735 Sandy River Rd · Madison, ME 04911

$199,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,344 sqft · MultiFamily · 163 Days on market

Built 1980 8.00 ac lot ↓ 7% since listing

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Why this score? — see what drove the D grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +9.2/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +6.2/10.0
• Schools +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• DSCR +2.6/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• 1% rule +1.8/10.0

Multi-family units

County records classify this as Multi-Family (2-4 Unit). Listing-text estimate: 1 unit. estimate disagrees with records

Listing remarks

This charming three bedroom home sits on approximately 8 picturesque acres in the beautiful Maine country side. The home has a rustic Maine feel to it, and with a little TLC would make a great year-round or seasonal home. A large portion of the property is field, and if the small barn was repaired or replaced, it would be the perfect spot to start a little homestead or small farm. With some creative landscaping, the approximately 485 feet of frontage on the Sandy River could be made more easily accessible so you could enjoy those hot summer days relaxing by the river! This could be the country home you've been waiting for!

Key facts

• 8 acre lot
• 5 parking spots
• Built 1980

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath multifamily listed at $199k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-148 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $173k (13.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $135k (32.1% below list).
• Recommended offer: $135k (32.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#111 in ME) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: health & safety C-, housing D+, schools D-.
• Market conditions: 129 units permitted in Somerset County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $6k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $5k appreciation (2.4% local appreciation)).
• Somerset County population projected at -25% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• By year 6, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$33k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 163 days — a 12% lower offer ($175k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Recommended offer $135,130 (32.1% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. 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?
2. It's been on market 163 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 32% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
6. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.68% ✗
• Cap rate: 5.40%
• Cash-on-cash: -3.20%
• DSCR: 0.86
• GRM: 12.3

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

2.44% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 2.8%
• Equity multiple: 1.15×
• Total profit: $8,571
• Equity at exit: $83,231

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.4%
• Equity multiple: 1.92×
• Total profit: $51,156
• Equity at exit: $123,607

Cash invested: $55,720 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Maine: 41 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Portland has rent control referendum (2020); strong habitability; security deposit caps.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 04911

• Home prices YoY: 1.1%
• Price-to-rent: 12.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,351 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,044
• Tax from tax record: −$89 /mo · $1,073/yr
• Insurance: −$83
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$284
• Net cashflow: $-148

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,539

Max offer price $172,787

Occupancy floor —

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $49,750
• Closing costs: $5,970
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-04-08
   status Pending
2. 2026-02-03
   price $199,000
3. 2026-01-05
   price $209,000
4. 2025-10-27
   listed $215,000 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast ME · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,073 · $89/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,890 · $157/mo
• Expected delta: +$817/yr (+$68/mo · 76.1%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥91°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 10% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $16,216
• − Mortgage interest: −$11,147
• − Property taxes: −$1,073
• − Insurance: −$995
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,297
• − Management: −$1,297
• − Depreciation: −$5,789
• Taxable loss: −$5,383
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,292
• After-tax cash flow: $-489/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

No district data.

Livability — Madison

• Score: 64/100
• State rank: #111
• US rank: #14419

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A+ Employment F Housing D+ Health & safety C- User ratings A+

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 1,787

Population outlook (Somerset County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 48,335 people
• By 2030: 46,268 · -4.3%
• By 2040: 41,276 · -14.6%
• By 2050: 36,137 · -25.2%
• By 2075: 26,408 · -45.4%
• By 2100: 18,836 · -61.0%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (97%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 97% Hispanic / Latino 1%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 10% Slovak 6% Romanian 3%
• Foreign-born: 1% · China

Political lean MEDSL · Somerset

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+27.1) · D 35.6% · R 62.7% · Other 1.7%
• 2008→2024 swing: -32.8pp toward R · 2008: 5.7pp · 2024: -27.1pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+27.1 2020: R+23.4 2016: R+22.8 2012: D+1.7 2008: D+5.7

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 2.44%
• Current HPI: 227.5178
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

-7.4% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-08 Pending — MREIS
• 2026-02-03 Price Changed $199,000 MREIS
• 2026-01-05 Price Changed $209,000 MREIS
• 2025-10-27 Listed $215,000 MREIS

Property tax history

+1.0%/yr

Latest (2024): $1,073 · +3.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.