597-605 Elmwood Ave · Buffalo, NY 14222

$2,500,000

1617 bd · None ba · 36,452 sqft · MultiFamily public records · 122 Days on market

Built 1900 0.31 ac lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D+ 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 +15.0/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +3.7/5.0
• Schools +3.3/10.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Multi-family units

County records classify this as Multi-Family (5+ Unit). Listing-text estimate: 49 units. confirmed

5+ unit building — per-unit beds/baths from public records are typically unavailable; the breakdown below (if shown) is an estimate from the listing text.

Listing remarks

Also listed for sale under: B1627464. Welcome to 597–605 Elmwood Avenue, a truly iconic 49-unit apartment building in the heart of Elmwood Village, ready for its next chapter in the right hands of a seasoned and visionary investor. This is not a project for just anyone. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to acquire and redevelop a landmark property on one of the city's most vibrant and walkable corridors. Positioned at the corner of Elmwood and Lexington, this expansive three-story brick building offers over 27,000 square feet of historic architecture and unmatched potential. The layout includes 32 one-bedroom apartments, 15 studios, 1 two-bedroom unit, and a ground-floor comm

Key facts

• Hardwood flooring
• Detailed woodwork
• 0.31 acre lot

Tags

• ICONIC APARTMENT BUILDING
• HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
• GROUND-FLOOR COMMERCIAL SPACE
• DECORATIVE FIREPLACES
• HARDWOOD FLOORING
• DETAILED WOODWORK

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 49 × 33-bed/?-bath units multifamily listed at $2.50M.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $70k ($841k/yr) — positive. Per door: $1k/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($108k rent vs $2.50M).
• Recommended offer: $2.20M (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 39.9% vs local median 8.0% in Buffalo — 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 77/100 on livability (#195 in NY, #3,011 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
• Buffalo City School District (urban): math 41% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #535 of 590 in NY (top 91%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 75% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.7%/yr); 63 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 1,244 units permitted in Erie County in 2024 (563 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At $107,823/mo this rent would consume 1585% of the median local household income ($82k/yr) (locally 978% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $17k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $75k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.7% rent growth), your $700k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 122 days — a 12% lower offer ($2.20M) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $2.00M; 25% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $2,200,000 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 122 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
3. What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
4. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
5. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
6. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 4.31% ✓
• Cap rate: 39.94%
• Cash-on-cash: 120.18%
• DSCR: 6.35
• GRM: 1.9

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 4.69% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 7.07×
• Total profit: $4,246,518
• Equity at exit: $372,758

10-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 15.63×
• Total profit: $10,240,078
• Equity at exit: $216,154

Cash invested: $700,000 (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 14222

• Home prices YoY: -31.4%
• Rents YoY: 4.7%
• Active inventory: 63
• Price-to-rent: 94.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $107,823 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$13,110
• Tax from tax record: −$925 /mo · $11,097/yr
• Insurance: −$1,042
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$22,643
• Net cashflow: $70,103

Break-even live

Break-even rent $19,084

Max offer price $2,500,000

Occupancy floor 30%

49-unit breakdown (identical units grouped — click to expand)

Units	Beds	Baths	Est. rent
▸ 49× units	33	—	$107,800
Total (49 units)			$107,823

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: $625,000
• Closing costs: $75,000
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2025-12-01
   status Pending
2. 2025-08-01
   listed $2,500,000 Active
3. 2006-07-17
   soldstatus $2,005,000

ⓘ 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: $11,097 · $925/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $26,674 · $2,223/mo
• Expected delta: +$15,576/yr (+$1,298/mo · 140.4%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 6/10 Major FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 70% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥91°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 4/10 Moderate 4 unhealthy d/yr today · 9 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $1,293,876
• − Mortgage interest: −$140,039
• − Property taxes: −$11,097
• − Insurance: −$12,500
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$103,510
• − Management: −$103,510
• − Depreciation: −$72,727
• Taxable income: $850,493
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$204,118
• After-tax cash flow: $637,123/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: Buffalo City School District
• NCES district ID: 3605850
• Math proficiency: 41% ▲ 11.00%
• Reading proficiency: 40% ▲ 7.00%
• Median HH income: $31,665
• Composite: 33.17/100
• National rank: #5544
• State rank: #535 of 590 in NY

Livability — Buffalo

• Score: 77/100
• State rank: #195
• US rank: #3011

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Buffalo, NY
• County: Erie County · 714,559 people
• City population: 440,021
• Metro: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
• Population (ZIP): 15,311
• Household income: $81,652
• Rent vs Own: 60.1% rent · 39.9% own
• Severe rent burden: 978.0

Population outlook (Erie County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 933,037 people
• By 2030: 935,181 · +0.2%
• By 2040: 928,531 · -0.5%
• By 2050: 905,725 · -2.9%
• By 2075: 834,037 · -10.6%
• By 2100: 708,033 · -24.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (74%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 74% Black 11% Hispanic / Latino 8% Two or more races 7% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 1% Puerto Rican 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 13% Lithuanian 2% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 7% · Canada, Vietnam, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 89% English-only · Spanish 3% German/W. Germanic 2% French/Haitian/Cajun 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Erie

• 2024 margin: Lean D (+9.7) · D 54.8% · R 45.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -7.9pp toward R · 2008: 17.5pp · 2024: 9.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+9.7 2020: D+14.7 2016: D+4.8 2012: D+15.6 2008: D+17.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -205.10%
• Current HPI: 448.3711
• Rent YoY: ▲ 4.69%
• Metro: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
• 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

+24.7% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2025-12-01 Pending — WNYREIS
• 2025-08-01 Listed $2,500,000 WNYREIS
• 2006-07-17 Sold (Public Records) $2,005,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+7.7%/yr

Latest (2025): $11,097 · +0.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.