331 S Plum St

Mount Carmel, PA 17851

$54,900B+

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 924 sqft · Built 1920 · Other · Pending · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,005/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$288
• Tax + insurance: −$68
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$211
• Net cashflow: $438/mo
• Annual: $5,255/yr
• Cap rate: 15.87%
• Cash-on-cash: 34.19%
• DSCR: 2.52
• 1% rule: 1.83%
• Cash to close: $15,372

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $55k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $438 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $55k).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $4k of equity ($380 loan paydown + $3k appreciation (6.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#641 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, crime B+; Watch: commute F, employment F.
• Mount Carmel Area SD (town): math 20% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #455 of 539 in PA (top 84%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Mount Carmel Area El Sch (math 18% / reading 40%, grade F, #1,146 of 1,518 statewide, top 76%, 790 students, 100% FRL); Mount Carmel Area Jh (math 13% / reading 30%, grade F, #429 of 512 statewide, top 84%, 263 students, 100% FRL); Mount Carmel Area Hs (math 57% / reading 75%, grade B, #62 of 437 statewide, top 14%, 493 students, 74% FRL) — zoned schools average 91% FRL vs 50% district-wide (42 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 55 active listings in the ZIP; 3 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; 81 units permitted in Northumberland County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Northumberland County population projected at -11% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (6.3% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 8, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$30k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 15.9% vs local median 12.2% in Mount Carmel — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

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?
• 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.