1 bd · 1.0 ba ·
554 sqft ·
Built 1966
· Condo
· Active
· 82 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,675/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,568
Tax + insurance
−$358
HOA
−$231
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$562
Net cashflow
$-44/mo
Annual
$-529/yr
Cap rate
6.12%
Cash-on-cash
-0.63%
DSCR
0.97
1% rule
0.89%
Cash to close
$83,720
Investor read
This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath condo listed at $299k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-44 ($-529/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $291k (2.6% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $268k (10.5% below list).
It's been on market 82 days — a 6% lower offer ($281k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $268k (10.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
In year one you build about $32k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $30k 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: George Washington Elementary School (math 10% / reading 29%, grade F, #1,012 of 1,303 statewide, top 79%, 779 students, 90% FRL); Union Hill Middle School (math 18% / reading 40%, grade F, #321 of 431 statewide, top 77%, 849 students, 91% FRL); Union City High School (math 12% / reading 35%, grade F, #331 of 399 statewide, top 83%, 3,025 students, 83% FRL) — zoned schools at 88% FRL track the district average.
Market conditions: Rents flat; 228 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 19d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 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.
At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 0.9% rent growth), your $84k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$51k 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→15/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 2.3% in Union City — 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.
At $2,675/mo this rent would consume 50% of the median local household income ($64k/yr) (locally 6042% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — 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 82 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 11% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1966 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
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.
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-8ZFQNM4SZFM5NZ
· Data 20 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29