1504 10th St

Berkeley, CA 94710

$1,525,000D

6 bd · 6.0 ba · 3,194 sqft · Built 1926 · MultiFamily · Active · 71 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $15,298/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$7,997
• Tax + insurance: −$2,965
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$3,213
• Net cashflow: $1,123/mo
• Annual: $13,474/yr
• Cap rate: 7.18%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.16%
• DSCR: 1.14
• 1% rule: 1.00%
• Cash to close: $427,000

Investor read

• This is a 6-bed/6.0-bath multifamily listed at $1.52M.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($13k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($15k rent vs $1.52M).
• It's been on market 71 days — a 6% lower offer ($1.43M) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $1.43M (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $11k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $46k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#74 in CA, #2,860 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, employment A+; Watch: crime F, cost of living F.
• Berkeley Unified (urban): math 61% / reading 67% proficiency, ranked #175 of 1,400 in CA (top 12%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Malcolm X Elementary (459 students, 29% FRL); Martin Luther King Middle (871 students, 20% FRL); Berkeley High (math 74% / reading 98%, grade A, #25 of 1,170 statewide, top 2%, 3,204 students, 23% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 86% at this address vs 64% district-wide (+22 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Berkeley Unified average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: built in 1926 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.2%/yr); 30 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 1,742 units permitted in Alameda County in 2024 (856 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Alameda County population projected at +34% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 5 sale attempts since 22y 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.
• Cap rate 7.2% vs local median 2.0% in Berkeley — 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 $15,298/mo this rent would consume 180% of the median local household income ($102k/yr) (locally 764% 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 71 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1926 — 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.
• 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.