579 West 215 St Unit 2F

New York, NY 10034

$499,000F

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 900 sqft · Built 1964 · Condo · Pending · 165 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,775/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,617
• Tax + insurance: −$832
• HOA: −$1,202
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$793
• Net cashflow: $-1,669/mo
• Annual: $-20,023/yr
• Cap rate: 2.28%
• Cash-on-cash: -14.33%
• DSCR: 0.36
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $139,720

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $499k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-2k ($-20k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $431k (13.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $377k (24.4% below list).
• It's been on market 165 days — a 12% lower offer ($439k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $377k (24.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-0.8%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#268 in NY, #4,188 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, health & safety A; Watch: crime F, cost of living F.
• Zoned schools: Elm Tree Elementary School (math 27% / reading 52%, grade F, #1,444 of 2,108 statewide, top 71%, 806 students, 94% FRL); Mark Twain Is 239 For The Gifted And Talented (math 90% / reading 96%, grade A+, #6 of 729 statewide, top 1%, 1,207 students, 44% FRL); Midwood High School (math 94% / reading 96%, grade A+, #83 of 1,100 statewide, top 8%, 4,062 students, 73% FRL).
• Watch-outs: HOA is 32% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+9.9%/yr); 32 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 4,467 units permitted in New York County in 2024 (4,463 in 5+ unit buildings).
• New York County population projected at +21% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 sale attempts 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→14/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• At $3,775/mo this rent would consume 67% of the median local household income ($68k/yr) (locally 3612% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• It's been on market 165 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 24% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1964 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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 B-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?