3539 Calle Nortena · Brownsville, TX 78526

$220,000

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,469 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 50 Days on market

Built 2000 5,032 sqft lot $150/sqft · at area comps Est $228k · at est.

---

Why this score? — see what drove the D+ grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +17.6/30.0
• ARV discount +9.1/15.0
• DSCR +5.5/10.0
• 1% rule +4.8/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Rent growth +3.2/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.2/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Great starter home! The home features four bedrooms two baths, and beautiful kitchen. House is located on a fenced corner lot. Great outdoor hosting.

Key facts

• Outdoor hosting
• Fenced corner lot
• 5,032 sq ft lot

Tags

• FENCED CORNER LOT
• OUTDOOR HOSTING

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $220k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $174 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $216k (1.6% below list).
• Recommended offer: $213k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 7.2% vs local median 5.0% in Brownsville — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#62 in TX, #2,311 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools C-, amenities D, crime D-.
• Brownsville ISD (urban): math 20% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #710 of 826 in TX (top 86%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 83% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.8%/yr); 413 active listings in the ZIP; 33 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 22d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,326 units permitted in Cameron County in 2024 (503 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($71k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Cameron County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 50 days — a 3% lower offer ($213k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 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.

Recommended offer $213,400 (3.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 50 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. Crime grade is D 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.98% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.40%
• DSCR: 1.15
• GRM: 8.5

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $228,002
• List price: $220,000
• Delta: -3.51%
• Verdict: FAIR
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
3231 Calle Argentina	0.49mi	3/2.0 (-1)	1,596 (+9%)	13mo	$269,999	$169	47

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 2.77% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -11.2%
• Equity multiple: 0.59×
• Total profit: $-25,007
• Equity at exit: $32,803

10-year hold

• IRR: -2.3%
• Equity multiple: 0.85×
• Total profit: $-9,352
• Equity at exit: $19,022

Cash invested: $61,600 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 87 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Texas: 87 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+5
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day notice; statewide preemption; one of the fastest eviction climates; Travis County (Austin) slightly slower.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 78526

• Home prices YoY: -12.1%
• Rents YoY: 2.8%
• Active inventory: 413
• Price-to-rent: 8.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,164 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,154
• Tax from tax record: −$290 /mo · $3,478/yr
• Insurance: −$92
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$454
• Net cashflow: $174

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,943

Max offer price $220,000

Occupancy floor 87%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $299	-5% $237	+0% $174	+5% $112	+10% $50
Rent	-10% $3	-5% $89	+0% $174	+5% $260	+10% $345
Rate	-1.0pp $285	-0.5pp $230	base $174	+0.5pp $117	+1.0pp $59

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $55,000
• Closing costs: $6,600
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 33 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
3247 Noble Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1800	$2,000	$1.11	22d	1	0.48mi
3278 Calle Argentina Brownsville, TX	4.0	2.0	1639	$1,950	$1.19	44d	1	0.51mi
124 Barcelona Ave Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1708	$2,900	$1.70	22d	1	0.56mi
2043 Saketa Ln Unit A Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	910	$1,700	$1.87	22d	1	0.61mi
2019 Diamond Dr Unit B Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.5	1565	$1,950	$1.25	22d	1	0.63mi
2107 Carlos Ave Unit A Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1500	$1,500	$1.00	14d	1	0.64mi
2066 Saketa Ln Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1184	$1,700	$1.44	14d	1	0.65mi
2459 Salerno Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	3.0	1797	$2,500	$1.39	22d	1	0.72mi
3143 Aberdeen Dr Brownsville, TX	4.0	2.0	1500	$1,800	$1.20	44d	1	0.78mi
3602 Westcreek Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.5	1748	$2,300	$1.32	14d	1	0.78mi
1625 Res St Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1504	$1,800	$1.20	44d	1	0.79mi
3109 Ascension Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1632	$1,800	$1.10	44d	1	0.82mi
3261 Alegre Dr Unit B Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1285	$1,900	$1.48	44d	1	0.87mi
3269 Alegre Dr Unit B Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1285	$1,850	$1.44	22d	1	0.88mi
1653 W San Marcelo Blvd Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1212	$1,700	$1.40	22d	1	0.94mi
3218 Villa Rosa Dr Unit B Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1285	$1,800	$1.40	44d	1	0.98mi
1683 Artemisa Ave Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1717	$1,950	$1.14	22d	1	1.00mi
2834 Boardwalk Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1314	$1,800	$1.37	22d	1	1.01mi
2888 Seville Blvd Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1456	$1,650	$1.13	22d	1	1.03mi
4951 Daffodil Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1498	$2,400	$1.60	22d	1	1.04mi
4951 Daffodil Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1498	$2,400	$1.60	44d	1	1.05mi
501 Geraldine Ln Brownsville, TX	4.0	2.0	1615	$1,900	$1.18	22d	1	1.12mi
2700 Farm to Market Road 802 Brownsville, TX	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	990	$2,002	$2.02	14d	8	1.13mi
1587 Pinion Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1226	$1,750	$1.43	44d	1	1.22mi
2100 W San Marcelo Blvd Brownsville, TX	2.0–3.0	2.0–2.5	1069	$1,500	$1.40	44d	2	1.23mi
15 Valles Ct Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1715	$2,350	$1.37	14d	1	1.28mi
4883 Camino Verde Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1302	$1,800	$1.38	22d	1	1.29mi
1315 Pinion Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1600	$1,950	$1.22	44d	1	1.33mi
35 La Paz Ct Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.5	1660	$1,900	$1.14	14d	1	1.33mi
1815 Sancho Panza St Brownsville, TX	4.0	3.0	1784	$2,350	$1.32	44d	1	1.40mi
2034 Toluca Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1669	$2,000	$1.20	22d	1	1.42mi
1044 Alta Mesa Blvd Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1276	$1,700	$1.33	14d	1	1.46mi
1124 Sierra Grande Dr Brownsville, TX	3.0	2.0	1308	$1,599	$1.22	22d	1	1.49mi

