102 Summer St

Athol, MA 01331

$299,900B-

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,242 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Under Agreement · 29 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,933/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,573
• Tax + insurance: −$380
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$826
• Net cashflow: $1,154/mo
• Annual: $13,847/yr
• Cap rate: 10.91%
• Cash-on-cash: 16.49%
• DSCR: 1.73
• 1% rule: 1.31%
• Cash to close: $83,972

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $300k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($14k/yr) — positive. Per door: $577/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $300k).
• It's been on market 29 days — a 2% lower offer ($295k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $295k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#84 in MA, #4,383 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A-; Watch: employment D, schools F, amenities F.
• Athol-Royalston (town): math 22% / reading 33% proficiency, ranked #265 of 302 in MA (top 88%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 47 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,293 units permitted in Worcester County in 2024 (1,205 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 24y 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 $143k; list at $300k implies a 110% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $84k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.9% vs local median 3.9% in Athol — 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.

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