744 8th Ave · Bethlehem, PA 18018

$249,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,972 sqft · Townhouse public records · 44 Days on market

Built 1910 2,835 sqft lot $127/sqft · at area comps Est $294k · 15% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- 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 +15.1/30.0
• ARV discount +14.3/15.0
• DSCR +4.6/10.0
• 1% rule +4.4/10.0
• Livability +4.1/5.0
• Schools +3.5/10.0
• Rent growth +2.7/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Large twin in West Bethlehem in need of mostly cosmetic updating. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath home with expandable attic which could be converted into 2 additional bedrooms. Off street parking. Full basement. Mud room which could accomodate extra bath or first floor laundry. CO ordered. Home being sold AS IS.

Key facts

• Parking
• Built 1910
• Listed 44 days

Property features AI

Finance

• HOA & community: Curbs

Exterior

• Parking: Driveway; Off-street parking
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Gas water heater
• Home design: 3 stories; Brick construction; Slate roof
• Construction: Brick construction; Slate roof; 3-story building
• Exterior features: Porch; Yard fenced; Corner lot; Has a view

Interior

• Kitchen: Dishwasher; Electric oven; Refrigerator; Eat-in kitchen
• Bedrooms: Bedroom on second level; Bedroom on second level; Bedroom on third level; Den on third level
• Flooring: Hardwood flooring
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating (gas)
• Interior features: Dining area; Separate/formal dining room; Eat-in kitchen; Home office; Full basement
• Laundry & utility: Laundry/mud room on first level; Additional laundry area on first level (could convert to half bath); Gas water heater

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $250k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $80 ($962/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 $235k (5.8% below list).
• Recommended offer: $235k (5.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.7% vs local median 4.3% in Bethlehem — 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 82/100 on livability (#138 in PA, #1,122 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: commute F.
• Bethlehem Area SD (urban): math 31% / reading 49% proficiency, ranked #342 of 539 in PA (top 64%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 103 active listings in the ZIP; 28 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 24d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 765 units permitted in Lehigh County in 2024 (286 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($75k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Lehigh County population projected at +21% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 44 days — a 3% lower offer ($242k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 18y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (7%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $105k; list at $250k implies a 138% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1910 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• 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 $235,310 (5.8% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 44 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1910 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. Schools are B-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?
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: 0.94% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.68%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.37%
• DSCR: 1.06
• GRM: 8.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $294,363
• List price: $249,900
• Delta: -15.10%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
731 6th Ave	0.11mi	3/1.0	2,000 (+1%)	3mo	$265,000	$133	90
709 6th Ave	0.13mi	3/1.5	2,012 (+2%)	1mo	$315,000	$157	88
720 7th Ave	0.08mi	3/1.5	1,906 (-3%)	3mo	$285,000	$150	86
531 9th Ave	0.25mi	3/1.5	1,884 (-4%)	7mo	$355,000	$188	73
514 2nd Ave	0.50mi	4/1.0 (+1)	1,935 (-2%)	9mo	$299,900	$155	61
1007 Main St	0.69mi	3/1.0	1,944 (-1%)	8mo	$165,000	$85	58
420 2nd Ave	0.55mi	3/1.0	2,157 (+9%)	2mo	$350,000	$162	57
629 Terrace Ave	0.53mi	3/1.0	1,803 (-9%)	11mo	$370,000	$205	52
1032 Main St	0.73mi	3/1.5	1,865 (-5%)	6mo	$315,000	$169	50
350 6th Ave	0.41mi	4/1.0 (+1)	1,754 (-11%)	10mo	$293,611	$167	49
231 7th Ave	0.58mi	3/3.0	1,782 (-10%)	6mo	$343,000	$192	44
227 W Lehigh	0.74mi	3/2.5	1,700 (-14%)	9mo	$300,000	$176	29

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 0.85% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -16.6%
• Equity multiple: 0.42×
• Total profit: $-40,308
• Equity at exit: $37,261

10-year hold

• IRR: -12.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.32×
• Total profit: $-47,841
• Equity at exit: $21,607

