124 S Branch St · Bennington, VT 05201

$279,000

5 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,022 sqft · MultiFamily public records · 79 Days on market

Built 1875 0.56 ac lot Est $231k · 21% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the C 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).

• Cash flow +29.1/30.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• 1% rule +7.5/10.0
• Schools +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• ARV discount +0.0/15.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Multi-family units

County records classify this as Multi-Family (2-4 Unit). Listing-text estimate: 2 units. confirmed

Listing remarks

Don’t miss this two-family gem! Each spacious unit features 2 bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, large living room with hardwood floors and tin ceiling throughout, spacious full bathroom, and in-unit laundry hookups—perfect for comfortable living or strong rental potential. The downstairs unit offers a side porch for sitting and both units get to enjoy a charming covered front porch on a side street. With a level lot just over half-acre, off-street parking, and 1 car garage/barn with additional storage, plus a prime location near downtown shops and restaurants, this is an ideal opportunity for both investors and owner-occupants!

Key facts

• Covered front porch
• Tin ceiling
• Eat-in kitchen

Tags

• EAT-IN KITCHEN
• HARDWOOD FLOORS
• TIN CEILING
• IN-UNIT LAUNDRY HOOKUPS
• SIDE PORCH
• COVERED FRONT PORCH

Property features AI

Finance

• Financial info: Two-unit building with annual leases

Exterior

• Parking: 1-car garage
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Cable available; High-speed internet available
• Home design: Multi-family property; Existing building; Built in 1875
• Construction: Wood siding; Asphalt shingle roof; Unfinished basement (walkout)
• Exterior features: Level, neighborhood lot; Gravel driveway

Interior

• Kitchen: Unit 1: Dishwasher, Electric range, Refrigerator; Unit 2: Electric range, Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: Two 2-bedroom units (Unit 1 on level 1, Unit 2 on level 2)
• Bathrooms: Two full bathrooms (one in each unit)
• Heating & cooling: Steam heat; No central air conditioning
• Interior features: Walkout unfinished basement
• Laundry & utility: 100 Amp electrical service

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $279k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $961 ($12k/yr) — positive. Per door: $481/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $279k).
• Recommended offer: $262k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 10.4% vs local median 5.4% in Bennington — 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 64/100 on livability (#63 in VT) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A; Watch: employment C-, crime D, schools F.
• Market conditions: 65 active listings in the ZIP; 59 units permitted in Bennington County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At $3,496/mo this rent would consume 70% of the median local household income ($60k/yr) (locally 982% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Bennington County population projected at -23% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $78k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 79 days — a 6% lower offer ($262k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $95k; list at $279k implies a 194% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1875 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $262,260 (6.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 79 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
3. What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
4. Built in 1875 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
5. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
6. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
7. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
8. Crime grade is D 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?
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.25% ✓
• Cap rate: 10.43%
• Cash-on-cash: 14.77%
• DSCR: 1.66
• GRM: 6.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $230,508
• Comps found: 6

Show comp detail 6 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
121 Bradford St	0.21mi	5/3.0	2,178 (+8%)	16mo	$260,000	$119	60
317 Pleasant St	0.52mi	5/2.0	2,201 (+9%)	1mo	$185,000	$84	60
1004 Main St	0.35mi	5/3.0	1,872 (-7%)	13mo	$213,200	$114	57
216 Union St	0.58mi	4/3.0 (-1)	1,887 (-7%)	20mo	$62,000	$33	36
304-306 Grove St	0.52mi	5/3.0	1,810 (-10%)	23mo	$291,000	$161	35
215 School St	0.72mi	4/2.0 (-1)	1,718 (-15%)	23mo	$165,000	$96	17

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

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: 5.3%
• Equity multiple: 1.20×
• Total profit: $15,985
• Equity at exit: $41,600

10-year hold

• IRR: 14.7%
• Equity multiple: 2.19×
• Total profit: $92,646
• Equity at exit: $24,123

Cash invested: $78,120 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Vermont: 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+15
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Just-cause in Burlington (2022); strong habitability.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 05201

• Home prices YoY: -19.3%
• Active inventory: 65
• Price-to-rent: 13.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $3,496 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,463
• Tax from tax record: −$221 /mo · $2,655/yr
• Insurance: −$116
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$734
• Net cashflow: $961

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,279

Max offer price $279,000

Occupancy floor 68%

2-unit breakdown (identical units grouped — click to expand)

Units	Beds	Baths	Est. rent
▸ 2× units	2	1	$3,496
Total (2 units)			$3,496

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: $69,750
• Closing costs: $8,370
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 19 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $279,000 Active 79 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $279,000 Active 78 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $279,000 Active 77 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $279,000 Active 76 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $279,000 Active 75 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $279,000 Active 73 DOM
7. 2026-06-12
   days on market $279,000 Active 72 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $279,000 Active 69 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $279,000 Active 68 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $279,000 Active 67 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $279,000 Active 66 DOM
12. 2026-06-04
    days on market $279,000 Active 63 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $279,000 Active 62 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    days on market $279,000 Active 61 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $279,000 Active 60 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $279,000 Active 59 DOM
17. 2026-05-21
    price $279,000
18. 2026-04-01
    listed $295,000 Active
19. 2003-07-23
    soldstatus $95,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast VT · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $2,655 · $221/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,978 · $332/mo
• Expected delta: +$1,323/yr (+$110/mo · 49.8%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥88°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 3/10 Moderate 6% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $41,952
• − Mortgage interest: −$15,628
• − Property taxes: −$2,655
• − Insurance: −$1,395
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$3,356
• − Management: −$3,356
• − Depreciation: −$8,116
• Taxable income: $7,445
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,787
• After-tax cash flow: $9,748/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)

No district data.

Livability — Bennington

• Score: 64/100
• State rank: #63
• US rank: #14446

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Bennington, VT
• County: Bennington County · 14,998 people
• City population: 14,998
• Metro: Bennington, VT
• Population (ZIP): 14,998
• Household income: $59,798
• Rent vs Own: 39.1% rent · 60.9% own
• Severe rent burden: 982.0

Population outlook (Bennington County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 34,407 people
• By 2030: 32,975 · -4.2%
• By 2040: 29,711 · -13.6%
• By 2050: 26,638 · -22.6%
• By 2075: 21,318 · -38.0%
• By 2100: 16,086 · -53.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (92%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 92% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 10% Slovak 7% Romanian 3%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 96% English-only · Spanish 2% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Bennington

• 2024 margin: Strong D (+22.5) · D 60.0% · R 37.5% · Other 2.6%
• 2008→2024 swing: -10.9pp toward R · 2008: 33.4pp · 2024: 22.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+22.5 2020: D+27.3 2016: D+22.1 2012: D+33.3 2008: D+33.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -60.78%
• Current HPI: 254.5149
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Bennington, VT
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

+193.7% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-21 Price Changed $279,000 PrimeMLS
• 2026-04-01 Listed $295,000 PrimeMLS
• 2003-07-23 Sold (Public Records) $95,000 Public Records

Property tax history

-3.0%/yr

Latest (2024): $2,655 · +9.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.