1200 E Mississippi Ave

Ruston, LA 71270

$177,500D+

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,984 sqft · Built 1964 · SingleFamily · Active · 154 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,575/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$931
• Tax + insurance: −$184
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$331
• Net cashflow: $129/mo
• Annual: $1,553/yr
• Cap rate: 7.17%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.12%
• DSCR: 1.14
• 1% rule: 0.89%
• Cash to close: $49,700

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $178k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $129 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $158k (11.2% below list).
• It's been on market 154 days — a 12% lower offer ($156k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $156k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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.
• Location reads 68/100 on livability (#86 in LA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities C-, crime F, commute F.
• Lincoln Parish (town): math 35% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #24 of 98 in LA (top 24%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 62% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Hillcrest Elementary School (397 students, 70% FRL); Ruston Junior High School (math 23% / reading 38%, grade F, #112 of 218 statewide, top 52%, 558 students, 60% FRL); Ruston High School (math 53% / reading 60%, grade C, #26 of 265 statewide, top 10%, 1,310 students, 50% FRL) — zoned schools at 60% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.6%/yr); 277 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 171 units permitted in Lincoln Parish in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lincoln County population projected at +15% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 sale attempts 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 76% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.2% vs local median 3.2% in Ruston — 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 $1,575/mo this rent would consume 51% of the median local household income ($37k/yr) (locally 2476% 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 154 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1964 — 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.