209 S 5th St

Darby, PA 19023

$169,800D+

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,472 sqft · Built 1900 · Townhouse · Active · 290 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,826/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$890
• Tax + insurance: −$341
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$383
• Net cashflow: $211/mo
• Annual: $2,535/yr
• Cap rate: 7.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.33%
• DSCR: 1.24
• 1% rule: 1.08%
• Cash to close: $47,544

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $170k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $211 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $170k).
• It's been on market 290 days — a 12% lower offer ($149k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $149k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#485 in PA, #4,468 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities D+, employment D, crime F.
• William Penn SD (suburban): math 11% / reading 28% proficiency, ranked #491 of 539 in PA (top 91%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 69% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Walnut Street El Sch (math 8% / reading 17%, grade F, #1,362 of 1,518 statewide, top 92%, 303 students, 100% FRL); Penn Wood Ms (math 5% / reading 28%, grade F, #463 of 512 statewide, top 91%, 683 students, 100% FRL); Penn Wood Hs (math 25% / reading 15%, grade F, #387 of 437 statewide, top 89%, 1,170 students, 95% FRL) — zoned schools average 98% FRL vs 69% district-wide (30 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 (+13.1%/yr); 98 active listings in the ZIP; 20 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 299 units permitted in Delaware County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 21y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $110k; list at $170k implies a 54% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $48k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→15/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.8% vs local median 6.3% in Darby — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.
• At $1,826/mo this rent would consume 47% of the median local household income ($46k/yr) (locally 1468% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 290 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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?
• Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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?
• 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.