Cash invested: $69,972 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 62 Landlord-Friendly
• State Pennsylvania: 62 Landlord-Friendly · EVEN
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day notice; Philadelphia has eviction-court diversion + some protections; otherwise moderate.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 18018

• Rents YoY: 0.8%
• Active inventory: 103
• Price-to-rent: 8.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,353 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax from tax record: −$364 /mo · $4,370/yr
• Insurance: −$104
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$494
• Net cashflow: $80

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,252

Max offer price $249,900

Occupancy floor 92%

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: $62,475
• Closing costs: $7,497
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 28 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
520 W Union Blvd Unit 2 Bethlehem, PA	3.0	1.0	2225	$2,150	$0.97	23d	1	0.25mi
1345 Martin Ct Bethlehem, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0–2.0	1184	$2,370	$2.00	2d	8	0.45mi
1210 Eaton Ave #201 Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1350	$2,350	$1.74	43d	1	0.63mi
1718 Calypso Ave Bethlehem, PA	4.0	1.5	1912	$2,700	$1.41	43d	1	0.73mi
68 W Union Blvd Bethlehem, PA	4.0	1.5	1804	$2,295	$1.27	14d	1	0.74mi
56 W North St Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1486	$2,400	$1.62	14d	1	0.76mi
1926 W Broad St Bethlehem, PA	4.0	1.0	1492	$2,000	$1.34	14d	1	0.93mi
1136 N New St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	1.0	1296	$2,300	$1.77	2d	1	0.96mi
1411 Greenview Dr Unit 12 Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.5	1380	$2,500	$1.81	43d	1	1.01mi
1411 Greenview Dr Unit 17 Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.5	1400	$2,500	$1.79	23d	1	1.01mi
42 E Wall St Bethlehem, PA	4.0	1.0	1474	$2,550	$1.73	23d	1	1.02mi
1320 Chelsea Ave Bethlehem, PA	3.0	2.0	1373	$2,395	$1.74	2d	1	1.06mi
1320 Chelsea Ave Bethlehem, PA	3.0	2.0	1373	$2,349	$1.71	14d	1	1.06mi
129 E Goepp St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	2.0	1648	$2,600	$1.58	2d	1	1.11mi
517 Seneca St Unit 1 Bethlehem, PA	2.0	1.5	1500	$2,200	$1.47	43d	1	1.11mi
11 W 2nd St Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1620	$2,550	$1.57	23d	4	1.13mi
239 E Church St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	2.5	1724	$2,950	$1.71	23d	1	1.29mi
316 E Union Blvd Bethlehem, PA	4.0	2.0	1460	$2,145	$1.47	43d	1	1.32mi
417 Linden St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	1.5	1699	$2,450	$1.44	2d	1	1.33mi
326 E Frankford St Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1250	$2,300	$1.84	23d	1	1.35mi
326 E Frankford St Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1250	$2,300	$1.84	43d	1	1.35mi
311 E 3rd St Bethlehem, PA	2.0	2.0	1189	$2,330	$1.96	2d	3	1.39mi
1214 Maple St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	1.0	1462	$2,000	$1.37	43d	1	1.44mi
1818 Catasauqua Rd Bethlehem, PA	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1007	$2,803	$2.78	43d	9	1.44mi
1129 Russell Ave Fountain Hill, PA	3.0	1.0	1376	$1,750	$1.27	23d	1	1.47mi
1129 Russell Ave Fountain Hill, PA	3.0	1.0	1376	$1,900	$1.38	43d	1	1.47mi
822 Elm St Bethlehem, PA	3.0	1.5	1406	$2,195	$1.56	14d	1	1.50mi
802 Elm St Bethlehem, PA	4.0	1.5	1520	$2,800	$1.84	21d	1	1.50mi

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $249,900 Active 44 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $249,900 Active 43 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $249,900 Active 42 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $249,900 Active 41 DOM
5. 2026-06-14
   days on market $249,900 Active 39 DOM
6. 2026-06-10
   days on market $249,900 Active 36 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $249,900 Active 35 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $249,900 Active 34 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $249,900 Active 33 DOM
10. 2026-06-03
    days on market $249,900 Active 29 DOM
11. 2026-06-02
    days on market $249,900 Active 28 DOM
12. 2026-06-01
    pricedays on market $249,900 Active 27 DOM
13. 2026-05-31
    days on market $270,000 Active 26 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $270,000 Active 25 DOM
15. 2026-05-05
    listed $270,000 Active 1029-char remark
16. 2008-03-27
    soldstatus $105,000 301-char remark

