26 Water St · Newport, ME 04953

$80,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,276 sqft · SingleFamily · 75 Days on market

Built 1900 0.40 ac lot $63/sqft · 65% below area

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Why this score? — see what drove the A- 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 +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Appreciation +10.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Schools +6.4/10.0
• Livability +3.1/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks MLS

3 Bedroom Farmhouse with newer kitchen. Home has a large living room. Laundry room off the living room. This home has lots of potential. This home is near amenities. Close to town boat launch, near shopping, near the river trail and near public safety. Bring your tools and make this home your own special place. Near I-95. This property is eligible under the 1st look initiative. All owner Occupants offers will be responded to after 7 days on the market and Investor offers will be responded to after 30 days. All offers can be submitted during the 1st look period.

Key facts

• Near river trail
• Newer kitchen
• Near shopping

Tags

• NEWER KITCHEN
• LARGE LIVING ROOM
• LAUNDRY ROOM
• NEAR AMENITIES
• NEAR SHOPPING
• NEAR RIVER TRAIL

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $80k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $778 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $80k).
• Recommended offer: $75k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 61/100 on livability (#118 in ME) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: health & safety C-, schools F, amenities F.
• RSU 19 (rural): math 73% / reading 81% proficiency, ranked #96 of 112 in ME (top 86%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Market conditions: 25 active listings in the ZIP; 440 units permitted in Penobscot County in 2024 (40 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $9k of equity ($553 loan paydown + $8k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Penobscot County population projected at -17% 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 $22k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 4, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$30k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 75 days — a 6% lower offer ($75k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $10k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.8% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $75,200 (6.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 75 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
4. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
6. 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?
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 for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 2.24% ✓
• Cap rate: 17.96%
• Cash-on-cash: 41.68%
• DSCR: 2.85
• GRM: 3.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $229,298
• List price: $80,000
• Delta: -65.11%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 5 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
25 Elm St	0.11mi	3/1.0	1,126 (-12%)	9mo	$220,000	$195	68
8 Carter Ave	0.46mi	3/1.0	1,331 (+4%)	7mo	$185,000	$139	65
48 Sebasticook Ave	0.44mi	3/2.0	1,355 (+6%)	10mo	$585,000	$432	57
16 Libby Hill Rd	0.72mi	3/1.5	1,212 (-5%)	3mo	$314,900	$260	53
114 Elm St	0.41mi	3/1.0	1,422 (+11%)	16mo	$200,586	$141	49

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

10.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 56.6%
• Equity multiple: 5.16×
• Total profit: $93,208
• Equity at exit: $72,070

10-year hold

• IRR: 50.2%
• Equity multiple: 11.52×
• Total profit: $235,668
• Equity at exit: $155,422

Cash invested: $22,400 (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 04953

• Home prices YoY: 13.2%
• Active inventory: 25
• Price-to-rent: 3.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,793 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$420
• Tax from tax record: −$185 /mo · $2,224/yr
• Insurance: −$33
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$376
• Net cashflow: $778

Break-even live

Break-even rent $808

Max offer price $80,000

Occupancy floor 52%

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: $20,000
• Closing costs: $2,400
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 19 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $80,000 Active 75 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $80,000 Active 74 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $80,000 Active 73 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $80,000 Active 72 DOM
5. 2026-06-14
   days on market $80,000 Active 70 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $80,000 Active 69 DOM
7. 2026-06-10
   days on market $80,000 Active 67 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $80,000 Active 66 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $80,000 Active 65 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $80,000 Active 64 DOM
11. 2026-06-05
    pricedays on market $80,000 Active 61 DOM
12. 2026-06-03
    days on market $90,000 Active 60 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $90,000 Active 59 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    days on market $90,000 Active 58 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $90,000 Active 57 DOM
16. 2026-05-30
    days on market $90,000 Active 56 DOM
17. 2026-05-17
    status Active 567-char remark

    Show marketing remark (567 chars)

    3 Bedroom Farmhouse with newer kitchen. Home has a large living room. Laundry room off the living room. This home has lots of potential. This home is near amenities. Close to town boat launch, near shopping, near the river trail and near public safety. Bring your tools and make this home your own special place. Near I-95. This property is eligible under the 1st look initiative. All owner Occupants offers will be responded to after 7 days on the market and Investor offers will be responded to after 30 days. All offers can be submitted during the 1st look period.

18. 2026-05-14
    historical 567-char remark

    Show marketing remark (567 chars)

    3 Bedroom Farmhouse with newer kitchen. Home has a large living room. Laundry room off the living room. This home has lots of potential. This home is near amenities. Close to town boat launch, near shopping, near the river trail and near public safety. Bring your tools and make this home your own special place. Near I-95. This property is eligible under the 1st look initiative. All owner Occupants offers will be responded to after 7 days on the market and Investor offers will be responded to after 30 days. All offers can be submitted during the 1st look period.

19. 2026-04-02
    listed $90,000 Active 567-char remark

    Show marketing remark (567 chars)

    3 Bedroom Farmhouse with newer kitchen. Home has a large living room. Laundry room off the living room. This home has lots of potential. This home is near amenities. Close to town boat launch, near shopping, near the river trail and near public safety. Bring your tools and make this home your own special place. Near I-95. This property is eligible under the 1st look initiative. All owner Occupants offers will be responded to after 7 days on the market and Investor offers will be responded to after 30 days. All offers can be submitted during the 1st look period.

ⓘ 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: $2,224 · $185/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,224 · $185/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

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

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $21,514
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,481
• − Property taxes: −$2,224
• − Insurance: −$400
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,721
• − Management: −$1,721
• − Depreciation: −$2,327
• Taxable income: $8,639
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$2,073
• After-tax cash flow: $7,264/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)

• District: RSU 19
• NCES district ID: 2314785
• Math proficiency: 73% ▲ 53.00%
• Reading proficiency: 81% ▲ 39.00%
• Median HH income: $41,866
• Composite: 64.37/100
• National rank: #548
• State rank: #96 of 112 in ME

Livability — Newport

• Score: 61/100
• State rank: #118
• US rank: #17837

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Newport, ME
• Population (ZIP): 3,145

Population outlook (Penobscot County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 149,928 people
• By 2030: 146,386 · -2.4%
• By 2040: 135,952 · -9.3%
• By 2050: 123,864 · -17.4%
• By 2075: 97,825 · -34.8%
• By 2100: 77,196 · -48.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (97%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 97% Two or more races 2%
• Common ancestry: Serbian 6% Lithuanian 5% Slovak 3%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · French/Haitian/Cajun 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Penobscot

• 2024 margin: R (+10.9) · D 43.6% · R 54.5% · Other 1.9%
• 2008→2024 swing: -15.9pp toward R · 2008: 5.0pp · 2024: -10.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+10.9 2020: R+8.3 2016: R+10.9 2012: D+2.9 2008: D+5.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 37.37%
• Current HPI: 320.8626
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-17 Relisted — MREIS
• 2026-05-14 Delisted — MREIS
• 2026-04-02 Listed $90,000 MREIS

Property tax history

+4.5%/yr

Latest (2024): $2,224 · +14.9% YoY. Source: county tax records.