2888 Maple St

Bethel Park, PA 15102

$128,750B-

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,233 sqft · Built 1920 · SingleFamily · Pending · 18 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,614/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$675
• Tax + insurance: −$179
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$339
• Net cashflow: $420/mo
• Annual: $5,045/yr
• Cap rate: 10.21%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.99%
• DSCR: 1.62
• 1% rule: 1.25%
• Cash to close: $36,050

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $129k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $420 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $129k).
• It's been on market 18 days — a 2% lower offer ($127k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $127k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $890 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#70 in PA, #483 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities C-, commute F.
• Bethel Park SD (suburban): math 52% / reading 76% proficiency, ranked #50 of 539 in PA (top 9%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 11% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Benjamin Franklin El Sch (math 62% / reading 87%, grade A, #89 of 1,518 statewide, top 7%, 327 students, 20% FRL); Neil Armstrong 5-6 Ms (math 47% / reading 74%, grade B+, #39 of 512 statewide, top 8%, 583 students, 19% FRL); Bethel Park Hs (math 75% / reading 24%, grade D+, #135 of 437 statewide, top 31%, 1,338 students, 16% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.4%/yr); 88 active listings in the ZIP; 8 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 10d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 2,996 units permitted in Allegheny County in 2024 (1,588 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.4% rent growth), your $36k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.2% vs local median 3.0% in Bethel Park — 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.
• This rent is only 18% of the median local income ($109k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

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 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?
• 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.