523 Romain St

Gretna, LA 70053

$280,000B-

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,331 sqft · Built 1940 · SingleFamily · Active · 117 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,031/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,468
• Tax + insurance: −$240
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$637
• Net cashflow: $687/mo
• Annual: $8,241/yr
• Cap rate: 9.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 10.51%
• DSCR: 1.47
• 1% rule: 1.08%
• Cash to close: $78,400

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $280k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $687 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $280k).
• It's been on market 117 days — a 9% lower offer ($255k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $255k (9.0% 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 $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#58 in LA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing B+; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
• Jefferson Parish (suburban): math 24% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #44 of 98 in LA (top 45%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 70% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Mcdonogh 26/Homedale Elementary School (math 8% / reading 17%, grade F, #550 of 646 statewide, top 88%, 375 students, 68% FRL); Gretna Middle School (math 9% / reading 24%, grade F, #177 of 218 statewide, top 82%, 574 students, 64% FRL); West Jefferson High School (math 10% / reading 17%, grade F, #229 of 265 statewide, top 86%, 1,524 students, 58% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 14% at this address vs 29% district-wide (-15 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Jefferson Parish average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 113 active listings in the ZIP; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 19d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 518 units permitted in Jefferson Parish in 2024 (43 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 4 sale attempts since 11y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (7%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $20k; list at $280k implies a 1300% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 9.2% vs local median 5.2% in Gretna — 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.
• At $3,031/mo this rent would consume 91% of the median local household income ($40k/yr) (locally 1911% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 117 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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.