22 Helen St

New Haven, CT 06518

$292,100B+

6 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,640 sqft · Built 1926 · MultiFamily · Under Contract · 17 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,752/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,532
• Tax + insurance: −$969
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,208
• Net cashflow: $2,043/mo
• Annual: $24,517/yr
• Cap rate: 14.69%
• Cash-on-cash: 29.98%
• DSCR: 2.33
• 1% rule: 1.97%
• Cash to close: $81,788

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $292k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($25k/yr) — positive. Per door: $681/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($6k rent vs $292k).
• It's been on market 17 days — a 2% lower offer ($288k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $288k (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 79/100 on livability (#31 in CT, #2,190 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Hamden School District (suburban): math 30% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #106 of 153 in CT (top 69%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Hamden Middle School (math 27% / reading 43%, grade F, #123 of 175 statewide, top 70%, 811 students, 40% FRL); Hamden High School (math 21% / reading 44%, grade F, #125 of 194 statewide, top 66%, 1,672 students, 39% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.5% of price; built in 1926 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 84 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 1,059 units permitted in South Central Connecticut Planning Region in 2024 (779 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 4 sale attempts since 21y 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 0.3% rent growth), your $82k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate flood risk; major wind risk, 53% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 14.7% vs local median 4.5% in New Haven — 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 $5,752/mo this rent would consume 65% of the median local household income ($107k/yr) (locally 692% 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 1926 — 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.