320 N Sycamore Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

$2,225,000C-

8 bd · 4.0 ba · 5,732 sqft · Built 1928 · MultiFamily · Active · 39 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $17,493/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$11,668
• Tax + insurance: −$1,431
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$3,674
• Net cashflow: $720/mo
• Annual: $8,639/yr
• Cap rate: 6.68%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.39%
• DSCR: 1.06
• 1% rule: 0.79%
• Cash to close: $623,000

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 3-bed/?-bath units multifamily listed at $2.23M.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $720 ($9k/yr) — positive. Per door: $240/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $1.75M (21.4% below list).
• It's been on market 39 days — a 3% lower offer ($2.16M) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $1.75M (21.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $72k of equity ($15k loan paydown + $57k appreciation (2.5% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 68/100 on livability (#273 in CA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, employment B; Watch: health & safety C-, schools D+, crime F.
• Los Angeles Unified (urban): math 29% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #223 of 517 in CA (top 43%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 67% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Watch-outs: built in 1928 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-1.1%/yr); 94 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 19,697 units permitted in Los Angeles County in 2024 (9,426 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Los Angeles County population projected at +9% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• Current owner paid $48k; list at $2.23M implies a 4535% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (2.5% appreciation + 0.0% rent growth), your $623k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$181k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.7% vs local median 2.1% in Los Angeles — 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 $17,493/mo this rent would consume 191% of the median local household income ($110k/yr) (locally 4924% 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 39 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 21% 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 1928 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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.