115 E Locust St · Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

$229,000

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,192 sqft · Townhouse public records · 2 Days on market

Built 1900 2,178 sqft lot Est $169k · 35% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the F 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 +8.4/30.0
• Schools +4.3/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +3.0/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• DSCR +2.3/10.0
• 1% rule +2.0/10.0
• ARV discount +0.0/15.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

INVESTOR ALERT--HANDYMAN SPECIAL--NEEDS TLC--NOW A SHORT SALE! Half duplex home in Mechanicsburg Boro features 2.5 stories, 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms 1,192 sq. ft. , finished walk-up attic space, eat-in kitchen, all appliances convey including washer, dryer and 2 freezers, utility shed on back of house, fenced backyard space and off street parking behind home. This is an estate sale, being sold in current, AS IS condition, with no warranties. Any repairs required for financing or appraisal will be at the expense of the buyer. SHORT SALE, SUBJECT TO 3RD PARTY APPROVAL--$2,500 LOSS MITIGATION FEE + $9,000 IN LIENS TO BE AGREED TO AS PAID BY BUYER--SEE MYC ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS.

Key facts

• Central ac
• Fenced-in backyard
• Attached shed

Tags

• FENCED-IN BACKYARD
• ATTACHED SHED
• CENTRAL AC
• MODERN KITCHEN
• FLEXIBLE LIVING SPACE
• OFF-STREET PARKING

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Ownership: Fee simple; Above-grade finished area reported by assessor

Exterior

• Parking: Two off-street parking spaces; On-street parking available; Two total garage and parking spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electric and oil heating fuels; Electric cooling
• Home design: Semi-detached home; Above-grade finished living area recorded (assessor)
• Construction: Stick-built construction; Stone foundation
• Exterior features: Not located in a federal flood zone

Interior

• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms on the first upper level; One bedroom on the second upper level
• Bathrooms: Two full bathrooms (one on main level, one on first upper level)
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; Baseboard electric heating; Central air conditioning; Electric hot water
• Interior features: Full basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $229k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-207 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $192k (16.0% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $161k (29.7% below list).
• Recommended offer: $161k (29.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 5.2% vs local median 2.7% in Mechanicsburg — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#372 in PA, #3,259 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Mechanicsburg Area SD (suburban): math 38% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #175 of 539 in PA (top 32%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Mechanicsburg Ms (math 21% / reading 60%, grade F, #248 of 512 statewide, top 50%, 1,047 students, 39% FRL); Mechanicsburg Area Shs (math 72% / reading 24%, grade D, #153 of 437 statewide, top 37%, 1,377 students, 33% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.9%/yr); 291 active listings in the ZIP; 14 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 16d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,052 units permitted in Cumberland County in 2024 (310 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• 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.
• Cumberland County population projected at +17% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 4 sale attempts since 19y 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 $69k; list at $229k implies a 230% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• 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.

Recommended offer $161,093 (29.7% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. Built in 1900 — 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 A-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. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 0.70% ✗
• Cap rate: 5.21%
• Cash-on-cash: -3.87%
• DSCR: 0.83
• GRM: 11.8

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $169,264
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
40 E Locust St	0.05mi	3/1.5	1,242 (+4%)	12mo	$178,000	$143	79
117 N Market St	0.25mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,184 (-1%)	8mo	$145,000	$122	74
36 W Simpson St	0.26mi	3/1.0	1,160 (-3%)	11mo	$152,000	$131	71
27 W Simpson St	0.24mi	3/1.0	1,260 (+6%)	6mo	$145,000	$115	70
430 W Simpson St	0.64mi	3/1.5	1,180 (-1%)	3mo	$160,000	$136	63
115 S Washington St	0.54mi	3/1.0	1,217 (+2%)	8mo	$173,000	$142	61
126 W Portland St	0.50mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,128 (-5%)	1mo	$154,900	$137	58
126 W Portland St #1	0.50mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,128 (-5%)	3mo	$151,000	$134	56
719 Old Silver Spring Rd	0.45mi	2/2.5 (-1)	1,088 (-9%)	3mo	$180,000	$165	55
128 W Portland St #11	0.49mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,128 (-5%)	6mo	$185,000	$164	54
100 W Keller St	0.32mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,071 (-10%)	10mo	$180,000	$168	51
787 Old Silver Spring Rd	0.50mi	2/2.5 (-1)	1,088 (-9%)	8mo	$194,000	$178	49

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 · 1.89% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -24.0%
• Equity multiple: 0.19×
• Total profit: $-52,110
• Equity at exit: $34,145

10-year hold

• IRR: -22.3%
• Equity multiple: -0.09×
• Total profit: $-69,652
• Equity at exit: $19,800

Cash invested: $64,120 (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 17055

• Rents YoY: 1.9%
• Active inventory: 291
• Price-to-rent: 11.8×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,611 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,201
• Tax from tax record: −$183 /mo · $2,200/yr
• Insurance: −$95
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$338
• Net cashflow: $-207

