3816 Ernest St · Lake Charles, LA 70605

$145,000

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,836 sqft · SingleFamily · 3 Days on market

Built 1959 10,454 sqft lot Est $189k · 23% under ↓ 6% since listing

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Why this score? — see what drove the B 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 +27.1/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +9.4/10.0
• 1% rule +6.2/10.0
• 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

Discover the charm of this adorable 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom cottage nestled in the heart of South Lake Charles. This cozy home offers a perfect blend of comfort and convenience, with easy access to restaurants, schools, and shopping. Home boasts a new roof and new windows throughout. Step inside to find a charming living space adorned with wood floors and a wood-burning fireplace, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The separate dining area provides the ideal setting for entertaining guests or enjoying meals. Two spacious additional bedrooms also feature hardwood floors. Outside, a huge outdoor storage space presents a unique opportunity for conversion into an outdoor living and entertai

Key facts

• Wood floors
• New roof
• New windows

Tags

• NEW ROOF
• NEW WINDOWS
• WOOD FLOORS
• WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE
• OUTDOOR STORAGE SPACE

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Located in the Bel Air subdivision; Directions: West Claude & W Oak from Sale, north on Ernest; property on west side; Branded virtual tour available
• HOA & community: No common interest

Exterior

• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Sewer connected; Water connected; Cable available
• Home design: Single-family house; One story
• Exterior features: Front yard; Back yard; City lot

Interior

• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms
• Heating & cooling: Central heating; Central air conditioning
• Interior features: Wood-burning fireplace; Ceiling fans

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $145k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $410 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $145k).
• Cap rate 9.7% 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.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+15.1%/yr); 456 active listings in the ZIP; 10 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% 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 $4k 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 $41k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 5 sale attempts since 2y 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.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1959 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• 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 $145,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1959 — 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: 1.12% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.68%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.10%
• DSCR: 1.54
• GRM: 7.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $189,108
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
613 W Lagrange St W	0.54mi	3/1.5	1,812 (-1%)	1mo	$187,000	$103	69
400 W Claude St St W	0.13mi	3/2.0	2,095 (+14%)	3mo	$267,000	$127	68
3709 Ernest St	0.17mi	3/1.5	1,602 (-13%)	3mo	$158,500	$99	66
4307 Oaklawn St	0.59mi	3/2.0	1,926 (+5%)	1mo	$157,900	$82	63
732 Julius St St	0.66mi	3/2.0	1,753 (-4%)	3mo	$252,000	$144	59
4410 Dean St St	0.73mi	3/2.0	1,931 (+5%)	1mo	$172,500	$89	56
3905 Hodges St	0.46mi	3/2.0	1,582 (-14%)	1mo	$124,900	$79	55
3802 Auburn St	0.63mi	3/2.0	1,678 (-9%)	4mo	$169,000	$101	53
4402 Pleasant Dr	0.73mi	3/2.0	1,672 (-9%)	2mo	$244,000	$146	49
4315 Oaklawn	0.61mi	4/3.0 (+1)	1,972 (+7%)	2mo	$239,000	$121	48
4326 Pleasant Dr	0.68mi	3/2.0	1,604 (-13%)	1mo	$174,000	$108	46
3412 Creole St	0.57mi	2/2.0 (-1)	2,077 (+13%)	1mo	$154,900	$75	46

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: 6.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.27×
• Total profit: $11,142
• Equity at exit: $21,620

10-year hold

• IRR: 19.8%
• Equity multiple: 3.03×
• Total profit: $82,249
• Equity at exit: $12,537

Cash invested: $40,600 (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: 456
• Price-to-rent: 7.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,628 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$760
• Tax from tax record: −$56 /mo · $674/yr
• Insurance: −$60
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$342
• Net cashflow: $410

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,110

Max offer price $145,000

Occupancy floor 70%

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: $36,250
• Closing costs: $4,350
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 10 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
417 E Claude St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	1.0	1610	$1,400	$0.87	43d	1	0.50mi
617 E School St Unit A Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1800	$2,500	$1.39	43d	1	0.69mi
4128 Center St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	2227	$1,500	$0.67	43d	1	0.83mi
3206 Hodges St Lake Charles, LA	2.0	1.0	1497	$1,200	$0.80	43d	1	0.92mi
807 Camelia St Lake Charles, LA	3.0	1.0	1322	$1,500	$1.13	43d	1	1.00mi
930 Azalea St Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	1658	$1,500	$0.90	20d	1	1.09mi
2700 Ernest St Lake Charles, LA	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1054	$1,598	$1.52	13d	1	1.14mi
4326 Christina St Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1600	$1,770	$1.11	20d	1	1.27mi
3206 Louisiana Ave Lake Charles, LA	4.0	2.0	1600	$1,600	$1.00	13d	1	1.34mi
3601 1st Ave Lake Charles, LA	3.0	2.0	1512	$1,295	$0.86	13d	1	1.43mi

Listing history 11 events

1. 2026-05-10
   status Pending
2. 2026-05-07
   listed $145,000 Active
3. 2026-04-25
   historical $1,500
4. 2026-04-08
   listed $1,500
5. 2026-03-13
   historical $1,500
6. 2026-03-03
   listed $1,500
7. 2024-10-04
   historical $1,195
8. 2024-09-24
   listed $1,195
9. 2024-09-19
   historical $1,495
10. 2024-07-10
    listed $1,495
11. 2017-04-13
    soldstatus $155,000

ⓘ 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: $674 · $56/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $798 · $66/mo
• Expected delta: +$124/yr (+$10/mo · 18.4%)

ⓘ 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 (unshaded) · 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: $19,542
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,122
• − Property taxes: −$674
• − Insurance: −$725
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,563
• − Management: −$1,563
• − Depreciation: −$4,218
• Taxable income: $2,676
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$642
• After-tax cash flow: $4,272/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

-6.5% since first listed

11 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-10 Pending — SWLAR
• 2026-05-07 Listed $145,000 SWLAR
• 2026-04-25 Rental Removed $1,500 RENTEC
• 2026-04-08 Listed for Rent $1,500 RENTEC
• 2026-03-13 Rental Removed $1,500 RENTEC
• 2026-03-03 Listed for Rent $1,500 RENTEC
• 2024-10-04 Rental Removed $1,195 RENTEC
• 2024-09-24 Listed for Rent $1,195 RENTEC
• 2024-09-19 Rental Removed $1,495 RENTEC
• 2024-07-10 Listed for Rent $1,495 RENTEC
• 2017-04-13 Sold (Public Records) $155,000 Public Records

Property tax history

-1.8%/yr

Latest (2025): $674 · +2.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.