709 Main St

Lykens, PA 17048

$80,000B

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,480 sqft · Built 1919 · SingleFamily · Pending · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,200/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$420
• Tax + insurance: −$140
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$252
• Net cashflow: $389/mo
• Annual: $4,667/yr
• Cap rate: 12.13%
• Cash-on-cash: 20.83%
• DSCR: 1.93
• 1% rule: 1.50%
• Cash to close: $22,400

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $80k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $389 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $80k).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $168 of equity ($553 loan paydown + $-385 appreciation (-0.5% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#969 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment D-.
• Upper Dauphin Area SD (rural): math 37% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #259 of 539 in PA (top 48%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Upper Dauphin Area El Sch (math 42% / reading 62%, grade C-, #586 of 1,518 statewide, top 42%, 399 students, 52% FRL); Upper Dauphin Area Ms (math 25% / reading 52%, grade F, #275 of 512 statewide, top 55%, 312 students, 48% FRL); Upper Dauphin Area Hs (math 77%, 343 students, 47% FRL) — zoned schools average 49% FRL vs 32% district-wide (17 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1919 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 26 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 540 units permitted in Dauphin County in 2024 (194 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 2 sale attempts since 21y ago 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 $37k; list at $80k implies a 116% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-0.5% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $22k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 8→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1919 — 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 D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.