221 E Bertsch St

Lansford, PA 18232

$179,000C

6 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,708 sqft · Built 1881 · Townhouse · Pending · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,768/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$939
• Tax + insurance: −$222
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$371
• Net cashflow: $236/mo
• Annual: $2,829/yr
• Cap rate: 7.87%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.64%
• DSCR: 1.25
• 1% rule: 0.99%
• Cash to close: $50,120

Investor read

• This is a 6-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $179k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $236 ($3k/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 $177k (1.3% below list).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $177k (1.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $18k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $16k appreciation (9.1% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#605 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, crime A-; Watch: amenities D, commute F, employment F.
• Panther Valley SD (rural): math 14% / reading 35% proficiency, ranked #477 of 539 in PA (top 88%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Panther Valley El Sch (math 27% / reading 42%, grade F, #1,049 of 1,518 statewide, top 71%, 622 students, 100% FRL); Panther Valley Intermediate Sch (math 11% / reading 31%, grade F, #432 of 512 statewide, top 85%, 417 students, 100% FRL); Panther Valley Jshs (math 13% / reading 36%, grade F, #376 of 437 statewide, top 86%, 771 students, 100% FRL) — zoned schools average 100% FRL vs 52% district-wide (48 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1881 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 36 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 180 units permitted in Carbon County in 2024 (10 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Carbon County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts 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 $50k; list at $179k implies a 258% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (9.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $50k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$44k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• At $1,768/mo this rent would consume 47% of the median local household income ($45k/yr) (locally 123% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1881 — 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 F-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.