    Show marketing remark (301 chars)

    Large twin in West Bethlehem in need of mostly cosmetic updating. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath home with expandable attic which could be converted into 2 additional bedrooms. Off street parking. Full basement. Mud room which could accomodate extra bath or first floor laundry. CO ordered. Home being sold AS IS.

17. 2008-03-27
    soldstatus $105,000

    Show marketing remark (301 chars)

    Large twin in West Bethlehem in need of mostly cosmetic updating. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath home with expandable attic which could be converted into 2 additional bedrooms. Off street parking. Full basement. Mud room which could accomodate extra bath or first floor laundry. CO ordered. Home being sold AS IS.

18. 2008-02-06
    listed $99,900 301-char remark

    Show marketing remark (301 chars)

    Large twin in West Bethlehem in need of mostly cosmetic updating. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath home with expandable attic which could be converted into 2 additional bedrooms. Off street parking. Full basement. Mud room which could accomodate extra bath or first floor laundry. CO ordered. Home being sold AS IS.

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

Tax reassessment forecast PA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $4,370 · $364/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $4,370 · $364/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 4/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 15% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 4/10 Moderate 3 unhealthy d/yr today · 6 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $28,237
• − Mortgage interest: −$13,998
• − Property taxes: −$4,370
• − Insurance: −$1,250
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,259
• − Management: −$2,259
• − Depreciation: −$7,270
• Taxable loss: −$3,169
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$760
• After-tax cash flow: $1,722/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: Bethlehem Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4203570
• Math proficiency: 31% ▼ -2.00%
• Reading proficiency: 49% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $55,124
• Composite: 34.92/100
• National rank: #5068
• State rank: #342 of 539 in PA

Livability — Bethlehem

• Score: 82/100
• State rank: #138
• US rank: #1122

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Bethlehem, PA
• County: Lehigh County · 333,019 people
• City population: 129,661
• Metro: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
• Population (ZIP): 32,965
• Household income: $75,417
• Rent vs Own: 46.8% rent · 53.2% own
• Severe rent burden: 1361.0

Population outlook (Lehigh County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 392,957 people
• By 2030: 408,319 · +3.9%
• By 2040: 440,007 · +12.0%
• By 2050: 475,940 · +21.1%
• By 2075: 590,448 · +50.3%
• By 2100: 690,314 · +75.7%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Majority White (65%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 65% Hispanic / Latino 24% Two or more races 10% Black 6% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 2% Puerto Rican 14% Dominican 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Italian 2% Polish 2%
• Foreign-born: 9% · Canada, Jamaica, China
• Languages at home: 81% English-only · Spanish 15% Other Indo-European 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Lehigh

• 2024 margin: Toss-up / Even · D 50.7% · R 48.0% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -12.9pp toward R · 2008: 15.6pp · 2024: 2.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+2.7 2020: D+7.6 2016: D+4.4 2012: D+7.5 2008: D+15.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -211.46%
• Current HPI: 301.1699
• Rent YoY: ▲ 0.85%
• Metro: Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.68%
• F500 in state: 34

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in PA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Healthcare	2	$309B
▸Insurance	2	$27B
▸Telecommunications / Media	1	$124B
▸Industrial Distribution	1	$22B
▸Financial Services	1	$20B
▸Chemicals / Materials	1	$18B

Price history

+150.2% since first listed

5 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-01 Price Changed $249,900 GLVRMLS
• 2026-05-05 Listed $270,000 GLVRMLS
• 2008-03-27 Sold (Public Records) $105,000 Public Records
• 2008-03-27 Sold (MLS) $105,000 GLVRMLS
• 2008-02-06 Listed $99,900 GLVRMLS

Property tax history

+1.6%/yr

Latest (2026): $4,370 · +2.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.