73 Elm St

Potsdam, NY 13676

$222,000D

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,292 sqft · Built 1925 · SingleFamily · Pending · 17 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,452/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,164
• Tax + insurance: −$370
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$305
• Net cashflow: $-387/mo
• Annual: $-4,647/yr
• Cap rate: 4.20%
• Cash-on-cash: -7.48%
• DSCR: 0.67
• 1% rule: 0.65%
• Cash to close: $62,160

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $222k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-387 ($-5k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $166k (25.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $145k (34.6% below list).
• It's been on market 17 days — a 2% lower offer ($219k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $145k (34.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $24k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $22k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#249 in NY, #3,908 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, commute F, employment F.
• Potsdam Central School District (town): math 53% / reading 66% proficiency, ranked #258 of 590 in NY (top 44%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Lawrence Avenue Elementary School (math 72% / reading 72%, grade A-, #378 of 2,108 statewide, top 20%, 551 students, 39% FRL); A A Kingston Middle School (math 27% / reading 54%, grade F, #409 of 729 statewide, top 56%, 368 students, 40% FRL); Potsdam Senior High School (math 92% / reading 92%, grade A+, #171 of 1,100 statewide, top 18%, 372 students, 37% FRL) — zoned schools at 39% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1925 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 118 active listings in the ZIP; 215 units permitted in St. Lawrence County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• St. Lawrence County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$38k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

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?
• Built in 1925 — 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 A-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?
• 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?
• 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.