940 E 5th St · East Berwick, PA 18603

$122,500

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,036 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 9 Days on market

Built 1963 9,583 sqft lot Est $205k · 40% under

---

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 +24.1/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +7.8/10.0
• 1% rule +7.0/10.0
• Livability +3.8/5.0
• Schools +3.7/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

AUCTION. .. .. 3-bedroom, 1-bath Quaint brick home with an attached 1-car garage, a great fixer upper being offered at public auction. This property will be offered at AUCTION on-site April 9th at 5:00 PM, with a starting bid of $55,000 and selling at $55,000 or HIGHER. Preview the property anytime with your agent, or on April 7th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, or prior to the auction on April 9th from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Please see terms and conditons of SALE.

Key facts

• 9,583 sq ft lot
• Garage
• Built 1963

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $122k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $242 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $122k).

Location & tenants

• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#416 in PA, #3,789 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, cost of living A+; Watch: schools C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Berwick Area SD (other): math 32% / reading 57% proficiency, ranked #291 of 539 in PA (top 54%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 86 active listings in the ZIP; 349 units permitted in Luzerne County in 2024 (16 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $847 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.

Negotiation context

• Only 9 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Recommended offer $122,500

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1963 — 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: 1.20% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.67%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.48%
• DSCR: 1.38
• GRM: 6.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $205,128
• Comps found: 4

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
940 E 5th St	0.00mi	3/1.0	1,036 (0%)	1mo	$122,500	$118	99
65 Bomboy Ln	0.41mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,120 (+8%)	14mo	$230,000	$205	49
204 Central Ave	0.37mi	2/1.0 (-1)	889 (-14%)	9mo	$176,000	$198	47
414 E 11th St	0.72mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,076 (+4%)	10mo	$125,000	$116	45

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: -3.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.87×
• Total profit: $-4,338
• Equity at exit: $18,265

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.4%
• Equity multiple: 1.48×
• Total profit: $16,388
• Equity at exit: $10,592

Cash invested: $34,300 (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 18603

• Active inventory: 86
• Price-to-rent: 6.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,474 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$642
• Tax from tax record: −$229 /mo · $2,744/yr
• Insurance: −$51
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$310
• Net cashflow: $242

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,167

Max offer price $122,500

Occupancy floor 79%

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: $30,625
• Closing costs: $3,675
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-04-10
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-09
   price $122,500
3. 2026-03-31
   listed $55,000 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: $2,744 · $229/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,744 · $229/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 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 4/10 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 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $17,690
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,862
• − Property taxes: −$2,744
• − Insurance: −$612
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,415
• − Management: −$1,415
• − Depreciation: −$3,564
• Taxable income: $1,078
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$259
• After-tax cash flow: $2,651/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: Berwick Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4203480
• Math proficiency: 32% ▼ -14.00%
• Reading proficiency: 57% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $41,964
• Composite: 37.36/100
• National rank: #4433
• State rank: #291 of 539 in PA

Livability — East Berwick

• Score: 76/100
• State rank: #416
• US rank: #3789

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: East Berwick, PA
• Population (ZIP): 18,985

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 (91%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 91% Hispanic / Latino 4% Two or more races 3% Black 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 6% Polish 4% Iranian 3%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 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: ▼ -123.40%
• Current HPI: 211.5643
• 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

+122.7% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-10 Pending — CSVBR
• 2026-04-09 Price Changed $122,500 CSVBR
• 2026-03-31 Listed $55,000 CSVBR

Property tax history

+2.1%/yr

Latest (2026): $2,744 · +1.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.