331 W Main St

Somerset, PA 15501

$57,000B

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,632 sqft · Built 1909 · SingleFamily · Pending · 181 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,075/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$299
• Tax + insurance: −$223
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$226
• Net cashflow: $328/mo
• Annual: $3,932/yr
• Cap rate: 13.19%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.64%
• DSCR: 2.10
• 1% rule: 1.89%
• Cash to close: $15,960

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $57k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $328 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $57k).
• It's been on market 181 days — a 12% lower offer ($50k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $50k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $394 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#1,031 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A, housing B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment D-.
• Somerset Area SD (town): math 40% / reading 61% proficiency, ranked #185 of 539 in PA (top 34%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.2% of price; built in 1909 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 98 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 78 units permitted in Somerset County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Somerset County population projected at -21% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 4 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $6k (10%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $48k; 19% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $16k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 13.2% vs local median 4.3% in Somerset — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 181 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1909 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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 B-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.
• 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.