97 Linwood Ave

Buffalo, NY 14209

$975,000A

9 bd · None ba · 10,969 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 604 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $18,769/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$5,113
• Tax + insurance: −$792
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$3,941
• Net cashflow: $8,923/mo
• Annual: $107,075/yr
• Cap rate: 17.28%
• Cash-on-cash: 39.22%
• DSCR: 2.75
• 1% rule: 1.93%
• Cash to close: $273,000

Investor read

• This is a 9-bed/?-bath multifamily listed at $975k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $9k ($107k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($19k rent vs $975k).
• It's been on market 604 days — a 12% lower offer ($858k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $858k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $25k of equity ($7k loan paydown + $18k appreciation (1.9% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#195 in NY, #3,011 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
• Buffalo City School District (urban): math 41% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #535 of 590 in NY (top 91%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 75% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: International School (math 8% / reading 17%, grade F, #2,048 of 2,108 statewide, top 97%, 981 students, 92% FRL); Hutchinson Central Technical High School (math 96% / reading 32%, grade B-, #807 of 1,100 statewide, top 73%, 1,175 students, 78% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.5%/yr); 56 active listings in the ZIP; 1,244 units permitted in Erie County in 2024 (563 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Current owner paid $360k; list at $975k implies a 171% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (1.9% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $273k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$63k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 17.3% vs local median 8.1% in Buffalo — 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 $18,769/mo this rent would consume 450% of the median local household income ($50k/yr) (locally 959% 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 604 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.
• 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.