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-05-13
   status Pending 149-char remark

   Show marketing remark (149 chars)

   Great starter home! The home features four bedrooms two baths, and beautiful kitchen. House is located on a fenced corner lot. Great outdoor hosting.

2. 2026-03-10
   listed $220,000 Active 149-char remark

   Show marketing remark (149 chars)

   Great starter home! The home features four bedrooms two baths, and beautiful kitchen. House is located on a fenced corner lot. Great outdoor hosting.

3. 2015-03-02
   soldstatus 215-char remark

   Show marketing remark (215 chars)

   NICE HUD HOME SITS ON A CORNER LOT, LARGE LIVING ROOM, OPEN AND SPLIT FLOOR PLAN. CERAMIC TILE FLOORING THROUGHOUT, SPACIOUS MASTER, BREAKFAST NOOK, LARGE CONCRETE SLAB ON SIDE OF HOME. ALL HUD HOMES ARE SOLD AS IS.

4. 2014-12-03
   listed $78,000 215-char remark

   Show marketing remark (215 chars)

   NICE HUD HOME SITS ON A CORNER LOT, LARGE LIVING ROOM, OPEN AND SPLIT FLOOR PLAN. CERAMIC TILE FLOORING THROUGHOUT, SPACIOUS MASTER, BREAKFAST NOOK, LARGE CONCRETE SLAB ON SIDE OF HOME. ALL HUD HOMES ARE SOLD AS IS.

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast TX · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $3,478 · $290/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $4,026 · $336/mo
• Expected delta: +$548/yr (+$46/mo · 15.8%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $25,967
• − Mortgage interest: −$12,323
• − Property taxes: −$3,478
• − Insurance: −$1,100
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,077
• − Management: −$2,077
• − Depreciation: −$6,400
• Taxable loss: −$1,489
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$357
• After-tax cash flow: $2,449/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Brownsville ISD
• NCES district ID: 4811680
• Math proficiency: 20% ▼ -36.00%
• Reading proficiency: 34% ▼ -13.00%
• Median HH income: $30,490
• Composite: 21.8/100
• National rank: #8249
• State rank: #710 of 826 in TX

Livability — Brownsville

• Score: 79/100
• State rank: #62
• US rank: #2311

Category grades

Amenities D Commute A+ Cost of living A+ Crime D- Employment F Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings B-

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Brownsville, TX
• County: Cameron County · 310,734 people
• City population: 212,132
• Metro: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
• Population (ZIP): 60,012
• Household income: $70,565
• Rent vs Own: 30.8% rent · 69.2% own
• Severe rent burden: 1063.0

Population outlook (Cameron County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 441,603 people
• By 2030: 448,113 · +1.5%
• By 2040: 456,385 · +3.3%
• By 2050: 456,294 · +3.3%
• By 2075: 423,851 · -4.0%
• By 2100: 342,787 · -22.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly Hispanic (93%)
• Race & ethnicity: Hispanic / Latino 93% Two or more races 45% White 4% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 87%
• Foreign-born: 25% · Canada, Vietnam
• Languages at home: 19% English-only · Spanish 79% Tagalog/Filipino 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Cameron

• 2024 margin: Lean R (+5.8) · D 46.7% · R 52.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -34.6pp toward R · 2008: 28.8pp · 2024: -5.8pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+5.8 2020: D+13.2 2016: D+32.5 2012: D+32.4 2008: D+28.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -30.28%
• Current HPI: 220.5233
• Rent YoY: ▲ 2.77%
• Metro: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.95%
• F500 in state: 110

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in TX)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Energy	16	$1,198B
▸Technology	5	$198B
▸Engineering / Construction	4	$72B
▸Energy Services	3	$60B
▸Utilities	3	$41B
▸Healthcare	2	$330B

Price history

+182.1% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-13 Pending — RGVMLS
• 2026-03-10 Listed $220,000 RGVMLS
• 2015-03-02 Sold (MLS) — RGVMLS
• 2014-12-03 Listed $78,000 RGVMLS

Property tax history

+2.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $3,478 · -0.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.