2029 Penn Ave · West Lawn, PA 19609

$250,000

5 bd · 1.0 ba · 2,098 sqft · Townhouse · 15 Days on market

Built 1930 Fair condition 3,920 sqft lot Est $275k · 9% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C 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 +19.9/30.0
• ARV discount +11.6/15.0
• DSCR +6.3/10.0
• 1% rule +5.3/10.0
• Schools +4.6/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.2/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Located in the heart of West Lawn, 2029 Penn Avenue offers a unique opportunity for both residential living and commercial use. Previously utilized as a business, this charming semi-detached property blends timeless character with thoughtful modern upgrades throughout. Step inside to find a spacious living room, formal dining room, and functional kitchen on the main level. The second floor features three comfortable bedrooms and a full bathroom, while the third floor provides two additional bedrooms offering flexibility for offices, guest rooms, or expanded living space. Enjoy the enclosed upper-level porch and relaxing side porch, perfect for taking in the neighborhood charm. Additional h

Key facts

• Functional kitchen
• Formal dining room
• Modern upgrades

Tags

• SEMI-DETACHED PROPERTY
• MODERN UPGRADES
• SPACIOUS LIVING ROOM
• FORMAL DINING ROOM
• FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN
• ENCLOSED UPPER-LEVEL PORCH

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Six total parking spaces; Paved parking lot; Off-street, on-street and parking lot options; Private and public parking available
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; 200+ amp electrical service; Cable TV available
• Home design: Semi-detached structure; Pitched roof
• Construction: Brick construction; Other type foundation; Above-grade and below-grade structures
• Exterior features: Sidewalks; Street lights; Not in a federal flood zone; Ground rent paid annually

Interior

• Kitchen: Electric oven/range; Dishwasher; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms on the first upper level; Two bedrooms on the second upper level
• Flooring: Hardwood; Carpet
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Hot water heating (oil-fired); Wall cooling units; Electric hot water
• Interior features: Traditional floor plan; Eat-in kitchen; Tub/shower; Carpeted areas; Wood floors; Basement with interior access, unfinished space and walkout stairs; Estimated living area
• Laundry & utility: Laundry on lower floor

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 5-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $250k. Condition is rated fair.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $301 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $250k).
• Recommended offer: $246k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#272 in PA, #2,394 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Wilson SD (suburban): math 46% / reading 59% proficiency, ranked #127 of 539 in PA (top 24%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 44 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 258 units permitted in Berks County in 2024 (27 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($83k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Berks County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 15 days — a 2% lower offer ($246k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $246,250 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
2. Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 1.03% ✓
• Cap rate: 7.74%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.16%
• DSCR: 1.23
• GRM: 8.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $274,838
• Comps found: 2

Show comp detail 2 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
2027 Penn Ave	0.01mi	4/1.0 (-1)	1,962 (-6%)	22mo	$200,000	$102	65
2219 Penn Ave	0.20mi	5/1.5	1,941 (-8%)	17mo	$254,900	$131	62

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

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -8.3%
• Equity multiple: 0.70×
• Total profit: $-21,302
• Equity at exit: $37,276

10-year hold

• IRR: 1.3%
• Equity multiple: 1.09×
• Total profit: $6,291
• Equity at exit: $21,615

Cash invested: $70,000 (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 19609

• Home prices YoY: -24.5%
• Active inventory: 44
• Price-to-rent: 8.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,568 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$312 /mo · $3,750/yr
• Insurance: −$104
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$539
• Net cashflow: $301

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,187

Max offer price $250,000

Occupancy floor 83%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $474	-5% $387	+0% $301	+5% $215	+10% $128
Rent	-10% $98	-5% $200	+0% $301	+5% $402	+10% $504
Rate	-1.0pp $427	-0.5pp $365	base $301	+0.5pp $236	+1.0pp $170

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: $62,500
• Closing costs: $7,500
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 1 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1409 Dauphin Ave Reading, PA	4.0	2.5	2097	$2,750	$1.31	22d	1	1.07mi

