — below-typical yield; the buyer is paying a premium for something (appreciation thesis, condition, location) that the cap rate doesn't capture.
At $3,356/mo this rent would consume 63% of the median local household income ($64k/yr) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.
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 155 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 90% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
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.
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-8MZ21SBAJ3PMM8
· Data 15 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29