521 E Barnard St · West Chester, PA 19382

$314,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,036 sqft · Townhouse public records · 3 Days on market

Built 1900 2,040 sqft lot Est $416k · 24% under

---

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).

• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• Cash flow +13.9/30.0
• Schools +5.9/10.0
• DSCR +4.2/10.0
• Livability +4.1/5.0
• Rent growth +3.7/5.0
• 1% rule +3.2/10.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Well-maintained twin home conveniently located near downtown West Chester, providing easy access to shopping, dining, entertainment, and local amenities. The property features a private fenced backyard with a covered patio, storage shed, and off-street parking for two vehicles. A covered front porch offers additional outdoor living space. The interior includes a spacious living and dining area, a large eat-in kitchen, three bedrooms, and a versatile bonus room suitable for a variety of uses, such as a home office, study, or hobby space. The updated bathroom features a tile floor, vanity, medicine cabinet, and tub surround. Additional storage is available throughout the home, along with a fu

Key facts

• Covered front porch
• Large eat-in kitchen
• Covered patio

Tags

• PRIVATE FENCED BACKYARD
• COVERED PATIO
• OFF-STREET PARKING
• COVERED FRONT PORCH
• LARGE EAT-IN KITCHEN
• VERSATILE BONUS ROOM

Property features AI

Exterior

• Utilities: 100 Amp electrical service; Natural gas heating and hot water; Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Semi-detached; Pitched roof; Entry level above grade
• Construction: Vinyl siding, stucco, and brick exterior; Stone and brick/mortar foundation; Replacement windows; Estimated year built
• Exterior features: Rear yard; Sidewalks; Exterior lighting; Patio(s); Porch(es)

Interior

• Kitchen: Eat-in kitchen
• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms on the upper level
• Flooring: Fully carpeted; Tile/brick flooring
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; Radiator heating; Natural gas hot water
• Interior features: Eat-in kitchen; Full, unfinished basement
• Laundry & utility: Main floor laundry

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $315k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $35 ($416/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 $259k (17.7% below list).
• Recommended offer: $259k (17.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.4% vs local median 2.6% in West Chester — 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 (#150 in PA, #1,252 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, health & safety A, crime B+; Watch: commute C-, cost of living F.
• West Chester Area SD (suburban): math 56% / reading 74% proficiency, ranked #34 of 539 in PA (top 6%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 11% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: East Goshen El Sch (math 77% / reading 87%, grade A+, #34 of 1,518 statewide, top 3%, 510 students, 18% FRL); J R Fugett Ms (math 40% / reading 75%, grade B, #61 of 512 statewide, top 13%, 908 students, 23% FRL); West Chester East Hs (math 86%, 1,251 students, 20% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.8%/yr); 215 active listings in the ZIP; 36 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 20d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 1,513 units permitted in Chester County in 2024 (354 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Chester County population projected at +6% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 5 sale attempts since 30y ago; this cycle's ask is 85% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
• Current owner paid $123k; list at $315k implies a 156% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→14/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $259,044 (17.7% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — 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 A-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: 0.82% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.42%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.47%
• DSCR: 1.02
• GRM: 10.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $416,472
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
333 E Miner St	0.16mi	2/1.5 (-1)	995 (-4%)	0mo	$475,000	$477	79
386 E Nields St	0.42mi	3/1.0	1,064 (+3%)	0mo	$410,000	$385	76
333 E Miner St	0.16mi	2/1.0 (-1)	995 (-4%)	11mo	$312,000	$314	72
317 S Adams St	0.19mi	3/1.0	1,176 (+14%)	3mo	$375,000	$319	66
340 E Miner St	0.14mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,139 (+10%)	15mo	$485,000	$426	57
147 E Miner St	0.33mi	3/1.5	1,151 (+11%)	13mo	$500,000	$434	53
538 S Adams St	0.37mi	3/2.0	1,170 (+13%)	7mo	$470,000	$402	51
129 Price St	0.67mi	3/1.0	1,152 (+11%)	2mo	$561,000	$487	49
705 S Penn St	0.54mi	3/1.0	1,140 (+10%)	15mo	$340,000	$298	45
749 S Matlack St	0.60mi	3/1.5	1,188 (+15%)	6mo	$460,000	$387	40
122 W Union St	0.62mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,156 (+12%)	8mo	$594,000	$514	38
620 S Franklin St Unit C34	0.48mi	2/1.5 (-1)	880 (-15%)	12mo	$250,000	$284	35

