1818 4th St Unit -1820

Lake Charles, LA 70601

$89,000B+

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,530 sqft · Built 1970 · MultiFamily · Active · 454 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,602/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$467
• Tax + insurance: −$274
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$336
• Net cashflow: $525/mo
• Annual: $6,304/yr
• Cap rate: 15.06%
• Cash-on-cash: 31.33%
• DSCR: 2.39
• 1% rule: 1.80%
• Cash to close: $24,920

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 1-bed/1-bath units multifamily listed at $89k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $525 ($6k/yr) — positive. Per door: $263/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $89k).
• It's been on market 454 days — a 12% lower offer ($78k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $78k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $615 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 68/100 on livability (#95 in LA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F, amenities F, employment D-.
• Calcasieu Parish (other): math 30% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #29 of 98 in LA (top 30%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Pearl Watson Elementary School (math 12% / reading 17%, grade F, #516 of 646 statewide, top 82%, 325 students, 93% FRL); Ray D. Molo Middle Magnet School (math 6% / reading 18%, grade F, #193 of 218 statewide, top 88%, 325 students, 91% FRL); Washington/Marion Magnet High School (math 8% / reading 12%, grade F, #241 of 265 statewide, top 93%, 587 students, 80% FRL) — zoned schools average 88% FRL vs 52% district-wide (36 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 12% at this address vs 37% district-wide (-25 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Calcasieu Parish average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $125/mo.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.2%/yr); 512 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 49d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 60% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,298 units permitted in Calcasieu Parish in 2024 (526 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Calcasieu County population projected at +11% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 6.2% rent growth), your $25k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone A (mandatory federal flood insurance); severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→22/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 15.1% vs local median 5.1% in Lake Charles — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 454 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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 1970 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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 B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?