71 Carey St · Plains, PA 18705

$130,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,902 sqft · SingleFamily · 16 Days on market

Built 1930 Est $240k · 46% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the B- 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 +26.5/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +9.0/10.0
• 1% rule +7.1/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.1/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Ready to move in, QUAINT 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath home. FHA ready. 1 car garage, close to amenities.

Key facts

• Garage
• Built 1930
• Listed 16 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $130k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $343 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $130k).
• Recommended offer: $128k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 9.5% vs local median 4.8% in Plains — 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 78/100 on livability (#286 in PA, #2,528 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools C-, employment D+, amenities D.
• Wilkes-Barre Area SD (urban): math 19% / reading 32% proficiency, ranked #469 of 539 in PA (top 87%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 74 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 349 units permitted in Luzerne County in 2024 (16 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 32% of the median local income ($59k/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 $899 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Luzerne County population projected at +4% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $36k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 16 days — a 2% lower offer ($128k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 11y 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 $78k; list at $130k implies a 67% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $128,050 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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: 1.21% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.46%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.30%
• DSCR: 1.50
• GRM: 6.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $239,652
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
113 Henry St	0.21mi	4/1.5 (+1)	1,932 (+2%)	8mo	$155,000	$80	74
21 Parkview Dr	0.43mi	4/1.5 (+1)	1,900 (-0%)	12mo	$240,000	$126	63
331 Main St	0.57mi	3/2.0	1,908 (+0%)	7mo	$199,900	$105	63
13 Terrace Dr	0.45mi	3/2.0	1,832 (-4%)	9mo	$305,000	$166	62
29 Poplar St	0.59mi	3/2.0	1,917 (+1%)	7mo	$175,000	$91	62
14 Price St	0.58mi	3/2.0	1,770 (-7%)	1mo	$335,000	$189	57
92 Burke St	0.72mi	3/2.0	1,949 (+2%)	7mo	$145,000	$74	52
15 Price St	0.55mi	4/3.0 (+1)	1,961 (+3%)	5mo	$303,191	$155	52
25 Garden Dr	0.51mi	3/1.5	2,100 (+10%)	6mo	$249,900	$119	52
18 Kennedy St	0.59mi	3/1.5	2,055 (+8%)	12mo	$235,000	$114	47
23 Laurel St	0.54mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,656 (-13%)	2mo	$251,000	$152	42
355 Main St	0.63mi	3/1.5	1,619 (-15%)	8mo	$265,000	$164	37

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 · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 0.6%
• Equity multiple: 1.02×
• Total profit: $793
• Equity at exit: $19,383

10-year hold

• IRR: 10.2%
• Equity multiple: 1.79×
• Total profit: $28,903
• Equity at exit: $11,240

Cash invested: $36,400 (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 18705

• Home prices YoY: -22.7%
• Active inventory: 74
• Price-to-rent: 6.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,571 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$682
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$162 /mo · $1,950/yr
• Insurance: −$54
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$330
• Net cashflow: $343

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,137

Max offer price $130,000

Occupancy floor 73%

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: $32,500
• Closing costs: $3,900
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 6 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
13 Charles St Unit 15 Wilkes-Barre, PA	3.0	1.0	1300	$1,550	$1.19	13d	1	0.36mi
123 W Carey St Wilkes Barre, PA	3.0	2.0	1375	$1,650	$1.20	13d	1	0.52mi
210 E Thomas St Wilkes-Barre, PA	4.0	2.0	1300	$1,650	$1.27	43d	1	0.72mi
42 Cleveland St Wilkes Barre, PA	4.0	1.5	1700	$1,600	$0.94	43d	1	0.86mi
342 E Main St Wilkes Barre, PA	3.0	1.0	2000	$1,550	$0.78	43d	1	0.91mi
746 N Washington St Unit 1 Wilkes-Barre, PA	3.0	2.0	1573	$1,500	$0.95	21d	1	1.26mi

Listing history 6 events

1. 2023-08-29
   status Pending
2. 2023-08-20
   historical
3. 2022-10-07
   status Pending
4. 2022-08-31
   listed $130,000 Active
5. 2015-09-18
   soldstatus $78,000 93-char remark

   Show marketing remark (93 chars)

   Ready to move in, QUAINT 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath home. FHA ready. 1 car garage, close to amenities.

6. 2015-06-29
   listed $89,900 93-char remark

   Show marketing remark (93 chars)

   Ready to move in, QUAINT 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath home. FHA ready. 1 car garage, close to amenities.

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

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $18,854
• − Mortgage interest: −$7,282
• − Property taxes: −$1,950
• − Insurance: −$650
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,508
• − Management: −$1,508
• − Depreciation: −$3,782
• Taxable income: $2,174
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$522
• After-tax cash flow: $3,592/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: Wilkes-Barre Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4226300
• Math proficiency: 19% ▼ -2.00%
• Reading proficiency: 32% ▼ -9.00%
• Median HH income: $37,420
• Composite: 21.22/100
• National rank: #8409
• State rank: #469 of 539 in PA

Livability — Plains

• Score: 78/100
• State rank: #286
• US rank: #2528

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Plains, PA
• County: Luzerne County · 118,885 people
• Metro: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
• Population (ZIP): 15,624
• Household income: $59,344
• Rent vs Own: 39.2% rent · 60.8% own
• Severe rent burden: 549.0

Population outlook (Luzerne County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 319,505 people
• By 2030: 319,943 · +0.1%
• By 2040: 322,643 · +1.0%
• By 2050: 330,817 · +3.5%
• By 2075: 379,145 · +18.7%
• By 2100: 431,908 · +35.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (68%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 68% Hispanic / Latino 22% Two or more races 11% Black 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 7% Puerto Rican 5% Dominican 9%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 19% Scotch-Irish 3% Polish 2%
• Foreign-born: 11% · Canada
• Languages at home: 79% English-only · Spanish 17% Other Indo-European 2% Russian/Polish/Slavic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Luzerne

• 2024 margin: R (+19.2) · D 40.0% · R 59.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -27.6pp toward R · 2008: 8.4pp · 2024: -19.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+19.2 2020: R+14.4 2016: R+19.6 2012: D+4.8 2008: D+8.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -71.77%
• Current HPI: 243.9176
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
• 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

+44.6% since first listed

6 events — show timeline

• 2023-08-29 Pending — LCAR
• 2023-08-20 Delisted — LCAR
• 2022-10-07 Pending — LCAR
• 2022-08-31 Listed $130,000 LCAR
• 2015-09-18 Sold (MLS) $78,000 LCAR
• 2015-06-29 Listed $89,900 LCAR