608 W Fourth Ave W

Oberlin, LA 70655

$35,000B

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,100 sqft · Built 1978 · SingleFamily · Active · 308 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,039/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$184
• Tax + insurance: −$89
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$218
• Net cashflow: $549/mo
• Annual: $6,585/yr
• Cap rate: 25.11%
• Cash-on-cash: 67.19%
• DSCR: 3.99
• 1% rule: 2.97%
• Cash to close: $9,800

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $35k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $549 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $35k).
• It's been on market 308 days — a 12% lower offer ($31k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $31k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $242 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 60/100 on livability (#250 in LA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, crime B; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Allen Parish (rural): math 26% / reading 42% proficiency, ranked #36 of 98 in LA (top 37%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Oberlin Elementary School (math 37% / reading 42%, grade F, #224 of 646 statewide, top 37%, 289 students, 68% FRL); Oberlin High School (math 22% / reading 52%, grade F, #98 of 265 statewide, top 38%, 223 students, 61% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.5% of price.
• Market conditions: 22 active listings in the ZIP; 46 units permitted in Allen Parish in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Allen County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 3 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask is 5733% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $10k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; major wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 308 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1978 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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?
• 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.