204 Bell Ave · Altoona, PA 16602

$60,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,625 sqft · SingleFamily · 2 Days on market

Built 1929 3,049 sqft lot Est $117k · 49% 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 +30.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Schools +3.1/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Affordable and full of potential, this 3-bedroom Altoona home offers functional living space and classic character in a convenient location. Featuring a practical layout with comfortable living areas and plenty of opportunity to make it your own, this home is ideal for buyers seeking affordability and value. Situated on a manageable lot with public utilities and low taxes, the property presents a great opportunity for an owner-occupant or investor looking to build equity and unlock future potential.

Key facts

• 3,049 sq ft lot
• Built 1929
• Listed 2 days

Property features AI

Exterior

• Utilities: Public water
• Home design: Single-family residence; Two levels
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Built with foundation (basement present)
• Exterior features: Shingle roof

Interior

• Kitchen: Oven; Range; Refrigerator
• Flooring: Vinyl flooring; Carpet flooring
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating (natural gas); Cooling system present
• Interior features: Basement present; Oven, Range, Refrigerator

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $60k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $370 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $60k).
• Cap rate 13.7% vs local median 5.8% in Altoona — 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 79/100 on livability (#237 in PA, #2,060 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime C-, employment D, amenities F.
• Altoona Area SD (urban): math 30% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #406 of 539 in PA (top 75%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 151 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 99 units permitted in Blair County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $415 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Blair County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $17k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1929 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $60,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1929 — 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. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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: 1.68% ✓
• Cap rate: 13.70%
• Cash-on-cash: 26.46%
• DSCR: 2.18
• GRM: 5.0

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $117,000
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
210 Crawford Ave	0.06mi	3/2.0	1,530 (-6%)	1mo	$145,000	$95	83
414 Grant Ave	0.23mi	3/1.0	1,518 (-7%)	2mo	$110,000	$72	77
125 E 4th Ave	0.32mi	3/1.5	1,708 (+5%)	0mo	$27,000	$16	74
215 Logan Blvd	0.20mi	3/1.5	1,768 (+9%)	2mo	$200,000	$113	73
818 Bell Ave	0.51mi	3/1.5	1,632 (+0%)	2mo	$135,000	$83	72
105 1st Ave	0.13mi	4/1.5 (+1)	1,795 (+10%)	0mo	$109,900	$61	69
510 E Grant Ave	0.48mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,643 (+1%)	1mo	$229,900	$140	66
604 1st Ave	0.37mi	4/1.0 (+1)	1,746 (+7%)	0mo	$80,000	$46	65
508-512 5th Ave	0.44mi	3/1.0	1,755 (+8%)	1mo	$75,000	$43	65
312 E Walton Ave	0.30mi	4/1.5 (+1)	1,785 (+10%)	0mo	$115,000	$64	62
711 E Bell Ave	0.64mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,580 (-3%)	1mo	$166,000	$105	56
1022 1st Ave	0.70mi	3/1.5	1,850 (+14%)	1mo	$122,000	$66	41

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: 20.3%
• Equity multiple: 1.83×
• Total profit: $13,892
• Equity at exit: $8,946

10-year hold

• IRR: 28.5%
• Equity multiple: 3.53×
• Total profit: $42,566
• Equity at exit: $5,188

Cash invested: $16,800 (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 16602

• Home prices YoY: -30.3%
• Active inventory: 151
• Price-to-rent: 5.0×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,008 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$315
• Tax from tax record: −$86 /mo · $1,031/yr
• Insurance: −$25
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$212
• Net cashflow: $370

Break-even live

Break-even rent $539

Max offer price $60,000

Occupancy floor 58%

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: $15,000
• Closing costs: $1,800
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 4 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
201 2nd Ave Unit 2nd Fl Altoona, PA	3.0	1.0	1244	$790	$0.64	44d	1	0.16mi
1101 E Walton Ave Altoona, PA	2.0–3.0	1.0–1.5	975	$1,605	$1.65	44d	9	0.90mi
1102 17th Ave Altoona, PA	3.0	1.0	1430	$899	$0.63	44d	1	1.19mi
1326 14th Ave Altoona, PA	3.0	1.0	1600	$1,150	$0.72	44d	1	1.23mi

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-01
   status $60,000 Pending 2 DOM
2. 2026-05-31
   days on market $60,000 Active 2 DOM
3. 2026-05-29
   listed $60,000 Active

ⓘ 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: $1,031 · $86/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,031 · $86/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 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥90°F today · 18 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 3 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $12,092
• − Mortgage interest: −$3,361
• − Property taxes: −$1,031
• − Insurance: −$300
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$967
• − Management: −$967
• − Depreciation: −$1,745
• Taxable income: $3,719
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$893
• After-tax cash flow: $3,553/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: Altoona Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4202340
• Math proficiency: 30% ▼ -15.00%
• Reading proficiency: 44% ▼ -15.00%
• Median HH income: $38,465
• Composite: 30.85/100
• National rank: #6130
• State rank: #406 of 539 in PA

Livability — Altoona

• Score: 79/100
• State rank: #237
• US rank: #2060

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Altoona, PA
• County: Blair County · 59,867 people
• City population: 59,867
• Metro: Altoona, PA
• Population (ZIP): 26,352
• Household income: $55,046
• Rent vs Own: 32.7% rent · 67.3% own
• Severe rent burden: 740.0

Population outlook (Blair County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 121,571 people
• By 2030: 117,966 · -3.0%
• By 2040: 109,174 · -10.2%
• By 2050: 99,542 · -18.1%
• By 2075: 76,775 · -36.8%
• By 2100: 54,326 · -55.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (90%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 90% Two or more races 5% Black 3% Hispanic / Latino 2%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Lithuanian 1% Italian 1%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Blair

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+43.5) · D 27.9% · R 71.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -19.2pp toward R · 2008: -24.3pp · 2024: -43.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+43.5 2020: R+43.5 2016: R+46.4 2012: R+33.5 2008: R+24.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -92.37%
• Current HPI: 212.2268
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Altoona, 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

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-29 Listed $60,000 AHARMLS

Property tax history

-6.3%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,031 · +13.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.