Rented normally, it costs you $5,099 a month. That is $61,190 a year, every year you hold it.

The rent is our own estimate, not a signed tenancy. The shortfall is not a data problem: at this price, on these costs, the rent does not cover what it takes to hold it. It only works if you are buying for the capital growth, or buying it cheaper.

217 Hamilton St #217, Cambridge, MA 02139 · 1,478 sqft · $973/sqft

3 BED TOWNHOUSEListed 51d ago

$1,438,000

List price

Monthly profit

−$5,099/mo

Cash needed

$398K

+ refurb costs

Return after costs

-12.2%

Cash return

-15.4%

Weak

Rented normally at the asking price, the numbers do not stand up — 3.77% return before costs on price.

Why it works

3.77% return before costs — around the area average for this property type
Nothing here is unusual enough, in either direction, to be a reason on its own.

Why to be cautious

3.77% return — below most lender Rent-covers-mortgage checks
Most lenders want the rent to cover about 1.25× the stressed mortgage payment. At this yield it may not.A bigger deposit fixes the lender test — it does not fix the return. See the lender's view →
Monthly profit −$5,099/mo — heavily negative — needs monthly capital injection
You would be topping it up every month, from your own income, for as long as you hold it.That can still be the plan if you are buying for capital growth — but it should be a decision, not a surprise. Try your own numbers →
No rent comparables — estimate is a rule-of-thumb fallback, not market data. Verify the rent locally before offering.

Research, not financial advice · how we decide →

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