912 Cutler St

Schenectady, NY 12303

$225,000B+

6 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,476 sqft · Built 1930 · MultiFamily · Active · 21 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $6,360/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,180
• Tax + insurance: −$595
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,336
• Net cashflow: $3,249/mo
• Annual: $38,994/yr
• Cap rate: 23.62%
• Cash-on-cash: 61.89%
• DSCR: 3.75
• 1% rule: 2.83%
• Cash to close: $63,000

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 5-bed/3.0-bath units multifamily listed at $225k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3k ($39k/yr) — positive. Per door: $1k/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($6k rent vs $225k).
• It's been on market 21 days — a 2% lower offer ($222k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $222k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#167 in NY, #2,597 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A; Watch: employment D+, crime F.
• Schenectady City School District (urban): math 38% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #556 of 590 in NY (top 94%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 65% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Hamilton Elementary School (math 15% / reading 24%, grade F, #1,972 of 2,108 statewide, top 94%, 419 students, 0% FRL); Mont Pleasant Middle School (math 2% / reading 27%, grade F, #704 of 729 statewide, top 98%, 671 students, 81% FRL); Schenectady High School (math 75% / reading 90%, grade A, #446 of 1,100 statewide, top 41%, 2,743 students, 71% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.7% of price; built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 164 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 154 units permitted in Schenectady County in 2024 (54 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Schenectady County population projected to shrink 4% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 6 sale attempts since 18y 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 $135k; list at $225k implies a 67% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $63k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 23.6% vs local median 6.3% in Schenectady — 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 $6,360/mo this rent would consume 90% of the median local household income ($84k/yr) (locally 1318% 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 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.
• 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.