625 Contour Dr Dr · Lake Charles, LA 70605

$159,900

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,959 sqft · SingleFamily · 164 Days on market

Built 1965 9,600 sqft lot Est $231k · 31% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C+ 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 +23.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +7.4/10.0
• 1% rule +5.4/10.0
• Rent growth +5.0/5.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Schools +3.1/10.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Charming 3 bedroom/ 2 bath Home Near McNeese – Central Lake Charles Location. Well-maintained home located in a desirable central Lake Charles neighborhood, just minutes from McNeese State University, shopping, dining, and major thoroughfares. This home features a spacious living area with abundant natural light, a functional kitchen with plenty of cabinet space, and a comfortable dining area. Primary bedroom has private bathroom. Two additional bedrooms share a full guest bath. Exterior features include a large fenced backyard, garage, and mature landscaping. Perfect for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors seeking a move-in-ready property in a convenient location.

Key facts

• Functional kitchen
• Spacious living area
• Mature landscaping

Tags

• CENTRAL LAKE CHARLES LOCATION
• FENCED BACKYARD
• MATURE LANDSCAPING
• FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN
• SPACIOUS LIVING AREA

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $160k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $283 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $160k).
• Recommended offer: $141k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 8.4% vs local median 4.3% 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.

Location & tenants

• 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: Dolby Elementary School (math 42% / reading 62%, grade C-, #108 of 646 statewide, top 18%, 381 students, 64% FRL); F. K. White Middle School (math 26% / reading 39%, grade F, #104 of 218 statewide, top 48%, 661 students, 67% FRL); Alfred M. Barbe High School (math 41% / reading 56%, grade D, #41 of 265 statewide, top 16%, 1,991 students, 41% FRL) — zoned schools at 57% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+15.1%/yr); 464 active listings in the ZIP; 7 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 71% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 1,298 units permitted in Calcasieu Parish in 2024 (526 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• 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 + 8.0% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 164 days — a 12% lower offer ($141k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $40k (20%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $77k; list at $160k implies a 109% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: 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.

Recommended offer $140,712 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 164 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1965 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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: 1.04% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.42%
• Cash-on-cash: 7.59%
• DSCR: 1.34
• GRM: 8.0

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $231,162
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
4410 Dean St St	0.25mi	3/2.0	1,931 (-1%)	1mo	$172,500	$89	85
1407 Jefferson Dr	0.38mi	3/2.0	1,946 (-1%)	4mo	$260,000	$134	78
1411 Jefferson Dr	0.39mi	3/2.0	1,908 (-3%)	1mo	$235,000	$123	77
4307 Oaklawn St	0.50mi	3/2.0	1,926 (-2%)	2mo	$157,900	$82	73
4315 Oaklawn	0.47mi	4/3.0 (+1)	1,972 (+1%)	2mo	$239,000	$121	66
4402 Pleasant Dr	0.33mi	3/2.0	1,672 (-15%)	2mo	$244,000	$146	58
4304 Sarver St	0.38mi	4/3.0 (+1)	2,142 (+9%)	4mo	$223,400	$104	55
4119 Pleasant Dr	0.58mi	3/2.0	2,240 (+14%)	3mo	$195,000	$87	47
450 Greenway St	0.68mi	4/3.0 (+1)	1,827 (-7%)	4mo	$215,000	$118	45
445 Washington	0.64mi	4/2.0 (+1)	2,177 (+11%)	3mo	$189,000	$87	44
401 Montclair St	0.71mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,760 (-10%)	4mo	$263,000	$149	42
4022 Wooded Dr	0.72mi	3/2.0	2,244 (+14%)	1mo	$85,000	$38	41

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 · 8.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 0.5%
• Equity multiple: 1.02×
• Total profit: $863
• Equity at exit: $23,842

10-year hold

• IRR: 14.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.42×
• Total profit: $63,749
• Equity at exit: $13,825

Cash invested: $44,772 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Louisiana: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+12
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; no state rent control; civil-law jurisdiction; landlord-favorable.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 70605

• Rents YoY: 15.1%
• Active inventory: 464
• Price-to-rent: 8.0×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,657 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax from tax record: −$121 /mo · $1,452/yr
• Insurance: −$67
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$348
• Net cashflow: $283

