7505 Democracy Blvd Unit A430 · Potomac, MD 20817

$195,000

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 624 sqft · Condo · 30 Days on market

Built 1960 Good condition $437/mo HOA · 21% of rent

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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 +10.1/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +5.8/10.0
• Condition / age +3.8/5.0
• Schools +3.6/10.0
• Livability +3.3/5.0
• Rent growth +3.0/5.0
• DSCR +2.9/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Arguably the best one-bedroom condo value in Bethesda, with the current monthly ownership cost beating rent. Set within an established community neighboring the exciting Montgomery Mall town center redevelopment, this is a compelling opportunity for both owner-occupants and investors alike. Just updated with fresh paint and new carpet, this move-in-ready residence is ideally positioned in one of the community’s quieter buildings, nestled into to the natural beauty of Cabin John Park & backing to the "Lake". This specific unit shares 1/2 as many unit walls with others, creating a more private and peaceful living experience. South-facing exposure fills the home with natu

Key facts

• Cabin john park
• Fewer shared walls
• One bedroom condo

Tags

• ONE BEDROOM CONDO
• ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY
• MOVE IN READY
• CABIN JOHN PARK
• FEWER SHARED WALLS
• SOUTH FACING EXPOSURE

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Condominium ownership; Directions: From American Legion Bridge - North on 495, bear left onto 270, exit #1 onto Democracy Blvd. Turn left (west) on Democracy Blvd. Turn right at 7501 Democracy Blvd, then proceed behind 7501 to 7505 Democracy (back building).
• HOA & community: Monthly condo fee approximately $437.45; HOA covers air conditioning, electricity, exterior building maintenance, heat, lawn maintenance, management, pool(s), snow removal, trash, water, and sewer; Community amenities include basketball courts, common grounds, elevator, extra storage, laundry facilities, meeting room, party room, picnic area, outdoor pool, and tennis courts

Exterior

• Parking: Off-street parking; Parking lot
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electric hot water
• Home design: Condominium unit (Unit/Flat); Garden-style building (1–4 floors); South-facing main entrance; Entry on floor 4; Elevator access (2 elevators); Pets allowed (cats OK)
• Construction: Brick and block construction; Estimated year built
• Exterior features: BBQ grill; Exterior lighting; Sidewalks; Sport court; Tennis courts; Community pool; Above-grade common structures

Interior

• Bedrooms: One bedroom on the main level
• Flooring: Carpet
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom on the main level
• Heating & cooling: Central heat (electric); Central air conditioning (electric)
• Interior features: Open floor plan; Tub with shower; Carpeted areas; Not furnished
• Laundry & utility: No washer/dryer hook up in unit; Community laundry facilities available

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath condo listed at $195k. Condition is rated good.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-116 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $178k (8.6% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $195k).
• Recommended offer: $178k (8.6% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Cap rate 5.6% vs local median 0.8% in Potomac — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#229 in MD) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, crime A-, housing B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, cost of living F.
• Montgomery County Public Schools (suburban): math 27% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #3 of 24 in MD (top 12%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Ashburton Elementary (math 39% / reading 45%, grade F, #84 of 860 statewide, top 10%, 810 students, 20% FRL); North Bethesda Middle (math 36% / reading 69%, grade C+, #6 of 225 statewide, top 3%, 1,110 students, 14% FRL); Walter Johnson High (math 82% / reading 84%, grade A, #13 of 222 statewide, top 6%, 2,942 students, 18% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 59% at this address vs 36% district-wide (+23 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Montgomery County Public Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.1%/yr); 686 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 3,880 units permitted in Montgomery County in 2024 (2,054 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent is only 10% of the median local income ($249k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Montgomery County population projected at +27% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 30 days — a 2% lower offer ($192k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: HOA is 21% of rent.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→15/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $178,266 (8.6% 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. Built in 1960 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
4. Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
6. 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?
7. 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?
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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: 1.08% ✓
• Cap rate: 5.58%
• Cash-on-cash: -2.54%
• DSCR: 0.89
• GRM: 7.7

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 2.07% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -21.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.26×
• Total profit: $-40,622
• Equity at exit: $29,075

10-year hold

• IRR: -18.3%
• Equity multiple: 0.06×
• Total profit: $-51,526
• Equity at exit: $16,860

Cash invested: $54,600 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 27 Tenant-Leaning
• State Maryland: 27 Tenant-Leaning · D+14
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Failure-to-pay is dismissed if cured before judgment; Baltimore has just-cause; strict deposit rules.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 20817

• Rents YoY: 2.1%
• Active inventory: 686
• Price-to-rent: 7.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,113 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,023
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$244 /mo · $2,925/yr
• Insurance: −$81
• HOA: −$437
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$444
• Net cashflow: $-116

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,259

Max offer price $178,266

Occupancy floor —

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $19	-5% $-48	+0% $-116	+5% $-183	+10% $-250
Rent	-10% $-283	-5% $-199	+0% $-116	+5% $-32	+10% $51
Rate	-1.0pp $-17	-0.5pp $-66	base $-116	+0.5pp $-166	+1.0pp $-218

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: $48,750
• Closing costs: $5,850
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 4 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
10257 Arizona Cir #78 Bethesda, MD	1.0	1.0	700	$1,700	$2.43	17d	1	0.28mi
10320 Westlake Dr Unit 401 Bethesda, MD	1.0	1.0	731	$1,800	$2.46	14d	1	0.33mi
10401 Motor City Dr Bethesda, MD	2.0	1.0–2.0	832	$2,846	$3.42	1d	34	0.66mi
6425 Rock Forest Dr Bethesda, MD	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1038	$2,035	$1.96	0d	20	1.48mi

HOA detail condo

• Monthly dues: $437 · $5,244/yr
• Assessments: None detected in remarks — confirm with the listing agent.

