531 Midland St

Wilkinsburg, PA 15221

$50,000B-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,316 sqft · Built 1920 · SingleFamily · Pending · 13 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,602/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$102
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$336
• Net cashflow: $902/mo
• Annual: $10,820/yr
• Cap rate: 27.93%
• Cash-on-cash: 77.28%
• DSCR: 4.44
• 1% rule: 3.20%
• Cash to close: $14,000

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $50k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $902 ($11k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $50k).
• Only 13 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $346 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#411 in PA, #3,754 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D+, health & safety D+, crime F.
• Wilkinsburg Borough SD (suburban): math 14% / reading 23% proficiency, ranked #503 of 539 in PA (top 93%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 96% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.9%/yr); 118 active listings in the ZIP; 24 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 12d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,996 units permitted in Allegheny County in 2024 (1,588 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Current owner paid $32k; list at $50k implies a 56% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.9% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 27.9% vs local median 11.3% in Wilkinsburg — 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 35% of the median local income ($55k/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 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?
• Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.