3735 Mentone Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90034

$2,375,000C-

10 bd · 11.0 ba · 7,318 sqft · Built 1967 · MultiFamily · Active · 40 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $21,146/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$12,455
• Tax + insurance: −$1,982
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$4,441
• Net cashflow: $2,268/mo
• Annual: $27,218/yr
• Cap rate: 7.44%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.09%
• DSCR: 1.18
• 1% rule: 0.89%
• Cash to close: $665,000

Investor read

• This is a 3×2bd/2ba + 4×1bd/1ba + 1×?bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $2.38M.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($27k/yr) — positive. Per door: $284/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 $2.11M (11.0% below list).
• It's been on market 40 days — a 3% lower offer ($2.30M) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $2.11M (11.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $16k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $71k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• 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-, crime F, cost of living 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.
• Zoned schools: Palms Elementary (250 students, 75% FRL); Palms Middle (1,244 students, 66% FRL); Alexander Hamilton Senior High (math 31% / reading 65%, grade D, #380 of 1,170 statewide, top 33%, 2,259 students, 74% FRL) — zoned schools at 72% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 120 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.
• 2 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $200k (8%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $435k; list at $2.38M implies a 446% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• 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 7.4% 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 $21,146/mo this rent would consume 240% of the median local household income ($106k/yr) (locally 4507% 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 40 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 11% 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 1967 — 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.