2 Redfern St

East Providence, RI 02915

$524,900C

4 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,040 sqft · Built 1920 · MultiFamily · Pending · 2 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,651/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,753
• Tax + insurance: −$737
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,187
• Net cashflow: $975/mo
• Annual: $11,696/yr
• Cap rate: 8.52%
• Cash-on-cash: 7.96%
• DSCR: 1.35
• 1% rule: 1.08%
• Cash to close: $146,972

Investor read

• This is a 1×3bd/1.5ba + 2×1bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $525k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $975 ($12k/yr) — positive. Per door: $325/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($6k rent vs $525k).
• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $16k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#12 in RI, #4,784 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: schools D-, amenities F, commute F.
• East Providence (suburban): math 18% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #26 of 39 in RI (top 67%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 65 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 776 units permitted in Providence County in 2024 (229 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Providence County population projected at +5% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 5 sale attempts since 28y 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 $350k; 50% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Cap rate 8.5% vs local median 3.1% in East Providence — 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.
• At $5,651/mo this rent would consume 80% of the median local household income ($84k/yr) (locally 427% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are D-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.