525 E Main St #22

Branford Center, CT 06405

$129,900B-

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 576 sqft · Built 2026 · Manufactured · Active · 46 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,391/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$681
• Tax + insurance: −$91
• HOA: −$583
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$502
• Net cashflow: $534/mo
• Annual: $6,405/yr
• Cap rate: 11.22%
• Cash-on-cash: 17.61%
• DSCR: 1.78
• 1% rule: 1.84%
• Cash to close: $36,372

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath manufactured listed at $130k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $534 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $130k).
• It's been on market 46 days — a 3% lower offer ($126k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $126k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $898 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#16 in CT, #1,386 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, health & safety A+, housing B+; Watch: commute D+, cost of living D+.
• Branford School District (suburban): math 41% / reading 52% proficiency, ranked #85 of 153 in CT (top 56%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; only 18% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Mary R. Tisko School (math 47% / reading 52%, grade D, #237 of 553 statewide, top 45%, 352 students, 20% FRL); Francis Walsh Intermediate School (math 40% / reading 51%, grade D+, #90 of 175 statewide, top 52%, 767 students, 42% FRL); Branford High School (math 37% / reading 62%, grade D, #87 of 194 statewide, top 46%, 818 students, 41% FRL) — zoned schools average 34% FRL vs 18% district-wide (15 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 24% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+10.6%/yr); 117 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 1,059 units permitted in South Central Connecticut Planning Region in 2024 (779 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $36k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.2% vs local median 3.7% in Branford Center — 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 46 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% 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?
• 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?
• 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.