54 Chaplin St

Rumford, ME 04276

$165,000C

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 858 sqft · Built 1908 · MultiFamily · Active · 13 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,411/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax + insurance: −$227
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$296
• Net cashflow: $23/mo
• Annual: $276/yr
• Cap rate: 6.94%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.32%
• DSCR: 1.10
• 1% rule: 0.86%
• Cash to close: $46,200

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath multifamily listed at $165k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $23 ($276/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $141k (14.5% below list).
• Only 13 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $141k (14.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $18k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $16k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#39 in ME, #4,030 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute D, amenities F, employment F.
• RSU 10 (rural): math 72% / reading 79% proficiency, ranked #107 of 112 in ME (top 96%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Zoned schools: Rumford Elementary (math 62% / reading 67%, grade B, #279 of 294 statewide, top 95%, 261 students, 72% FRL); Mountain Valley Middle School (math 69% / reading 78%, grade A, #79 of 85 statewide, top 95%, 354 students, 76% FRL); Mountain Valley High School (math 74% / reading 84%, grade A-, #99 of 108 statewide, top 95%, 388 students, 71% FRL).
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo; built in 1908 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 82 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 329 units permitted in Oxford County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Oxford County population projected at -21% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 5 sale attempts since 15y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $26k; list at $165k implies a 547% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $46k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$45k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1908 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.