48 Summer St

Adams, MA 01220

$199,500C-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,332 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 27 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,515/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,046
• Tax + insurance: −$190
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$318
• Net cashflow: $-40/mo
• Annual: $-475/yr
• Cap rate: 6.05%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.85%
• DSCR: 0.96
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $55,860

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $200k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-40 ($-475/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $193k (3.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $152k (24.1% below list).
• It's been on market 27 days — a 2% lower offer ($197k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $152k (24.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $15k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $13k appreciation (6.7% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#131 in MA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+, housing A, cost of living A-; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment D-.
• Adams-Cheshire (rural): math 14% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #285 of 302 in MA (top 94%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Hoosac Valley Elementary School (math 27% / reading 42%, grade F, #577 of 938 statewide, top 65%, 374 students, 0% FRL); Hoosac Valley Middle School (math 8% / reading 28%, grade F, #264 of 305 statewide, top 87%, 288 students, 0% FRL); Hoosac Valley High School (math 22% / reading 37%, grade F, #270 of 343 statewide, top 80%, 324 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 36% district-wide (36 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 62 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 130 units permitted in Berkshire County in 2024 (10 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Berkshire County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 4 sale attempts since 12y 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 $96k; list at $200k implies a 107% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (6.7% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $56k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$36k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 3.7% in Adams — 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

• 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?
• 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 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?
• This sits on a lake — are riparian / water-frontage rights deeded with the parcel? Any dock permits, shoreline easements, or HOA water-use restrictions?
• What's the documented flood / surge / shoreline-erosion history here (FEMA AND non-FEMA — e.g., storm surge, creek backup, septic-field saturation)?
• Any water-quality or seasonal algae-bloom issues that affect tenant satisfaction or short-term-rental demand?
• 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.