5038 S Catherine St · Plattsburgh, NY 12901

$220,000

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,790 sqft · Townhouse public records · 4 Days on market

Built 1870 2,680 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the F grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +8.1/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Livability +3.8/5.0
• Schools +3.7/10.0
• 1% rule +3.2/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• DSCR +2.1/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Don't miss this excellent investment or owner occupant opportunity. This multi-family property features two generously sized apartments. Each offers two bedrooms and one full bath. Each unit includes a functional kitchen providing storage and charm. Enjoy outdoor living with a fully fenced yard perfect for privacy, pets, or entertaining. The property includes a garage. Relax and unwind with not only one but multiple porches. Two enclosed for seasonal use plus a welcoming open front porch. Whether you are looking to expand your rental portfolio or live in one unit while renting the other, this property checks all the boxes.

Key facts

• Functional kitchen
• Enclosed porches
• Multiple porches

Tags

• MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTY
• FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN
• FULLY FENCED YARD
• MULTIPLE PORCHES
• ENCLOSED PORCHES
• OPEN FRONT PORCH

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $220k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-218 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $181k (17.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $181k (17.6% below list).
• Recommended offer: $181k (17.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 5.1% vs local median 2.8% in Plattsburgh — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#262 in NY, #4,134 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+, cost of living A, housing A; Watch: schools C-, employment D+, crime F.
• Plattsburgh City School District (town): math 33% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #484 of 590 in NY (top 82%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 183 active listings in the ZIP; 192 units permitted in Clinton County in 2024 (64 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• 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.
• Clinton County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.

Negotiation context

• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1870 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $181,203 (17.6% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. 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?
2. Built in 1870 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.82% ✗
• Cap rate: 5.10%
• Cash-on-cash: -4.26%
• DSCR: 0.81
• GRM: 10.1

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -23.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.20×
• Total profit: $-49,458
• Equity at exit: $32,803

10-year hold

• IRR: -18.0%
• Equity multiple: 0.02×
• Total profit: $-60,551
• Equity at exit: $19,022

Cash invested: $61,600 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 15 Strongly Tenant-Friendly
• State New York: 15 Strongly Tenant-Friendly · D+10
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

NYC rent stabilization (~1M units); 2019 HSTPA strengthened tenant rights; courts deeply backlogged.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 12901

• Home prices YoY: -22.5%
• Active inventory: 183
• Price-to-rent: 10.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,812 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,154
• Tax from tax record: −$405 /mo · $4,855/yr
• Insurance: −$92
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$381
• Net cashflow: $-218

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,089

Max offer price $181,403

Occupancy floor —

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $-94	-5% $-156	+0% $-218	+5% $-281	+10% $-343
Rent	-10% $-362	-5% $-290	+0% $-218	+5% $-147	+10% $-75
Rate	-1.0pp $-108	-0.5pp $-163	base $-218	+0.5pp $-275	+1.0pp $-333

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $55,000
• Closing costs: $6,600
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-04-19
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-13
   listed $220,000 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast NY · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $4,855 · $405/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $4,855 · $405/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥93°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $21,744
• − Mortgage interest: −$12,323
• − Property taxes: −$4,855
• − Insurance: −$1,100
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,740
• − Management: −$1,740
• − Depreciation: −$6,400
• Taxable loss: −$6,414
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,539
• After-tax cash flow: $-1,083/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Plattsburgh City School District
• NCES district ID: 3623280
• Math proficiency: 33% ▼ -16.00%
• Reading proficiency: 55% ▲ 5.00%
• Median HH income: $38,322
• Composite: 36.61/100
• National rank: #4626
• State rank: #484 of 590 in NY

Livability — Plattsburgh

• Score: 75/100
• State rank: #262
• US rank: #4134

Category grades

Amenities B- Commute F Cost of living A Crime F Employment D+ Housing A Health & safety A+ User ratings A+

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Plattsburgh, NY
• Population (ZIP): 32,012

Population outlook (Clinton County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 78,791 people
• By 2030: 76,848 · -2.5%
• By 2040: 71,579 · -9.2%
• By 2050: 66,471 · -15.6%
• By 2075: 57,361 · -27.2%
• By 2100: 47,232 · -40.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (87%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 87% Two or more races 5% Hispanic / Latino 4% Black 3% Asian 3%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 15% Romanian 3% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 6% · Canada, China
• Languages at home: 92% English-only · Spanish 2% French/Haitian/Cajun 2% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Clinton

• 2024 margin: Toss-up / Even · D 48.9% · R 51.1%
• 2008→2024 swing: -25.1pp toward R · 2008: 22.9pp · 2024: -2.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+2.2 2020: D+5.2 2016: D+0.9 2012: D+25.6 2008: D+22.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -73.55%
• Current HPI: 252.8692
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.60%
• F500 in state: 92

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in NY)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	10	$950B
▸Consumer Goods	9	$162B
▸Insurance	4	$225B
▸Telecommunications	2	$144B
▸Pharmaceuticals	2	$112B
▸Media / Entertainment	2	$69B

Price history

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-19 Pending — ACVMLS
• 2026-04-13 Listed $220,000 ACVMLS

Property tax history

+6.8%/yr

Latest (2025): $4,855 · +75.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.