17 Mountain Rd

Brattleboro, VT 03451

$299,000B+

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,450 sqft · Built 1972 · MultiFamily · Pending · 7 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,100/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,568
• Tax + insurance: −$743
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,071
• Net cashflow: $1,718/mo
• Annual: $20,616/yr
• Cap rate: 13.45%
• Cash-on-cash: 25.58%
• DSCR: 2.14
• 1% rule: 1.71%
• Cash to close: $83,720

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 1-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $299k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($21k/yr) — positive. Per door: $573/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($5k rent vs $299k).
• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $32k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $30k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#42 in VT) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: schools A+, health & safety A+, cost of living B; Watch: crime F, amenities D-, commute F.
• Hinsdale School District (rural): math 22% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #88 of 98 in NH (top 90%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo.
• Market conditions: 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 166 units permitted in Cheshire County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cheshire County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Current owner paid $169k; list at $299k implies a 77% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $84k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$51k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 13.5% vs local median 4.5% in Brattleboro — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1972 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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?
• 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.