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 · 4.79% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -13.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.50×
• Total profit: $-44,134
• Equity at exit: $46,953

10-year hold

• IRR: -2.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.82×
• Total profit: $-15,630
• Equity at exit: $27,227

Cash invested: $88,172 (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 19382

• Rents YoY: 4.8%
• Active inventory: 215
• Price-to-rent: 10.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,590 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,651
• Tax from tax record: −$229 /mo · $2,751/yr
• Insurance: −$131
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$544
• Net cashflow: $35

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,547

Max offer price $314,900

Occupancy floor 94%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $213	-5% $124	+0% $35	+5% $-54	+10% $-144
Rent	-10% $-170	-5% $-68	+0% $35	+5% $137	+10% $239
Rate	-1.0pp $193	-0.5pp $115	base $35	+0.5pp $-47	+1.0pp $-130

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: $78,725
• Closing costs: $9,447
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 36 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
426 E Miner St West Chester, PA	3.0	2.0	1290	$3,000	$2.33	20d	1	0.10mi
235 E Market St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	797	$2,200	$2.76	45d	1	0.32mi
540 S Adams St West Chester, PA	3.0	1.5	1170	$2,400	$2.05	5d	1	0.37mi
118 E Miner St West Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	1200	$2,395	$2.00	0d	1	0.39mi
201 E Gay St West Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0–2.0	1004	$4,583	$4.56	0d	2	0.40mi
315 S Walnut St Unit 5 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	1098	$2,200	$2.00	20d	1	0.41mi
30 E Miner St West Chester, PA	4.0	1.0	1396	$3,000	$2.15	25d	1	0.46mi
133 E Nields St West Chester, PA	3.0	1.5	1300	$2,550	$1.96	45d	1	0.47mi
329 S High St Unit A West Chester, PA	2.0	1.5	850	$2,400	$2.82	22d	1	0.47mi
430 S Walnut St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	900	$2,600	$2.89	7d	1	0.47mi
537 S Walnut St Unit 2 West Chester, PA	2.0	2.0	1000	$2,695	$2.69	7d	1	0.50mi
29 E Gay St Unit 11 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	880	$2,600	$2.95	26d	1	0.51mi
100 Willow Aly Unit 101B West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	1000	$1,995	$2.00	26d	1	0.53mi
100 Willow Aly Unit 105A West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	1000	$1,995	$2.00	45d	1	0.53mi
100 Willow Aly West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	1000	$1,995	$2.00	6d	1	0.53mi
300 E Marshall St West Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0–1.5	833	$2,105	$2.53	45d	1	0.55mi
521 Maple Ave West Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	1408	$2,200	$1.56	45d	1	0.56mi
203 E Rosedale Ave West Chester, PA	3.0	1.5	1188	$3,000	$2.53	45d	1	0.60mi
129 W Miner St Unit 1 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	1000	$1,995	$2.00	7d	1	0.67mi
201 W Barnard St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	900	$2,500	$2.78	12d	1	0.69mi
217 W Biddle St West Chester, PA	2.0	2.0	1200	$3,200	$2.67	45d	1	0.82mi
314 W Chestnut St Unit 314-2 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	800	$1,950	$2.44	7d	1	0.83mi
327 W Chestnut St Unit 333A West Chester, PA	3.0	2.0	1100	$2,500	$2.27	26d	1	0.85mi
332 W Washington St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	755	$2,000	$2.65	3d	1	0.90mi
332 W Washington St Unit 2 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	755	$2,000	$2.65	23d	1	0.90mi
332 W Washington St Unit 1 West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	778	$2,000	$2.57	26d	1	0.90mi
812 Goshen Rd West Chester, PA	1.0–3.0	1.0–1.5	1045	$2,695	$2.58	4d	1	0.94mi
453 W Gay St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	800	$2,950	$3.69	7d	1	1.00mi
2 S Brandywine St Unit 2F West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	870	$2,050	$2.36	23d	1	1.01mi
2 S Brandywine St Unit 2B West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	870	$2,050	$2.36	26d	1	1.01mi
210 N Everhart Ave West Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	770	$1,795	$2.33	0d	6	1.15mi
890 S Matlack St West Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0–2.0	998	$2,705	$2.71	0d	8	1.17mi
1100 W Chester Pike West Chester, PA	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	892	$2,450	$2.75	12d	1	1.25mi
615 Downingtown Pike West Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	700	$1,984	$2.83	0d	6	1.30mi
659 Downingtown Pike West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	728	$2,395	$3.29	13d	1	1.36mi
956 S Matlack St West Chester, PA	2.0	1.0–2.0	747	$2,716	$3.64	0d	13	1.40mi

