88 Westphal St

West Hartford, CT 06110

$265,000C

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,156 sqft · Built 1953 · SingleFamily · Under Contract · 8 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,703/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,390
• Tax + insurance: −$583
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$568
• Net cashflow: $163/mo
• Annual: $1,952/yr
• Cap rate: 7.03%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.63%
• DSCR: 1.12
• 1% rule: 1.02%
• Cash to close: $74,200

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $265k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $163 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $265k).
• Only 8 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 79/100 on livability (#27 in CT, #1,989 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, housing A+, crime B+; Watch: amenities F, cost of living F.
• West Hartford School District (urban): math 56% / reading 67% proficiency, ranked #39 of 153 in CT (top 26%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 16% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Charter Oak International Academy (math 42% / reading 50%, grade D-, #269 of 553 statewide, top 49%, 512 students, 47% FRL); Sedgwick Middle School (math 44% / reading 59%, grade C, #77 of 175 statewide, top 44%, 866 students, 28% FRL); Hall High School (math 62% / reading 82%, grade B+, #14 of 194 statewide, top 8%, 1,408 students, 20% FRL) — zoned schools average 32% FRL vs 16% district-wide (16 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1953 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 34 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 26d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 42% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 1,867 units permitted in Capitol Planning Region in 2024 (1,399 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk; major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.0% vs local median 3.3% in West Hartford — 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.
• This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($88k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1953 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are A-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• 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.
• 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.