613-615 Highland Ave

Johnstown, PA 15902

$49,900B

6 bd · 3.6 ba · — sqft · Built 1930 · MultiFamily · Pending · 52 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,891/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$141
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$397
• Net cashflow: $1,091/mo
• Annual: $13,095/yr
• Cap rate: 32.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 93.72%
• DSCR: 5.17
• 1% rule: 3.79%
• Cash to close: $13,972

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/1.8-bath units multifamily listed at $50k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($13k/yr) — positive. Per door: $546/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $50k).
• It's been on market 52 days — a 3% lower offer ($48k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $48k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $345 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#363 in PA, #3,168 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime F, employment F.
• Greater Johnstown SD (urban): math 9% / reading 25% proficiency, ranked #509 of 539 in PA (top 94%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 80% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Greater Johnstown El Sch (math 14% / reading 21%, grade F, #1,291 of 1,518 statewide, top 85%, 1,269 students, 100% FRL); Greater Johnstown Ms (math 6% / reading 24%, grade F, #471 of 512 statewide, top 93%, 660 students, 100% FRL); Greater Johnstown Shs (math 8% / reading 32%, grade F, #387 of 437 statewide, top 89%, 894 students, 98% FRL) — zoned schools average 100% FRL vs 80% district-wide (20 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.9% of price; built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 64 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 64 units permitted in Cambria County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cambria County population projected at -28% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 32.5% vs local median 15.0% in Johnstown — 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.
• At $1,891/mo this rent would consume 51% of the median local household income ($44k/yr) (locally 266% 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 52 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1930 — 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 D-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?