919 3rd Ave

Altoona, PA 16602

$18,500D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,368 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Active · 100 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,084/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$97
• Tax + insurance: −$57
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$228
• Net cashflow: $703/mo
• Annual: $8,434/yr
• Cap rate: 51.88%
• Cash-on-cash: 162.82%
• DSCR: 8.24
• 1% rule: 5.86%
• Cash to close: $5,180

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $18k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $703 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $18k).
• It's been on market 100 days — a 9% lower offer ($17k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $17k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $128 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $555 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#237 in PA, #2,060 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime C-, employment D, amenities F.
• Altoona Area SD (urban): math 30% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #406 of 539 in PA (top 75%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.2% of price; built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 151 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 99 units permitted in Blair County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Blair County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 13y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $12k (38%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $7k; list at $18k implies a 164% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $5k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 51.9% vs local median 5.8% in Altoona — 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 100 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.