Listing history 15 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $195,000 Active 30 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $195,000 Active 27 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $195,000 Active 26 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $195,000 Active 25 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $195,000 Active 24 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $195,000 Active 22 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $195,000 Active 18 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $195,000 Active 17 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $195,000 Active 16 DOM
10. 2026-06-04
    days on market $195,000 Active 13 DOM
11. 2026-06-03
    days on market $195,000 Active 12 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $195,000 Active 11 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $195,000 Active 10 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $195,000 Active 9 DOM
15. 2026-05-22
    listed $195,000 Active

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 6/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥105°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 15% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 2 unhealthy d/yr today · 3 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $25,351
• − Mortgage interest: −$10,923
• − Property taxes: −$2,925
• − Insurance: −$975
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,028
• − Management: −$2,028
• − HOA: −$5,244
• − Depreciation: −$5,673
• Taxable loss: −$4,445
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,067
• After-tax cash flow: $-321/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.

Condition & rehab AI · 16 photos

Good 75/100 Cosmetic rehab

This move-in-ready one-bedroom condo is well-maintained with fresh paint and carpet, offering a good investment opportunity in a desirable location.

Repairs flagged

• Minor Kitchen cabinets — Aesthetic update needed to modernize the space.
• Minor Bathroom fixtures — Update to fixtures to match kitchen and bathroom style.
• Minor Flooring — Deep cleaning or minor repairs to maintain appearance.
• Minor Appliances — Update to newer models for a more modern look and energy efficiency.

Value-add opportunities

• Both Kitchen appliances — Modern appliances can increase both resale and rental value.
• Both Bathroom fixtures — Upgraded fixtures can enhance both resale and rental appeal.
• Both Flooring — Fresh carpet or minor repairs can improve both resale and rental value.
• Both Landscaping — Well-maintained landscaping can enhance curb appeal and attract potential buyers/renters.

Renovation cost estimate screening

Repair item	Severity	Est. cost
Kitchen cabinets · Aesthetic update needed to modernize the space.	Minor	$500–3,000
Bathroom fixtures · Update to fixtures to match kitchen and bathroom style.	Minor	$500–3,000
Flooring · Deep cleaning or minor repairs to maintain appearance.	Minor	$500–3,000
Appliances · Update to newer models for a more modern look and energy efficiency.	Minor	$500–3,000
Total estimated repair cost · 4 items		$2,000–12,000

Value-add ROI direction

• Both Kitchen appliances — Modern appliances can increase both resale and rental value. ↑
• Both Bathroom fixtures — Upgraded fixtures can enhance both resale and rental appeal. ↑
• Both Flooring — Fresh carpet or minor repairs can improve both resale and rental value. ↑
• Both Landscaping — Well-maintained landscaping can enhance curb appeal and attract potential buyers/renters. ↑

ⓘ Cost ranges are severity-bucket heuristics (US national rule-of-thumb). Get contractor quotes + a written scope before underwriting a rehab budget.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Montgomery County Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 2400480
• Math proficiency: 27% ▼ -21.00%
• Reading proficiency: 45% ▼ -10.00%
• Median HH income: $97,191
• Composite: 35.62/100
• National rank: #4889
• State rank: #3 of 24 in MD

Livability — Potomac

• Score: 66/100
• State rank: #229
• US rank: #11388

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Potomac, MD
• County: Montgomery County · 961,106 people
• City population: 50,498
• Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
• Population (ZIP): 37,454
• Household income: $249,332
• Rent vs Own: 18.6% rent · 81.4% own
• Severe rent burden: 452.0

Population outlook (Montgomery County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 1,173,231 people
• By 2030: 1,237,402 · +5.5%
• By 2040: 1,365,115 · +16.4%
• By 2050: 1,491,592 · +27.1%
• By 2075: 1,803,893 · +53.8%
• By 2100: 2,035,619 · +73.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.59)
• Race & ethnicity: White 61% Asian 16% Two or more races 10% Hispanic / Latino 9% Black 7%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 1%
• Common ancestry: Scotch-Irish 5% Romanian 4% Italian 3%
• Foreign-born: 29% · Canada, China, South Korea
• Languages at home: 67% English-only · Spanish 8% Other Indo-European 8% Chinese 4%

Political lean MEDSL · Montgomery

• 2024 margin: Solid D (+53.3) · D 75.2% · R 21.9% · Other 2.9%
• 2008→2024 swing: +8.7pp toward D · 2008: 44.6pp · 2024: 53.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+53.3 2020: D+59.6 2016: D+55.5 2012: D+43.4 2008: D+44.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -591.93%
• Current HPI: 258.2944
• Rent YoY: ▲ 2.07%
• Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.97%
• F500 in state: 12

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MD)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Aerospace / Defense	1	$71B
▸Utilities	1	$25B
▸Hotels	1	$24B
▸Consumer Goods	1	$7B
▸Real Estate	1	$6B
▸Chemicals	1	$2B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-22 Listed $195,000 BRIGHT MLS