280 Waite Rd

Potsdam, NY 13676

$145,000C-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,200 sqft · Built 2022 · SingleFamily · Active · 156 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,215/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$760
• Tax + insurance: −$242
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$255
• Net cashflow: $-42/mo
• Annual: $-508/yr
• Cap rate: 5.94%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.25%
• DSCR: 0.94
• 1% rule: 0.84%
• Cash to close: $40,600

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $145k. Condition is rated excellent.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-42 ($-508/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $139k (4.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $121k (16.2% below list).
• It's been on market 156 days — a 12% lower offer ($128k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $121k (16.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $16k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $14k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#249 in NY, #3,908 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, commute F, employment F.
• Potsdam Central School District (town): math 53% / reading 66% proficiency, ranked #258 of 590 in NY (top 44%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Lawrence Avenue Elementary School (math 72% / reading 72%, grade A-, #378 of 2,108 statewide, top 20%, 551 students, 39% FRL); A A Kingston Middle School (math 27% / reading 54%, grade F, #409 of 729 statewide, top 56%, 368 students, 40% FRL); Potsdam Senior High School (math 92% / reading 92%, grade A+, #171 of 1,100 statewide, top 18%, 372 students, 37% FRL) — zoned schools at 39% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 147 active listings in the ZIP; 215 units permitted in St. Lawrence County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• St. Lawrence County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $41k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$39k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 5.9% vs local median 3.6% in Potsdam — 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?
• It's been on market 156 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 16% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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 A-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?
• 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.
• 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.