218 S Mellon Ave · Donora, PA 15033

$44,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,152 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 25 Days on market

Built 1907 4,399 sqft lot Est $60k · 25% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the A- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +30.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Appreciation +7.5/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.4/10.0

Listing remarks

Attention Investors! Check out this large 3 bedroom home two story home in Donora. Long time month to month tenant occupied. Large kitchen and interior is in good condition. 3 generous sized bedrooms on top floor. Small side yard and private back yard. Covered front porch. Low taxes!! Add this property to your portfolio.

Key facts

• Covered front porch
• Private back yard
• Large kitchen

Tags

• LARGE KITCHEN
• PRIVATE BACK YARD
• COVERED FRONT PORCH

🏷️ Possibly a rental listed for sale. The $44,900 price doesn't fit this home's estimated sale value (~$59,904) and the remarks read like a rental — treat the cards below with caution.

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $45k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $560 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $45k).
• Recommended offer: $44k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#1,198 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A-; Watch: health & safety D, schools F, amenities F.
• Ringgold SD (suburban): math 19% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #452 of 539 in PA (top 84%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 21 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 489 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (30 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 34% of the median local income ($40k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $3k of equity ($310 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (5.0% local appreciation)).
• Washington County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (5.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $13k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 25 days — a 2% lower offer ($44k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1907 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $44,226 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1907 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 2.49% ✓
• Cap rate: 21.27%
• Cash-on-cash: 53.48%
• DSCR: 3.38
• GRM: 3.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $59,904
• Comps found: 9

Show comp detail 9 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
832 Walnut St	0.34mi	3/2.0	1,107 (-4%)	9mo	$162,000	$146	66
85 Castner Ave	0.35mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,163 (+1%)	15mo	$8,700	$7	63
37 Watkins Ave	0.25mi	3/2.0	1,176 (+2%)	23mo	$57,000	$48	62
127 Cherry Way	0.41mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,092 (-5%)	8mo	$66,250	$61	61
329 3rd St	0.53mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,211 (+5%)	9mo	$8,500	$7	54
30 Manor Rd	0.68mi	3/2.0	1,230 (+7%)	10mo	$190,000	$154	44
401 Short St	0.60mi	3/2.0	1,264 (+10%)	10mo	$19,900	$16	44
400 Waddell Ave	0.64mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,120 (-3%)	21mo	$89,000	$79	43
425 4th St	0.58mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,260 (+9%)	23mo	$65,000	$52	29

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

5.03% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 60.9%
• Equity multiple: 4.67×
• Total profit: $46,134
• Equity at exit: $25,523

10-year hold

• IRR: 58.6%
• Equity multiple: 9.64×
• Total profit: $108,630
• Equity at exit: $44,116

Cash invested: $12,572 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 62 Landlord-Friendly
• State Pennsylvania: 62 Landlord-Friendly · EVEN
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day notice; Philadelphia has eviction-court diversion + some protections; otherwise moderate.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 15033

• Home prices YoY: 4.8%
• Active inventory: 21
• Price-to-rent: 3.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,116 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$235
• Tax from tax record: −$67 /mo · $809/yr
• Insurance: −$19
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$234
• Net cashflow: $560

Break-even live

Break-even rent $407

Max offer price $44,900

Occupancy floor 45%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $11,225
• Closing costs: $1,347
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 2 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
404 1st St Unit 404 Donora, PA	2.0	1.0	900	$1,150	$1.28	1d	1	0.38mi
641 3rd St Donora, PA	2.0	1.5	950	$1,000	$1.05	43d	1	0.55mi

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-04-10
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-03
   price $44,900
3. 2026-03-15
   listed $49,900 Active
4. 2014-09-18
   soldstatus $164,990

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast PA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $809 · $67/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $809 · $67/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 4/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥98°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $13,396
• − Mortgage interest: −$2,515
• − Property taxes: −$809
• − Insurance: −$224
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,072
• − Management: −$1,072
• − Depreciation: −$1,306
• Taxable income: $6,398
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,536
• After-tax cash flow: $5,188/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Ringgold SD
• NCES district ID: 4220400
• Math proficiency: 19% ▼ -20.00%
• Reading proficiency: 36% ▼ -18.00%
• Median HH income: $46,754
• Composite: 23.75/100
• National rank: #7819
• State rank: #452 of 539 in PA

Livability — Donora

• Score: 64/100
• State rank: #1198
• US rank: #14079

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A- Employment F Housing A+ Health & safety D User ratings A

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Donora, PA
• County: Washington County · 106,469 people
• City population: 4,572
• Metro: Pittsburgh, PA
• Population (ZIP): 4,572
• Household income: $39,921
• Rent vs Own: 46.4% rent · 53.6% own
• Severe rent burden: 363.0

Population outlook (Washington County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 208,060 people
• By 2030: 207,168 · -0.4%
• By 2040: 202,738 · -2.6%
• By 2050: 195,269 · -6.1%
• By 2075: 175,588 · -15.6%
• By 2100: 145,827 · -29.9%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (73%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 73% Black 16% Two or more races 9% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Scotch-Irish 5% Romanian 5% Subsaharan African 1%
• Foreign-born: 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Washington

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+25.5) · D 36.9% · R 62.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -20.8pp toward R · 2008: -4.7pp · 2024: -25.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+25.5 2020: R+22.8 2016: R+25.3 2012: R+13.3 2008: R+4.7

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 5.03%
• Current HPI: 110.5976
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Pittsburgh, PA
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.68%
• F500 in state: 34

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in PA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Healthcare	2	$309B
▸Insurance	2	$27B
▸Telecommunications / Media	1	$124B
▸Industrial Distribution	1	$22B
▸Financial Services	1	$20B
▸Chemicals / Materials	1	$18B

Price history

-72.8% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-10 Pending — West Penn MLS
• 2026-04-03 Price Changed $44,900 West Penn MLS
• 2026-03-15 Listed $49,900 West Penn MLS
• 2014-09-18 Sold (Public Records) $164,990 Public Records

Property tax history

-1.2%/yr

Latest (2026): $809 · +2.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.