702 Lookout Ave

Charleroi, PA 15022

$71,500C+

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 950 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 72 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $911/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$375
• Tax + insurance: −$151
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$191
• Net cashflow: $193/mo
• Annual: $2,319/yr
• Cap rate: 9.54%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.59%
• DSCR: 1.52
• 1% rule: 1.27%
• Cash to close: $20,020

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $72k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $193 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($911 rent vs $72k).
• It's been on market 72 days — a 6% lower offer ($67k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $67k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-1.8%/yr); year-one equity from $494 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#382 in PA, #3,416 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A-; Watch: schools D+, employment F.
• Charleroi SD (rural): math 20% / reading 51% proficiency, ranked #421 of 539 in PA (top 78%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 87 active listings in the ZIP; 5 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 2d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 489 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (30 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Washington County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 sale attempts since 12y 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 $35k; list at $72k implies a 104% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-1.8% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $20k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.5% vs local median 15.3% in Charleroi — below-typical yield; the buyer is paying a premium for something (appreciation thesis, condition, location) that the cap rate doesn't capture.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 72 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% 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 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?
• 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.