68 Groton Ave

Cortland, NY 13045

$154,900A-

6 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,894 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 122 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,954/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$812
• Tax + insurance: −$643
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$620
• Net cashflow: $878/mo
• Annual: $10,535/yr
• Cap rate: 13.09%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.29%
• DSCR: 2.08
• 1% rule: 1.91%
• Cash to close: $43,372

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $155k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $878 ($11k/yr) — positive. Per door: $439/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $155k).
• It's been on market 122 days — a 12% lower offer ($136k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $136k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#201 in NY, #3,105 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, employment D, commute F.
• Cortland City School District (town): math 49% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #368 of 590 in NY (top 62%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Cortland High School (math 92% / reading 92%, grade A+, #171 of 1,100 statewide, top 18%, 596 students, 42% FRL) — zoned schools at 42% FRL track the district average.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 92% at this address vs 52% district-wide (+40 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Cortland City School District average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.5% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.4%/yr); 141 active listings in the ZIP; 45 units permitted in Cortland County in 2024 (12 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cortland County population projected at -15% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $25k (14%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $43k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 13.1% vs local median 6.2% in Cortland — 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 $2,954/mo this rent would consume 51% of the median local household income ($70k/yr) (locally 1488% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• 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 1900 — 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?
• 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 D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?