131 Thomas St

Fall River, MA 02723

$979,000C-

12 bd · 6.0 ba · 4,704 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 31 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $10,956/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$5,134
• Tax + insurance: −$870
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$2,301
• Net cashflow: $2,651/mo
• Annual: $31,814/yr
• Cap rate: 9.54%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.61%
• DSCR: 1.52
• 1% rule: 1.12%
• Cash to close: $274,120

Investor read

• This is a 6 × 3-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $979k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3k ($32k/yr) — positive. Per door: $442/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($11k rent vs $979k).
• It's been on market 31 days — a 3% lower offer ($950k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $950k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $7k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $29k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 61/100 on livability (#221 in MA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+; Watch: cost of living D+, crime F, commute F.
• Fall River (suburban): math 17% / reading 28% proficiency, ranked #288 of 302 in MA (top 95%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 68% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Henry Lord Community School (math 14% / reading 21%, grade F, #811 of 938 statewide, top 87%, 815 students, 0% FRL); Talbot Innovation School (math 7% / reading 13%, grade F, #291 of 305 statewide, top 97%, 533 students, 0% FRL); B M C Durfee High (math 19% / reading 34%, grade F, #280 of 343 statewide, top 82%, 2,460 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 68% district-wide (68 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 38 active listings in the ZIP; 760 units permitted in Bristol County in 2024 (142 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Bristol County population projected to shrink 3% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $274k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 80% 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 9.5% vs local median 3.5% in Fall River — 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 $10,956/mo this rent would consume 276% of the median local household income ($48k/yr) (locally 1335% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 31 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% 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 1900 — 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.
• Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• Crime grade is F 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?
• 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.