26 Petticoat Hl · Princeton, ME 04668

$19,900

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,200 sqft · Other · 24 Days on market

Built 1900 0.43 ac lot

---

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 +15.0/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +5.2/10.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• Schools +2.8/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Livability +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Just off of West Street in a quiet, rural neighborhood, is a sweet lot with a house that needs some serious TLC.

Key facts

• 0.43 acre lot
• Parking
• Built 1900

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Gravel parking; Reclaimed parking area; Space for 1–4 vehicles
• Utilities: Private water source; Private or unknown sewer; Circuit breaker electrical system; Other type water heater
• Home design: Single-family residence; Entry level on the first floor; Facing direction not specified
• Construction: Wood frame construction with wood siding; Shingle roof; Built in 1900
• Exterior features: Near public beach and town; Rural setting; Level lot; Paved road access

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen on the first floor
• Bedrooms: Four bedrooms on the second floor
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Has heating
• Interior features: Six total rooms; Crawl space and doghouse-style basement entry

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $20k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $959 ($12k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $20k).
• Recommended offer: $20k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• Princeton Public Schools (rural): math 25% / reading 35% proficiency, ranked #171 of 185 in ME (top 92%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Princeton Elementary School (math 72% / reading 72%, grade A-, #253 of 294 statewide, top 90%, 122 students, 48% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 72% at this address vs 30% district-wide (+42 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Princeton Public Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: 14 active listings in the ZIP; 67 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $201 of equity ($138 loan paydown + $63 appreciation (0.3% local appreciation)).
• Washington County population projected at -27% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (0.3% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $6k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 24 days — a 2% lower offer ($20k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.5% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $19,601 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 7.29% ✓
• Cap rate: 64.11%
• Cash-on-cash: 206.49%
• DSCR: 10.19
• GRM: 1.1

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

0.32% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 11.92×
• Total profit: $60,836
• Equity at exit: $6,097

10-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 25.19×
• Total profit: $134,775
• Equity at exit: $7,588

Cash invested: $5,572 (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 04668

• Home prices YoY: 0.1%
• Active inventory: 14
• Price-to-rent: 1.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,451 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$104
• Tax from tax record: −$75 /mo · $896/yr
• Insurance: −$8
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$305
• Net cashflow: $959

Break-even live

Break-even rent $237

Max offer price $19,900

Occupancy floor 29%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $1,022	-5% $964	+0% $959	+5% $953	+10% $948
Rent	-10% $844	-5% $901	+0% $959	+5% $1,016	+10% $1,073
Rate	-1.0pp $969	-0.5pp $964	base $959	+0.5pp $954	+1.0pp $948

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: $4,975
• Closing costs: $597
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $19,900 Active 24 DOM
2. 2026-06-21
   days on market $19,900 Active 23 DOM
3. 2026-06-18
   days on market $19,900 Active 21 DOM
4. 2026-06-17
   pricedays on market $19,900 Active 20 DOM
5. 2026-06-16
   days on market $24,900 Active 19 DOM
6. 2026-06-15
   days on market $24,900 Active 18 DOM
7. 2026-06-13
   days on market $24,900 Active 16 DOM
8. 2026-06-12
   days on market $24,900 Active 15 DOM
9. 2026-06-09
   days on market $24,900 Active 12 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $24,900 Active 11 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $24,900 Active 10 DOM
12. 2026-06-05
    days on market $24,900 Active 8 DOM
13. 2026-06-04
    days on market $24,900 Active 6 DOM
14. 2026-06-02
    days on market $24,900 Active 5 DOM
15. 2026-06-01
    days on market $24,900 Active 4 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $24,900 Active 3 DOM
17. 2026-05-31
    days on market $24,900 Active 2 DOM
18. 2026-05-28
    listed $24,900 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: $896 · $75/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $896 · $75/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ 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 (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥90°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 6/10 Major 27% 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: $17,409
• − Mortgage interest: −$1,115
• − Property taxes: −$896
• − Insurance: −$100
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,393
• − Management: −$1,393
• − Depreciation: −$579
• Taxable income: $11,935
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$2,864
• After-tax cash flow: $8,641/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: Princeton Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 2309990
• Math proficiency: 25% ▼ -10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 35% ▬ 0.00%
• Median HH income: $36,905
• Composite: 27.77/100
• National rank: #12304
• State rank: #171 of 185 in ME

Livability — Princeton

No livability data for this city. (Only ~50 U.S. cities are tracked.)

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 1,934

Population outlook (Washington County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 28,818 people
• By 2030: 27,147 · -5.8%
• By 2040: 23,809 · -17.4%
• By 2050: 21,035 · -27.0%
• By 2075: 16,793 · -41.7%
• By 2100: 14,395 · -50.0%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.63)
• Race & ethnicity: White 61% Native American 31% Two or more races 8% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 5% German 2% Romanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada
• Languages at home: 83% English-only · Spanish 1% French/Haitian/Cajun 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Washington

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+23.5) · D 37.5% · R 61.0% · Other 1.6%
• 2008→2024 swing: -24.5pp toward R · 2008: 1.0pp · 2024: -23.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+23.5 2020: R+19.8 2016: R+16.2 2012: D+1.6 2008: D+1.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 0.32%
• Current HPI: 223.1411
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-28 Listed $24,900 MREIS

Property tax history

+4.8%/yr

Latest (2023): $896 · +15.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.