970 Gardiner Rd #3 · Wiscasset, ME 04578

$109,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 765 sqft · Manufactured · 25 Days on market

Built 2026 Est $96k · 14% over $650/mo HOA · 53% of rent

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Why this score? — see what drove the F grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Appreciation +10.0/10.0
• 1% rule +6.2/10.0
• Cash flow +3.6/30.0
• Livability +3.6/5.0
• Schools +2.9/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• ARV discount +1.2/15.0
• DSCR +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Bright, brand-new, and move-in ready! This new Cavco home offers comfortable, low-maintenance living in the heart of Midcoast Maine. Featuring 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, a dedicated laundry alcove, and an open-concept living and kitchen area, the layout feels welcoming and open from the moment you walk in. A standout feature of the home is the center kitchen island- ideal for casual dining, extra space for the baking enthusiast, or everyday living- all surrounded by bright natural light and modern finishes. Enjoy your morning coffee or unwind in the evening from the inviting front porch. Set within a paved and well-maintained park, this home offers an easy lifestyle close to the amenities, coastli

Key facts

• Inviting front porch
• Open-concept living
• Parking

Tags

• CENTER KITCHEN ISLAND
• DEDICATED LAUNDRY ALCOVE
• OPEN-CONCEPT LIVING
• INVITING FRONT PORCH

Property features AI

Finance

• Financial info: Land lease required
• HOA & community: Association present with a $650 monthly fee; Pets allowed with breed and size restrictions

Exterior

• Parking: Gravel parking with space for 1–4 vehicles
• Utilities: Public water; Quasi-public sewer; Electric service with circuit breakers
• Home design: Single-wide mobile home; Cavco (model) Commodore; 2026 construction; Rural zoning
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Shingle roof; Built in 2026; Single wide manufactured construction
• Exterior features: Front porch; Shed(s); Located in a mobile home park; Paved road access; Neighborhood setting

Interior

• Kitchen: Gas range; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: Two bedrooms on the first floor
• Flooring: Laminate flooring
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating
• Interior features: Open living room; Total of 4 rooms
• Laundry & utility: Electric water heater

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath manufactured listed at $109k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-322 ($-4k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $52k (52.2% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $109k).
• Recommended offer: $52k (52.2% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Cap rate 2.7% vs local median 1.6% in Wiscasset — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#52 in ME) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D-, amenities F, commute F.
• Wiscasset Public Schools (rural): math 17% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #169 of 185 in ME (top 91%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 59 active listings in the ZIP; 158 units permitted in Lincoln County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $12k of equity ($754 loan paydown + $11k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Lincoln County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• By year 4, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$41k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 25 days — a 2% lower offer ($107k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: HOA is 53% of rent.

Recommended offer $52,082 (52.2% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. 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?
2. What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.12% ✓
• Cap rate: 2.75%
• Cash-on-cash: -12.67%
• DSCR: 0.44
• GRM: 7.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $95,625
• Comps found: 1

Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
970 Gardiner Rd #17	0.00mi	2/2.0	840 (+10%)	15mo	$105,000	$125	67

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

10.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 15.6%
• Equity multiple: 2.28×
• Total profit: $39,190
• Equity at exit: $98,196

10-year hold

• IRR: 15.2%
• Equity multiple: 5.33×
• Total profit: $132,237
• Equity at exit: $211,763

Cash invested: $30,520 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Maine: 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Portland has rent control referendum (2020); strong habitability; security deposit caps.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 04578

• Home prices YoY: 5.8%
• Active inventory: 59
• Price-to-rent: 7.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,223 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$572
• Tax from tax record: −$21 /mo · $253/yr
• Insurance: −$45
• HOA: −$650
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$257
• Net cashflow: $-322

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,631

Max offer price $52,082

Occupancy floor —

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $27,250
• Closing costs: $3,270
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

HOA detail

• Monthly dues: $650 · $7,800/yr

Listing history 16 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $109,000 Active 25 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $109,000 Active 24 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $109,000 Active 23 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $109,000 Active 22 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $109,000 Active 20 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $109,000 Active 19 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $109,000 Active 16 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $109,000 Active 15 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $109,000 Active 14 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $109,000 Active 13 DOM
11. 2026-06-04
    days on market $109,000 Active 10 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $109,000 Active 9 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $109,000 Active 8 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $109,000 Active 7 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $109,000 Active 6 DOM
16. 2026-05-24
    listed $109,000 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast ME · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $253 · $21/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $868 · $72/mo
• Expected delta: +$615/yr (+$51/mo · 243.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,672
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,106
• − Property taxes: −$253
• − Insurance: −$545
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,174
• − Management: −$1,174
• − HOA: −$7,800
• − Depreciation: −$3,171
• Taxable loss: −$5,550
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,332
• After-tax cash flow: $-2,534/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Wiscasset Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 2313980
• Math proficiency: 17% ▲ 2.00%
• Reading proficiency: 43% ▲ 8.00%
• Median HH income: $46,594
• Composite: 28.66/100
• National rank: #12025
• State rank: #169 of 185 in ME

Livability — Wiscasset

• Score: 72/100
• State rank: #52
• US rank: #5711

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A+ Employment C Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings A-

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 4,608

Population outlook (Lincoln County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 33,059 people
• By 2030: 32,050 · -3.1%
• By 2040: 29,490 · -10.8%
• By 2050: 27,201 · -17.7%
• By 2075: 24,598 · -25.6%
• By 2100: 21,989 · -33.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (95%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 95% Two or more races 1% Black 1% Asian 1%
• Common ancestry: Iranian 10% Lithuanian 9% Slovak 8%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · French/Haitian/Cajun 1% Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Lincoln

• 2024 margin: D (+11.2) · D 54.6% · R 43.4% · Other 2.0%
• 2008→2024 swing: -0.8pp no change · 2008: 12.0pp · 2024: 11.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+11.2 2020: D+10.3 2016: D+2.4 2012: D+11.7 2008: D+12.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 17.14%
• Current HPI: 311.4962
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-24 Listed $109,000 MREIS

Property tax history

+2.4%/yr

Latest (2025): $253 · +0.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.