Listing history 7 events

1. 2026-06-05
   statusdays on market $250,000 Pending 15 DOM
2. 2026-06-03
   days on market $250,000 Active 14 DOM
3. 2026-06-02
   days on market $250,000 Active 13 DOM
4. 2026-06-01
   days on market $250,000 Active 12 DOM
5. 2026-05-31
   days on market $250,000 Active 11 DOM
6. 2026-05-30
   days on market $250,000 Active 10 DOM
7. 2026-05-20
   listed $250,000 Active

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

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $30,815
• − Mortgage interest: −$14,004
• − Property taxes: −$3,750
• − Insurance: −$1,250
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,465
• − Management: −$2,465
• − Depreciation: −$7,273
• Taxable loss: −$392
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$94
• After-tax cash flow: $3,706/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.

Condition & rehab AI · 29 photos

Fair 45/100 Moderate rehab

This property requires moderate renovations to improve its condition and increase its value. The kitchen and bathroom need significant updates, and the electrical panel should be upgraded. The home has potential for both resale and rental value with the right updates.

Repairs flagged

• Major kitchen cabinets — severely outdated and in poor condition
• Major kitchen appliances — outdated and in poor condition
• Major bathroom fixtures — outdated and in poor condition
• Major electrical panel — outdated and exposed
• Moderate flooring — dated hardwoods with some wear

Value-add opportunities

• Both kitchen renovation — modernizing the kitchen can increase both resale and rental value
• Both bathroom renovation — modernizing the bathroom can increase both resale and rental value
• Both electrical panel upgrade — upgrading the electrical panel can increase both resale and rental value

Renovation cost estimate screening

Repair item	Severity	Est. cost
kitchen cabinets · severely outdated and in poor condition	Major	$15,000–50,000
kitchen appliances · outdated and in poor condition	Major	$15,000–50,000
bathroom fixtures · outdated and in poor condition	Major	$15,000–50,000
electrical panel · outdated and exposed	Major	$15,000–50,000
flooring · dated hardwoods with some wear	Moderate	$3,000–15,000
Total estimated repair cost · 5 items		$63,000–215,000

Value-add ROI direction

• Both kitchen renovation — modernizing the kitchen can increase both resale and rental value ↑
• Both bathroom renovation — modernizing the bathroom can increase both resale and rental value ↑
• Both electrical panel upgrade — upgrading the electrical panel can increase both resale and rental value ↑

ⓘ Cost ranges are severity-bucket heuristics (US national rule-of-thumb). Get contractor quotes + a written scope before underwriting a rehab budget.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Wilson SD
• NCES district ID: 4226580
• Math proficiency: 46% ▼ -10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 59% ▼ -11.00%
• Median HH income: $65,787
• Composite: 46.32/100
• National rank: #2471
• State rank: #127 of 539 in PA

Livability — West Lawn

• Score: 78/100
• State rank: #272
• US rank: #2394

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: West Lawn, PA
• County: Berks County · 195,629 people
• City population: 10,003
• Metro: Reading, PA
• Population (ZIP): 9,874
• Household income: $82,576
• Rent vs Own: 16.7% rent · 83.3% own
• Severe rent burden: 188.0

Population outlook (Berks County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 425,767 people
• By 2030: 428,814 · +0.7%
• By 2040: 433,463 · +1.8%
• By 2050: 439,426 · +3.2%
• By 2075: 478,647 · +12.4%
• By 2100: 518,507 · +21.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (72%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 72% Hispanic / Latino 20% Two or more races 10% Black 3% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 3% Puerto Rican 7% Dominican 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 10% Lithuanian 2% Polish 2%
• Foreign-born: 9% · Canada, Vietnam, China
• Languages at home: 80% English-only · Spanish 13% Other Indo-European 2% Russian/Polish/Slavic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Berks

• 2024 margin: R (+12.2) · D 43.4% · R 55.6%
• 2008→2024 swing: -21.4pp toward R · 2008: 9.2pp · 2024: -12.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+12.2 2020: R+8.2 2016: R+10.2 2012: R+0.6 2008: D+9.2

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -94.42%
• Current HPI: 291.2214
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Reading, 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

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-20 Listed $250,000 BRIGHT MLS