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-21
   statusdays on market $314,900 Active 3 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   remarks 699-char remark
3. 2026-06-17
   listed $314,900 Coming Soon 1 DOM

ⓘ 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: $2,751 · $229/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,863 · $322/mo
• Expected delta: +$1,112/yr (+$93/mo · 40.4%)

ⓘ 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 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 6/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥101°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 6/10 Major 27% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 2 unhealthy d/yr today · 5 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $31,085
• − Mortgage interest: −$17,639
• − Property taxes: −$2,751
• − Insurance: −$1,574
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,487
• − Management: −$2,487
• − Depreciation: −$9,161
• Taxable loss: −$5,014
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,203
• After-tax cash flow: $1,619/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: West Chester Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4225290
• Math proficiency: 56% ▼ -8.00%
• Reading proficiency: 74% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $87,125
• Composite: 58.7/100
• National rank: #980
• State rank: #34 of 539 in PA

Livability — West Chester

• Score: 82/100
• State rank: #150
• US rank: #1252

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: West Chester, PA
• County: Chester County · 432,350 people
• City population: 103,983
• Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• Population (ZIP): 54,127
• Household income: $132,091
• Rent vs Own: 29.1% rent · 70.9% own
• Severe rent burden: 1770.0

Population outlook (Chester County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 546,756 people
• By 2030: 559,441 · +2.3%
• By 2040: 576,377 · +5.4%
• By 2050: 580,602 · +6.2%
• By 2075: 581,575 · +6.4%
• By 2100: 540,922 · -1.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (82%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 82% Black 6% Asian 5% Two or more races 5% Hispanic / Latino 4%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 5% Slovak 2% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 8% · Canada, China
• Languages at home: 92% English-only · Spanish 2% Other Indo-European 2% Chinese 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Chester

• 2024 margin: D (+14.5) · D 56.7% · R 42.2% · Other 1.0%
• 2008→2024 swing: +5.2pp toward D · 2008: 9.2pp · 2024: 14.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+14.5 2020: D+17.0 2016: D+9.2 2012: R+0.4 2008: D+9.2

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -251.24%
• Current HPI: 294.9284
• Rent YoY: ▲ 4.79%
• Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• 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

+949.7% since first listed

20 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-17 Coming Soon $314,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 2013-07-09 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2012-07-09 Listed $169,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 2004-07-07 Sold (Public Records) $123,000 Public Records
• 2004-06-30 Sold (MLS) $123,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2004-05-18 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2004-04-09 Listed $123,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2002-05-03 Sold (Public Records) $99,000 Public Records
• 2002-04-30 Sold (MLS) $99,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2002-04-06 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2002-02-04 Listed $99,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2001-12-28 Sold (MLS) $57,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2001-11-14 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2001-06-22 Listed $57,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 1997-08-07 Sold (Public Records) $76,000 Public Records
• 1997-06-30 Sold (MLS) $76,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 1997-06-06 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 1996-12-27 Listed $76,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 1986-04-01 Sold (Public Records) $24,000 Public Records
• 1979-02-01 Sold (Public Records) $30,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+1.8%/yr

Latest (2026): $2,751 · +1.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.