3 Van Schaack Rd

Housatonic, MA 01266

$425,000D+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,164 sqft · Built 1890 · SingleFamily · Pending · 51 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,949/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,229
• Tax + insurance: −$497
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$619
• Net cashflow: $-396/mo
• Annual: $-4,757/yr
• Cap rate: 5.17%
• Cash-on-cash: -4.00%
• DSCR: 0.82
• 1% rule: 0.69%
• Cash to close: $119,000

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $425k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-396 ($-5k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $355k (16.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $295k (30.6% below list).
• It's been on market 51 days — a 3% lower offer ($412k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $295k (30.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $14k of equity ($3k loan paydown + $12k appreciation (2.7% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 56/100 on livability (#236 in MA) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: housing B; Watch: amenities F, commute F, cost of living D-.
• Berkshire Hills (rural): math 33% / reading 49% proficiency, ranked #197 of 302 in MA (top 65%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Muddy Brook Regional Elementary School (math 47% / reading 52%, grade D, #330 of 938 statewide, top 38%, 372 students, 0% FRL); W.E.B. Du Bois Regional Middle School (math 22% / reading 40%, grade F, #203 of 305 statewide, top 67%, 325 students, 0% FRL); Monument Mt Regional High (math 57% / reading 77%, grade B, #97 of 343 statewide, top 30%, 472 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 21% district-wide (21 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 31 active listings in the ZIP; 130 units permitted in Berkshire County in 2024 (10 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Berkshire County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 4 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.
• Current owner paid $235k; list at $425k implies a 81% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$36k 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?
• It's been on market 51 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 31% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1890 — 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.
• 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.
• How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.