Investor guides
Quick, direct answers for common questions about Pittsburgh and Allegheny County real estate investing. Each guide starts with a short answer, then goes deeper - with a clear next step.
How to estimate rent in Pittsburgh?
Comparable leases, adjustments, and neighborhood context - plus an instant rent tool for any address.
Open guideWhat is ARV and how should I use it?
After repair value for offers, profit, and refinance planning - grounded in supportable comps.
Open guideHow to analyze a sheriff sale property?
Diligence plus underwriting: condition, ARV, rent, and timeline risk before you bid.
Open guideWhat is the 70% rule in real estate?
MAO formula and a step-by-step example for Pittsburgh flips - plus when to flex tighter or looser than 70%.
Open guideHow to calculate cash-on-cash return on a Pittsburgh rental?
Annual cash flow divided by cash invested - with realistic Allegheny County operating expenses.
Open guideHow to calculate a profitable BRRRR deal?
The full 5-step BRRRR math from purchase to refinance, with an Allegheny County single-family walked through end-to-end.
Open guideHow to find ARV comps in Pittsburgh?
The 5-criteria comping method for Allegheny County's block-by-block market - plus adjustment rules.
Open guideFlip vs rental vs BRRRR on the same property
Side-by-side strategy comparison on a Pittsburgh single-family - with full numbers for all three exits.
Open researchIs the 1% rule realistic in Pittsburgh?
Where the rule still works in Allegheny County, where it breaks, and what to use instead.
Open guideDSCR explained for Pittsburgh rental investors
The metric, the loan, and how to make a borderline rental qualify - with full numbers.
Open guideWhat is a good cap rate in Pittsburgh?
2026 Allegheny County cap rate benchmarks by neighborhood class - A, B, and C-class single-family.
Open guideMaximum allowable offer (MAO) formula
Standard MAO + adjustments for wholesale fees, hard money carry, and tight comp spreads.
Open guideHow to finance a sheriff sale purchase
Cash, hard money, and transactional funding - what works on the Allegheny County auction timeline.
Open guidePittsburgh rehab cost guide 2026
Realistic line-item rehab budgets for 1900-1940 frame homes - and the surprises that wreck flips.
Open researchHard money vs conventional financing
When the higher rate is the right choice on a Pittsburgh flip - with full cost math.
Open guideWhat happens after winning a sheriff sale?
Post-auction timeline: deposit, balance, court confirmation, deed, possession.
Open guideGRM vs cap rate: which to use?
Use GRM for triage, cap rate for underwriting - with a Pittsburgh single-family walked through end-to-end.
Open guideRealistic operating expense ratio
OER benchmarks for Pittsburgh single-family rentals - no national averages.
Open guideBRRRR refinance: cash-out rules & seasoning
LTV caps, seasoning, DSCR thresholds - what really decides what you pull out of a refi.
Open guideHow to analyze a rental property step-by-step
Full 8-step underwriting workflow on an Allegheny County single-family.
Open researchHow much contingency on a Pittsburgh flip?
Tiered contingency from 10% cosmetic to 25% sheriff sale - and how to track it weekly.
Open guideBest Pittsburgh neighborhoods for BRRRR
Brighton Heights, Brookline, Carrick, and the rest - with ARV and rent ranges per neighborhood.
Open researchSheriff sale vs MLS for a Pittsburgh flip
Acquisition cost vs execution risk priced out on the same Carrick property.
Open researchThis page is DealScanner's one-page index of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County investor guides and related research linked in the cards above. The Guides & investor paths block on the home page highlights a curated set under Popular questions and Research deep-dives; wherever the same topic appears on both surfaces, the destination URL matches so citations stay consistent.