23 Newton Ave

Westerly, RI 02891

$420,000B+

8 bd · 3.0 ba · 3,273 sqft · Built 1916 · MultiFamily · Pending · 8 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $7,376/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,203
• Tax + insurance: −$464
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,549
• Net cashflow: $3,160/mo
• Annual: $37,920/yr
• Cap rate: 15.32%
• Cash-on-cash: 32.25%
• DSCR: 2.43
• 1% rule: 1.76%
• Cash to close: $117,600

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 3-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $420k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3k ($38k/yr) — positive. Per door: $1k/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($7k rent vs $420k).
• Only 8 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $13k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#10 in RI, #4,529 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: cost of living D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Westerly (suburban): math 19% / reading 39% proficiency, ranked #21 of 39 in RI (top 54%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: built in 1916 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+11.7%/yr); 110 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 311 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (45 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Washington County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $118k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 80% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 15.3% vs local median 1.8% in Westerly — 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 $7,376/mo this rent would consume 91% of the median local household income ($97k/yr) (locally 577% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

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 1916 — 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.
• 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 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.