102 Tarpon St

Lafayette, LA 70508

$240,000B

4 bd · 3.5 ba · 2,612 sqft · Built — · SingleFamily · Active · 28 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,016/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,259
• Tax + insurance: −$282
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$633
• Net cashflow: $841/mo
• Annual: $10,094/yr
• Cap rate: 10.50%
• Cash-on-cash: 15.02%
• DSCR: 1.67
• 1% rule: 1.26%
• Cash to close: $67,200

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/3.5-bath single-family listed at $240k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $841 ($10k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $240k).
• It's been on market 28 days — a 2% lower offer ($236k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $236k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#63 in LA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities C-, employment C-, crime F.
• Lafayette Parish (urban): math 38% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #19 of 98 in LA (top 19%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Katharine Drexel Elementary School (math 34% / reading 57%, grade D-, #169 of 646 statewide, top 27%, 646 students, 69% FRL); Broussard Middle School (math 38% / reading 51%, grade D, #49 of 218 statewide, top 23%, 581 students, 60% FRL); O. Comeaux High School (math 38% / reading 40%, grade F, #86 of 265 statewide, top 33%, 1,098 students, 56% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.2%/yr); 471 active listings in the ZIP; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 73% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 1,585 units permitted in Lafayette Parish in 2024 (10 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lafayette County population projected at +34% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 6 sale attempts since 4y 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 1.2% rent growth), your $67k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.5% vs local median 4.7% in Lafayette — 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.
• This rent runs 42% of the median local income ($86k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.