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,873

Max offer price $192,433

Occupancy floor —

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $-77	-5% $-142	+0% $-207	+5% $-272	+10% $-337
Rent	-10% $-334	-5% $-271	+0% $-207	+5% $-143	+10% $-80
Rate	-1.0pp $-92	-0.5pp $-149	base $-207	+0.5pp $-266	+1.0pp $-327

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: $57,250
• Closing costs: $6,870
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 14 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
19 W Main St Unit 6 Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	900	$1,500	$1.67	45d	1	0.19mi
309 E Main St Unit 2ND/3RD FLOOR Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	950	$995	$1.05	15d	1	0.20mi
319 E Main St Unit 1ST FLOOR Mechanicsburg, PA	3.0	1.5	1500	$1,795	$1.20	15d	1	0.21mi
34 W Locust St Unit 1 Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	1000	$1,200	$1.20	45d	1	0.24mi
6 W Green St Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	800	$1,450	$1.81	15d	1	0.29mi
44 W Green St Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.5	950	$1,650	$1.74	15d	1	0.35mi
121 E Portland St Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	986	$950	$0.96	15d	1	0.36mi
225 W Locust St Mechanicsburg, PA	3.0	1.5	1300	$1,800	$1.38	45d	1	0.42mi
1041 S Market St Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	2.0	1125	$1,745	$1.55	15d	11	0.87mi
5403 Oxford Dr #1 Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.0	896	$1,295	$1.45	45d	1	1.22mi
5412 Oxford Dr Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	2.5	1223	$1,795	$1.47	45d	1	1.26mi
5349 Oxford Cir Mechanicsburg, PA	1.0–3.0	1.0–1.5	894	$2,135	$2.39	15d	26	1.32mi
363 Stonehedge Ln Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	2.5	1408	$1,625	$1.15	15d	1	1.34mi
498 Stonehedge Ln Mechanicsburg, PA	2.0	1.5–2.5	1055	$1,832	$1.74	15d	2	1.43mi

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-06-21
   remarks 699-char remark
2. 2026-06-21
   listed $229,000 Active 2 DOM

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

Tax reassessment forecast PA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $2,200 · $183/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,909 · $242/mo
• Expected delta: +$709/yr (+$59/mo · 32.2%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 3/10 Moderate 5% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 4 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $19,331
• − Mortgage interest: −$12,828
• − Property taxes: −$2,200
• − Insurance: −$1,145
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,546
• − Management: −$1,546
• − Depreciation: −$6,662
• Taxable loss: −$6,596
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,583
• After-tax cash flow: $-901/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.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Mechanicsburg Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4215030
• Math proficiency: 38% ▼ -16.00%
• Reading proficiency: 60% ▼ -12.00%
• Median HH income: $60,986
• Composite: 42.92/100
• National rank: #3118
• State rank: #175 of 539 in PA

Livability — Mechanicsburg

• Score: 77/100
• State rank: #372
• US rank: #3259

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Mechanicsburg, PA
• County: Cumberland County · 257,673 people
• City population: 85,577
• Metro: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
• Population (ZIP): 42,006
• Household income: $99,077
• Rent vs Own: 29.2% rent · 70.8% own
• Severe rent burden: 888.0

Population outlook (Cumberland County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 267,950 people
• By 2030: 278,105 · +3.8%
• By 2040: 296,552 · +10.7%
• By 2050: 312,937 · +16.8%
• By 2075: 349,233 · +30.3%
• By 2100: 361,875 · +35.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (85%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 85% Two or more races 6% Hispanic / Latino 4% Black 3% Asian 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Slovak 3% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 5% · Canada, China
• Languages at home: 94% English-only · Other Indo-European 2% Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Cumberland

• 2024 margin: Lean R (+9.4) · D 44.6% · R 54.1% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: +4.2pp toward D · 2008: -13.6pp · 2024: -9.4pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+9.4 2020: R+10.6 2016: R+18.6 2012: R+18.5 2008: R+13.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -202.92%
• Current HPI: 254.7596
• Rent YoY: ▲ 1.89%
• Metro: Harrisburg-Carlisle, 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

+236.8% since first listed

14 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-19 Listed $229,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2023-02-01 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2023-01-19 Price Changed $189,995 BRIGHT MLS
• 2023-01-02 Listed $199,995 BRIGHT MLS
• 2022-09-27 Sold (Public Records) $69,400 Public Records
• 2022-09-26 Sold (MLS) $69,400 BRIGHT MLS
• 2022-02-18 Contingent — BRIGHT MLS
• 2021-10-06 Price Changed $99,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2021-09-17 Listed $108,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2007-09-20 Sold (Public Records) $87,900 Public Records
• 2007-09-18 Sold (MLS) $87,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 2007-08-20 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2007-05-08 Listed $87,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 1987-06-10 Sold (Public Records) $68,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+2.6%/yr

Latest (2026): $2,200 · +3.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.