131 N Thomas St

Bellefonte, PA 16823

$229,000B+

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,232 sqft · Built 1914 · MultiFamily · Pending · 110 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,382/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,201
• Tax + insurance: −$230
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$710
• Net cashflow: $1,241/mo
• Annual: $14,887/yr
• Cap rate: 12.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 23.22%
• DSCR: 2.03
• 1% rule: 1.48%
• Cash to close: $64,120

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $229k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($15k/yr) — positive. Per door: $620/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $229k).
• It's been on market 110 days — a 9% lower offer ($208k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $208k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 92/100 on livability (#10 in PA, #37 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities D+.
• Bellefonte Area SD (town): math 48% / reading 57% proficiency, ranked #140 of 539 in PA (top 26%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Bellefonte El Sch (math 47% / reading 52%, grade D, #654 of 1,518 statewide, top 47%, 335 students, 47% FRL); Bellefonte Area Ms (math 31% / reading 52%, grade F, #234 of 512 statewide, top 47%, 576 students, 28% FRL); Bellefonte Area Hs (math 72%, 847 students, 16% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1914 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 200 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 399 units permitted in Centre County in 2024 (44 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Centre County population projected at +16% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $64k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 12.8% vs local median 2.6% in Bellefonte — 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.
• At $3,382/mo this rent would consume 53% of the median local household income ($76k/yr) (locally 855% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 110 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1914 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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?
• 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.