603 E Lagrange St E · Lake Charles, LA 70601

$159,900

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,750 sqft · SingleFamily · 29 Days on market

Built 1950 6,534 sqft lot Est $159k · at est.

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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 +24.8/30.0
• DSCR +8.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.3/15.0
• 1% rule +5.2/10.0
• Rent growth +4.0/5.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Schools +3.1/10.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

3 Bed 2 Bath home with Prime Frontage on Common Street. Great Opportunity just south of I-210. This versitile 3/2 home is ideal for residential, rental or to convert into commercial or office space. There's an updated kitchen and bath, beautiful wood floors, a spacious den and a covered back porch. AC is from 2025, and roof is from 2020.

Key facts

• Updated kitchen
• Covered back porch
• 6,534 sq ft lot

Tags

• UPDATED KITCHEN
• COVERED BACK PORCH

Property features AI

Exterior

• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electricity connected; Natural gas connected
• Home design: Single-family house; One story
• Exterior features: City lot; Lot dimensions approximately 56 x 120

Interior

• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms
• Heating & cooling: Central heating (natural gas); Central air conditioning
• Interior features: No fireplace

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 $338 ($4k/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: $158k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 8.8% 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: F. K. White Middle School (math 26% / reading 39%, grade F, #104 of 218 statewide, top 48%, 661 students, 67% FRL); Lagrange High School (math 9% / reading 22%, grade F, #217 of 265 statewide, top 82%, 907 students, 76% FRL) — zoned schools average 72% FRL vs 52% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 24% at this address vs 37% district-wide (-13 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Calcasieu Parish average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.2%/yr); 363 active listings in the ZIP; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 21d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 45% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,298 units permitted in Calcasieu Parish in 2024 (526 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 39% of the median local income ($50k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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 + 6.2% 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 29 days — a 2% lower offer ($158k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk; severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→23/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $157,501 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1950 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 1.02% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.83%
• Cash-on-cash: 9.05%
• DSCR: 1.40
• GRM: 8.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $159,250
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
3526 Center St	0.16mi	3/1.0	1,805 (+3%)	1mo	$75,000	$42	82
3802 Auburn St	0.40mi	3/2.0	1,678 (-4%)	4mo	$169,000	$101	71
3705 Auburn St	0.30mi	3/2.0	1,604 (-8%)	8mo	$110,000	$69	66
217 W School St W	0.57mi	3/2.0	1,781 (+2%)	8mo	$202,000	$113	64
1212 E School St E	0.67mi	3/2.0	1,830 (+5%)	3mo	$160,000	$87	59
3905 Hodges St	0.53mi	3/2.0	1,582 (-10%)	1mo	$124,900	$79	59
3705 Harvard St	0.36mi	3/2.0	1,520 (-13%)	4mo	$160,500	$106	58
3709 Ernest St	0.61mi	3/1.5	1,602 (-8%)	3mo	$158,500	$99	53
1205 Tulane St	0.68mi	3/2.0	1,620 (-7%)	4mo	$148,000	$91	52
810 Gulf St	0.62mi	3/2.0	1,575 (-10%)	6mo	$125,000	$79	49
709 Gulf St	0.60mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,628 (-7%)	8mo	$152,000	$93	48
4019 Center St	0.75mi	3/2.0	1,978 (+13%)	2mo	$82,000	$41	42

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 · 6.18% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 0.5%
• Equity multiple: 1.02×
• Total profit: $891
• Equity at exit: $23,842

10-year hold

• IRR: 12.8%
• Equity multiple: 2.15×
• Total profit: $51,689
• 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 70601

• Rents YoY: 6.2%
• Active inventory: 363
• Price-to-rent: 8.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,626 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax from tax record: −$42 /mo · $500/yr
• Insurance: −$67
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$341
• Net cashflow: $338

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,199

Max offer price $159,900

Occupancy floor 74%

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 11 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
617 E School St Unit A Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1800	$2,500	$1.39	44d	1	0.20mi
807 Camelia St Lake Charles, LA	3.0	1.0	1322	$1,500	$1.13	44d	1	0.31mi
3206 Hodges St Lake Charles, LA	2.0	1.0	1497	$1,200	$0.80	44d	1	0.36mi
417 E Claude St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	1.0	1610	$1,400	$0.87	44d	1	0.41mi
930 Azalea St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	1658	$1,500	$0.90	21d	1	0.44mi
3206 Louisiana Ave Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	1600	$1,600	$1.00	13d	1	0.62mi
4128 Center St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	2227	$1,500	$0.67	44d	1	0.82mi
3601 1st Ave Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1512	$1,295	$0.86	13d	1	0.82mi
2700 Ernest St Lake Charles, LA	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1054	$1,598	$1.52	13d	1	0.94mi
1300 16th St Lake Charles, LA	2.0	1.5	1344	$1,295	$0.96	21d	1	1.17mi
2116 Creole St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	1305	$1,500	$1.15	21d	1	1.45mi

Listing history 17 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $159,900 Active 29 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $159,900 Active 28 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $159,900 Active 27 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $159,900 Active 26 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $159,900 Active 25 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $159,900 Active 23 DOM
7. 2026-06-13
   days on market $159,900 Active 22 DOM
8. 2026-06-10
   days on market $159,900 Active 20 DOM
9. 2026-06-09
   days on market $159,900 Active 19 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $159,900 Active 18 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    pricedays on market $159,900 Active 17 DOM
12. 2026-06-05
    days on market $175,000 Active 14 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $175,000 Active 12 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    days on market $175,000 Active 11 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $175,000 Active 10 DOM
16. 2026-05-30
    days on market $175,000 Active 9 DOM
17. 2026-05-21
    listed $175,000 Active

ⓘ 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: $500 · $42/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $879 · $73/mo
• Expected delta: +$379/yr (+$32/mo · 75.9%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 6/10 Major FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 72% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 9/10 Extreme 7 d/yr ≥109°F today · 23 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: $19,511
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,957
• − Property taxes: −$500
• − Insurance: −$800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,561
• − Management: −$1,561
• − Depreciation: −$4,652
• Taxable income: $1,481
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$356
• After-tax cash flow: $3,696/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): 30,872
• Household income: $49,992
• Rent vs Own: 41.1% rent · 58.9% own
• Severe rent burden: 1304.0

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: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.55)
• Race & ethnicity: Black 59% White 31% Two or more races 7% Hispanic / Latino 5%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 7% Iranian 1% Serbian 1%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 95% English-only · Spanish 2% French/Haitian/Cajun 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: ▼ -109.32%
• Current HPI: 55.6127
• Rent YoY: ▲ 6.18%
• 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

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-21 Listed $175,000 SWLAR

Property tax history

-0.7%/yr

Latest (2025): $500 · +1.3% YoY. Source: county tax records.