211 Short St

Whitaker, PA 15120

$44,000B

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,656 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Pending · 22 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,570/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$231
• Tax + insurance: −$173
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$330
• Net cashflow: $837/mo
• Annual: $10,046/yr
• Cap rate: 29.12%
• Cash-on-cash: 81.54%
• DSCR: 4.63
• 1% rule: 3.57%
• Cash to close: $12,320

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $44k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $837 ($10k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $44k).
• It's been on market 22 days — a 2% lower offer ($43k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $43k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $304 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#256 in PA, #2,232 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: health & safety D+, amenities F.
• West Mifflin Area SD (suburban): math 19% / reading 41% proficiency, ranked #443 of 539 in PA (top 82%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: West Mifflin Area Ms (math 11% / reading 42%, grade F, #410 of 512 statewide, top 80%, 803 students, 100% FRL); West Mifflin Area Hs (math 52% / reading 24%, grade F, #281 of 437 statewide, top 65%, 936 students, 87% FRL) — zoned schools average 94% FRL vs 44% district-wide (50 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.2% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.1%/yr); 93 active listings in the ZIP; 20 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 24d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,996 units permitted in Allegheny County in 2024 (1,588 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.1% rent growth), your $12k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• This rent runs 34% of the median local income ($56k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-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 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.