192-193 Pennsylvania 239 · Union, PA 18655

$149,000

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,080 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 70 Days on market

Built 1920 $72/sqft · 32% below area

---

Why this score? — see what drove the D+ 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 +11.9/30.0
• Appreciation +10.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +3.5/10.0
• 1% rule +2.8/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.5/10.0
• Livability +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks MLS

A fine 3 Bedroom apartment on the second floor. Duplex with first floor showroom used for storage. First floor offers stackable W & D, utility sink, office, 1/2 bath off showroom w/ add'l storage area. Second floor - large 3 bdrm, full bath, washer, dryer and gas stove. 2nd floor is tenant occupied mo- to- mo

Key facts

• Listed 69 days

🏷️ Possibly a rental listed for sale. The $149,000 price doesn't fit this home's estimated sale value (~$315,535) and the remarks read like a rental — treat the cards below with caution.

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $149k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-465 ($-6k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $67k (55.1% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $116k (22.1% below list).
• Recommended offer: $67k (55.1% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.

Location & tenants

• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• Northwest Area SD (rural): math 21% / reading 35% proficiency, ranked #449 of 539 in PA (top 83%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 35 active listings in the ZIP; 349 units permitted in Luzerne County in 2024 (16 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $16k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $15k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Luzerne County population projected at +4% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$40k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 70 days — a 6% lower offer ($140k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 4 sale attempts 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 $62k; list at $149k implies a 140% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $427/mo; built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone AE (mandatory federal flood insurance) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $66,827 (55.1% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. It's been on market 70 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 55% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
3. Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
4. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
5. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
6. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
7. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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: 0.78% ✗
• Cap rate: 5.98%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.11%
• DSCR: 0.95
• GRM: 10.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $315,535
• List price: $149,000
• Delta: -52.78%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 5 within 2.0 mi

Show comp detail 3 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
198 Pa-239	0.03mi	4/2.5 (+1)	2,000 (-4%)	14mo	$247,000	$124	72
39 Mckendree Rd	0.22mi	3/1.5	1,832 (-12%)	10mo	$274,000	$150	62
272 State Route 239	0.36mi	3/2.5	1,946 (-6%)	23mo	$340,000	$175	50

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

Projected returns pro-forma

10.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 15.0%
• Equity multiple: 2.24×
• Total profit: $51,757
• Equity at exit: $134,231

10-year hold

• IRR: 14.8%
• Equity multiple: 5.22×
• Total profit: $176,181
• Equity at exit: $289,474

Cash invested: $41,720 (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 18655

• Home prices YoY: 13.9%
• Active inventory: 35
• Price-to-rent: 10.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,161 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$781
• Tax from tax record: −$113 /mo · $1,351/yr
• Insurance: −$62
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$427 /mo · $5,118/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$244
• Net cashflow: $-465

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,750

Max offer price $66,827

Occupancy floor —

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: $37,250
• Closing costs: $4,470
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 11 events

1. 2026-06-01
   days on market $149,000 Active 70 DOM
2. 2026-05-31
   days on market $149,000 Active 69 DOM
3. 2026-03-23
   listed $149,000 Active 314-char remark

   Show marketing remark (399 chars)

   A fine investment opportunity, well trafficked area and well maintained. Duplex with first floor showroom 24 x 40, previously a gun store, most recently a salon for the last 15 years. First floor offers stackable W & D, utility sink, office, 1/2 bath off showroom w/ add'l storage area. Second floor - large 3 bdrm, full bath, washer, dryer and gas stove. 2nd floor is tenant occupied mo- to- mo

4. 2026-03-23
   price $149,000 399-char remark

   Show marketing remark (399 chars)

   A fine investment opportunity, well trafficked area and well maintained. Duplex with first floor showroom 24 x 40, previously a gun store, most recently a salon for the last 15 years. First floor offers stackable W & D, utility sink, office, 1/2 bath off showroom w/ add'l storage area. Second floor - large 3 bdrm, full bath, washer, dryer and gas stove. 2nd floor is tenant occupied mo- to- mo

5. 2025-11-22
   listed $159,000 Active 399-char remark

   Show marketing remark (399 chars)

   A fine investment opportunity, well trafficked area and well maintained. Duplex with first floor showroom 24 x 40, previously a gun store, most recently a salon for the last 15 years. First floor offers stackable W & D, utility sink, office, 1/2 bath off showroom w/ add'l storage area. Second floor - large 3 bdrm, full bath, washer, dryer and gas stove. 2nd floor is tenant occupied mo- to- mo

6. 2025-11-07
   status Active
7. 2025-11-07
   price $159,900
8. 2025-08-10
   price $165,000
9. 2025-08-10
   price $165,000
10. 2025-03-10
    listed $175,000 Active
11. 2010-06-11
    soldstatus $62,000

ⓘ 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: $1,351 · $113/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,853 · $154/mo
• Expected delta: +$502/yr (+$42/mo · 37.1%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 9/10 Extreme FEMA zone AE · 99% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥97°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 3/10 Moderate 4% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $13,935
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,346
• − Property taxes: −$1,351
• − Insurance: −$5,864
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,115
• − Management: −$1,115
• − Depreciation: −$4,335
• Taxable loss: −$8,190
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,965
• After-tax cash flow: $-3,616/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: Northwest Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4217790
• Math proficiency: 21% ▼ -18.00%
• Reading proficiency: 35% ▼ -23.00%
• Median HH income: $51,916
• Composite: 24.68/100
• National rank: #7618
• State rank: #449 of 539 in PA

Livability — Union

No livability data for this city. (Only ~50 U.S. cities are tracked.)

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 5,789

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 (95%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 95% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 19% Lithuanian 5% Iranian 3%
• Foreign-born: 1%
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Russian/Polish/Slavic 1% Spanish 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: ▲ 34.48%
• Current HPI: 282.3106
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• 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

+140.3% since first listed

9 events — show timeline

• 2026-03-23 Listed $149,000 LCAR
• 2026-03-23 Price Changed $149,000 LCAR
• 2025-11-22 Listed $159,000 LCAR
• 2025-11-07 Relisted — CSVBR
• 2025-11-07 Price Changed $159,900 CSVBR
• 2025-08-10 Price Changed $165,000 LCAR
• 2025-08-10 Price Changed $165,000 CSVBR
• 2025-03-10 Listed $175,000 CSVBR
• 2010-06-11 Sold (Public Records) $62,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+1.8%/yr

Latest (2026): $1,351 · +4.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.