1329 Garfield Ave

Wyomissing, PA 19610

$290,000D+

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,650 sqft · Built 1920 · Townhouse · Pending · 3 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,652/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,521
• Tax + insurance: −$525
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$557
• Net cashflow: $49/mo
• Annual: $587/yr
• Cap rate: 6.50%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.72%
• DSCR: 1.03
• 1% rule: 0.91%
• Cash to close: $81,200

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $290k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $49 ($587/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 $265k (8.6% below list).
• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $265k (8.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• 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.
• Location reads 82/100 on livability (#157 in PA, #1,300 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: employment A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute F.
• Wyomissing Area SD (suburban): math 43% / reading 65% proficiency, ranked #111 of 539 in PA (top 21%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Wyomissing Hills El Ctr (math 52% / reading 70%, grade B, #368 of 1,518 statewide, top 24%, 637 students, 39% FRL); West Reading El Ctr (math 40% / reading 66%, grade C+, #90 of 512 statewide, top 19%, 297 students, 41% FRL); Wyomissing Area Jshs (math 37% / reading 59%, grade D, #162 of 437 statewide, top 37%, 906 students, 38% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.8%/yr); 79 active listings in the ZIP; 7 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 16d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 258 units permitted in Berks County in 2024 (27 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Berks County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• Current owner paid $100k; list at $290k implies a 191% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• 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.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 3.6% in Wyomissing — 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.
• This rent runs 36% of the median local income ($87k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.