161 Main St · Plains, PA 18705

$179,900

6 bd · 4.0 ba · 1,792 sqft · MultiFamily public records · 48 Days on market

Built 1925 9,650 sqft lot $100/sqft · 7% above area Est $168k · 7% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the B- 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 +30.0/30.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• 1% rule +9.8/10.0
• ARV discount +4.3/15.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.1/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Multi-family units

County records classify this as Multi-Family (2-4 Unit). Listing-text estimate: 2 units. confirmed

Listing remarks MLS

Duplex for sale situated on a 50 x 178 corner lot with plenty of off-street parking and a 1 car garage.

Key facts

• Corner lot
• Detached garage
• 9,650 sq ft lot

Tags

• DETACHED GARAGE
• CORNER LOT

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Off-street parking; Detached garage (1 car)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Multi-family residential income property
• Construction: Aluminum siding
• Exterior features: Porch; 50 x 193 lot; Zoned for apartment residential

Interior

• Heating & cooling: Natural gas heating; Steam heating
• Interior features: Gas water heater; Porch

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/2.0-bath units multifamily listed at $180k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $889 ($11k/yr) — positive. Per door: $445/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $180k).
• Recommended offer: $175k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 12.2% vs local median 4.8% in Plains — 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 78/100 on livability (#286 in PA, #2,528 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools C-, employment D+, amenities D.
• Wilkes-Barre Area SD (urban): math 19% / reading 32% proficiency, ranked #469 of 539 in PA (top 87%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 74 active listings in the ZIP; 349 units permitted in Luzerne County in 2024 (16 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At $2,661/mo this rent would consume 54% of the median local household income ($59k/yr) (locally 549% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Luzerne County population projected at +4% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $50k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 48 days — a 3% lower offer ($175k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 5y 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 $65k; list at $180k implies a 177% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1925 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $174,503 (3.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 48 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
3. What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
4. Built in 1925 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
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 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.48% ✓
• Cap rate: 12.23%
• Cash-on-cash: 21.19%
• DSCR: 1.94
• GRM: 5.6

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $167,885
• List price: $179,900
• Delta: 7.16%
• Verdict: FAIR
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 13.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.55×
• Total profit: $27,522
• Equity at exit: $26,824

10-year hold

• IRR: 22.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.93×
• Total profit: $97,002
• Equity at exit: $15,554

Cash invested: $50,372 (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 18705

• Home prices YoY: -22.7%
• Active inventory: 74
• Price-to-rent: 11.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,661 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$943
• Tax from tax record: −$194 /mo · $2,332/yr
• Insurance: −$75
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$559
• Net cashflow: $889

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,535

Max offer price $179,900

Occupancy floor 62%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $991	-5% $940	+0% $889	+5% $839	+10% $788
Rent	-10% $679	-5% $784	+0% $889	+5% $995	+10% $1,100
Rate	-1.0pp $980	-0.5pp $935	base $889	+0.5pp $843	+1.0pp $795

2-unit breakdown (identical units grouped — click to expand)

Units	Beds	Baths	Est. rent
▸ 2× units	3	2	$2,662
Total (2 units)			$2,661

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: $44,975
• Closing costs: $5,397
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $179,900 Active 48 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $179,900 Active 47 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $179,900 Active 46 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $179,900 Active 45 DOM
5. 2026-06-14
   days on market $179,900 Active 43 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $179,900 Active 42 DOM
7. 2026-06-10
   days on market $179,900 Active 40 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $179,900 Active 39 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $179,900 Active 38 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $179,900 Active 37 DOM
11. 2026-06-02
    days on market $179,900 Active 32 DOM
12. 2026-06-01
    days on market $179,900 Active 31 DOM
13. 2026-05-31
    days on market $179,900 Active 30 DOM
14. 2026-05-30
    days on market $179,900 Active 29 DOM
15. 2026-05-01
    listed $179,900 Active 266-char remark
16. 2022-03-17
    soldstatus $65,000
17. 2022-03-15
    soldstatus $65,000 103-char remark

    Show marketing remark (103 chars)

    Duplex for sale situated on a 50 x 178 corner lot with plenty of off-street parking and a 1 car garage.

18. 2021-08-02
    listed $77,900 103-char remark

    Show marketing remark (103 chars)

    Duplex for sale situated on a 50 x 178 corner lot with plenty of off-street parking and a 1 car garage.

ⓘ 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: $2,332 · $194/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,587 · $216/mo
• Expected delta: +$255/yr (+$21/mo · 10.9%)

ⓘ 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 4/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥96°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 3/10 Moderate 4% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $31,932
• − Mortgage interest: −$10,077
• − Property taxes: −$2,332
• − Insurance: −$900
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,555
• − Management: −$2,555
• − Depreciation: −$5,233
• Taxable income: $8,281
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,987
• After-tax cash flow: $8,687/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: Wilkes-Barre Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4226300
• Math proficiency: 19% ▼ -2.00%
• Reading proficiency: 32% ▼ -9.00%
• Median HH income: $37,420
• Composite: 21.22/100
• National rank: #8409
• State rank: #469 of 539 in PA

Livability — Plains

• Score: 78/100
• State rank: #286
• US rank: #2528

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Plains, PA
• County: Luzerne County · 118,885 people
• Metro: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
• Population (ZIP): 15,624
• Household income: $59,344
• Rent vs Own: 39.2% rent · 60.8% own
• Severe rent burden: 549.0

Population outlook (Luzerne County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 319,505 people
• By 2030: 319,943 · +0.1%
• By 2040: 322,643 · +1.0%
• By 2050: 330,817 · +3.5%
• By 2075: 379,145 · +18.7%
• By 2100: 431,908 · +35.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (68%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 68% Hispanic / Latino 22% Two or more races 11% Black 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 7% Puerto Rican 5% Dominican 9%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 19% Scotch-Irish 3% Polish 2%
• Foreign-born: 11% · Canada
• Languages at home: 79% English-only · Spanish 17% Other Indo-European 2% Russian/Polish/Slavic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Luzerne

• 2024 margin: R (+19.2) · D 40.0% · R 59.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -27.6pp toward R · 2008: 8.4pp · 2024: -19.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+19.2 2020: R+14.4 2016: R+19.6 2012: D+4.8 2008: D+8.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -71.77%
• Current HPI: 243.9176
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, 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

+130.9% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-01 Listed $179,900 LCAR
• 2022-03-17 Sold (Public Records) $65,000 Public Records
• 2022-03-15 Sold (MLS) $65,000 LCAR
• 2021-08-02 Listed $77,900 LCAR

Property tax history

+1.6%/yr

Latest (2026): $2,332 · +4.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.