4 Lathrop Ave

Binghamton, NY 13905

$250,000B+

8 bd · 2.5 ba · 2,470 sqft · Built 1920 · MultiFamily · Active · 1 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,841/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$908
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$807
• Net cashflow: $816/mo
• Annual: $9,786/yr
• Cap rate: 10.21%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.98%
• DSCR: 1.62
• 1% rule: 1.54%
• Cash to close: $70,000

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 4-bed/1.5-bath units multifamily listed at $250k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $816 ($10k/yr) — positive. Per door: $408/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $250k).
• Only 1 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#174 in NY, #2,710 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime F, employment F.
• Binghamton City School District (urban): math 30% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #557 of 590 in NY (top 94%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Horace Mann School (math 22% / reading 32%, grade F, #1,786 of 2,108 statewide, top 86%, 243 students, 72% FRL); Binghamton High School (math 71% / reading 79%, grade A-, #631 of 1,100 statewide, top 58%, 1,341 students, 69% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 51% at this address vs 37% district-wide (+14 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Binghamton City School District average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.9% of price; built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+11.2%/yr); 136 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 340 units permitted in Broome County in 2024 (269 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Broome County population projected at -13% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 5 sale attempts since 11y 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 $170k; 47% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $70k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.2% vs local median 6.4% in Binghamton — 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 $3,841/mo this rent would consume 86% of the median local household income ($53k/yr) (locally 1875% 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 1920 — 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.
• 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?
• 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.