15 Steele St

Worcester, MA 01607

$619,900D

5 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,207 sqft · Built 1890 · MultiFamily · Active · 38 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,822/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,251
• Tax + insurance: −$726
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,223
• Net cashflow: $622/mo
• Annual: $7,466/yr
• Cap rate: 7.50%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.30%
• DSCR: 1.19
• 1% rule: 0.94%
• Cash to close: $173,572

Investor read

• This is a 5-bed/3.0-bath multifamily listed at $620k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $622 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $582k (6.1% below list).
• It's been on market 38 days — a 3% lower offer ($601k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $582k (6.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $19k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 87/100 on livability (#9 in MA, #312 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, amenities A+, commute A+; Watch: cost of living D.
• Worcester (urban): math 17% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #280 of 302 in MA (top 93%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 66% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Quinsigamond (math 8% / reading 20%, grade F, #881 of 938 statewide, top 94%, 713 students, 0% FRL); Sullivan Middle (math 18% / reading 30%, grade F, #238 of 305 statewide, top 78%, 827 students, 0% FRL); South High Community (math 26% / reading 36%, grade F, #266 of 343 statewide, top 77%, 1,666 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 66% district-wide (66 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 16 active listings in the ZIP; 5 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 60% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 2,293 units permitted in Worcester County in 2024 (1,205 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 26y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $175k; list at $620k implies a 254% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.5% vs local median 4.1% in Worcester — 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 $5,822/mo this rent would consume 89% of the median local household income ($79k/yr) (locally 379% 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 38 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1890 — 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.
• 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.
• 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.