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,299

Max offer price $159,900

Occupancy floor 78%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $374	-5% $328	+0% $283	+5% $238	+10% $193
Rent	-10% $152	-5% $218	+0% $283	+5% $349	+10% $414
Rate	-1.0pp $364	-0.5pp $324	base $283	+0.5pp $242	+1.0pp $200

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: $39,975
• Closing costs: $4,797
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 7 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
155 Heather St Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1316	$1,650	$1.25	15d	1	0.64mi
716 Dianne Ln Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	2200	$5,000	$2.27	45d	1	0.91mi
4326 Christina St Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1600	$1,770	$1.11	22d	1	0.97mi
4128 Center St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	2227	$1,500	$0.67	45d	1	1.02mi
417 E Claude St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	1.0	1610	$1,400	$0.87	45d	1	1.16mi
1711 Mignonette Ln Unit 13-C Lake Charles, LA	2.0	1.5	1275	$1,095	$0.86	45d	1	1.40mi
617 E School St Unit A Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1800	$2,500	$1.39	45d	1	1.42mi

Listing history 11 events

1. 2026-04-28
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-22
   status Active
3. 2026-03-31
   status Pending
4. 2026-03-17
   price $159,900
5. 2026-02-25
   price $169,900
6. 2026-01-16
   status Active
7. 2025-12-30
   status Pending
8. 2025-12-08
   price $179,900
9. 2025-10-20
   price $190,000
10. 2025-10-07
    listed $200,000 Active
11. 2000-06-21
    soldstatus $76,600

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

Tax reassessment forecast LA · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $1,452 · $121/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,452 · $121/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 4/10 Moderate FEMA zone X (shaded) · 24% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 9/10 Extreme 7 d/yr ≥109°F today · 22 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 9/10 Extreme 99% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $19,889
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,957
• − Property taxes: −$1,452
• − Insurance: −$800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,591
• − Management: −$1,591
• − Depreciation: −$4,652
• Taxable income: $847
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$203
• After-tax cash flow: $3,195/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: Calcasieu Parish
• NCES district ID: 2200330
• Math proficiency: 30% ▼ -39.00%
• Reading proficiency: 44% ▼ -33.00%
• Median HH income: $44,700
• Composite: 31.45/100
• National rank: #5979
• State rank: #29 of 98 in LA

Livability — Lake Charles

• Score: 68/100
• State rank: #95
• US rank: #9820

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Lake Charles, LA
• County: Calcasieu Parish · 170,889 people
• City population: 133,538
• Metro: Lake Charles, LA
• Population (ZIP): 40,482
• Household income: $86,015
• Rent vs Own: 27.7% rent · 72.3% own
• Severe rent burden: 1328.0

Population outlook (Calcasieu County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 212,179 people
• By 2030: 218,199 · +2.8%
• By 2040: 228,486 · +7.7%
• By 2050: 236,208 · +11.3%
• By 2075: 251,696 · +18.6%
• By 2100: 247,848 · +16.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (79%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 79% Black 10% Hispanic / Latino 6% Two or more races 6% Asian 3%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 2%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 12% Italian 3% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 6% · Canada, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 92% English-only · Spanish 4% Other Indo-European 2% Other Asian/Pacific 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Calcasieu

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+39.6) · D 29.5% · R 69.0% · Other 1.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -15.0pp toward R · 2008: -24.6pp · 2024: -39.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+39.6 2020: R+35.2 2016: R+33.3 2012: R+28.7 2008: R+24.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -102.68%
• Current HPI: 105.1903
• Rent YoY: ▲ 15.10%
• Metro: Lake Charles, LA
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.29%
• F500 in state: 10

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in LA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Telecommunications	2	$23B
▸Utilities	1	$12B
▸Wholesale / Distribution	1	$5B
▸Advertising	1	$2B

Price history

+108.7% since first listed

11 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-28 Pending — SWLAR
• 2026-04-22 Relisted — SWLAR
• 2026-03-31 Pending — SWLAR
• 2026-03-17 Price Changed $159,900 SWLAR
• 2026-02-25 Price Changed $169,900 SWLAR
• 2026-01-16 Relisted — SWLAR
• 2025-12-30 Pending — SWLAR
• 2025-12-08 Price Changed $179,900 SWLAR
• 2025-10-20 Price Changed $190,000 SWLAR
• 2025-10-07 Listed $200,000 SWLAR
• 2000-06-21 Sold (Public Records) $76,600 Public Records

Property tax history

+0.1%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,452 · +2.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.