18 N 7th St

Columbia, PA 17512

$225,000B+

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,952 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Pending · 56 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,695/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,180
• Tax + insurance: −$436
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$776
• Net cashflow: $1,303/mo
• Annual: $15,633/yr
• Cap rate: 13.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.81%
• DSCR: 2.10
• 1% rule: 1.64%
• Cash to close: $63,000

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath multifamily listed at $225k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($16k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $225k).
• It's been on market 56 days — a 3% lower offer ($218k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $218k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#538 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D+, amenities D, commute F.
• Columbia Borough SD (suburban): math 14% / reading 32% proficiency, ranked #482 of 539 in PA (top 89%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 60% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Park El Sch (math 17% / reading 37%, grade F, #1,154 of 1,518 statewide, top 77%, 478 students, 71% FRL); Columbia Ms (math 6% / reading 31%); Columbia Hs (math 42% / reading 10%, grade F, #372 of 437 statewide, top 86%, 376 students, 86% FRL) — zoned schools average 78% FRL vs 60% 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: Rents rising fast (+7.0%/yr); 131 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 1,093 units permitted in Lancaster County in 2024 (201 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lancaster County population projected at +5% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 2 sale attempts since 3y 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 $225k implies a 165% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 7.0% rent growth), your $63k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 13.2% vs local median 3.3% in Columbia — 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 56 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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.