1229-1231 Walnut St

Ashland, PA 17921

$159,900B

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,220 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,049/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax + insurance: −$352
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$430
• Net cashflow: $428/mo
• Annual: $5,139/yr
• Cap rate: 9.51%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.48%
• DSCR: 1.51
• 1% rule: 1.28%
• Cash to close: $44,772

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/?-bath units multifamily listed at $160k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $428 ($5k/yr) — positive. Per door: $214/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $160k).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $17k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $16k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#1,179 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• North Schuylkill SD (rural): math 19% / reading 48% proficiency, ranked #429 of 539 in PA (top 80%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: North Schuylkill Elem Sch (math 17% / reading 48%, grade F, #1,089 of 1,518 statewide, top 72%, 1,089 students, 56% FRL); North Schuylkill Jshs (math 21% / reading 47%, grade F, #318 of 437 statewide, top 73%, 1,008 students, 51% FRL) — zoned schools average 54% FRL vs 35% district-wide (18 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 49 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 169 units permitted in Schuylkill County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Schuylkill County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts since 2y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $85k; list at $160k implies a 88% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$43k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1900 — 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.