177 Monroe St #8

Santa Clara, CA 95050

$598,000D-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 787 sqft · Built 1989 · Condo · Active · 78 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,262/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,136
• Tax + insurance: −$851
• HOA: −$320
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$685
• Net cashflow: $-1,730/mo
• Annual: $-20,759/yr
• Cap rate: 2.82%
• Cash-on-cash: -12.40%
• DSCR: 0.45
• 1% rule: 0.55%
• Cash to close: $167,440

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath condo listed at $598k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-2k ($-21k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $292k (51.1% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $326k (45.5% below list).
• It's been on market 78 days — a 6% lower offer ($562k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $292k (51.1% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Local home prices are declining (-1.2%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#69 in CA, #2,627 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, employment A+; Watch: cost of living F.
• Santa Clara Unified (urban): math 49% / reading 66% proficiency, ranked #75 of 517 in CA (top 14%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+7.3%/yr); 69 active listings in the ZIP; 37 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 8d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 3,838 units permitted in Santa Clara County in 2024 (1,886 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Santa Clara County population projected at +24% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 sale attempts 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→14/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 2.8% vs local median 1.3% in Santa Clara — 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

• 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 78 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 51% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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 B-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?
• 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?