Ouachita County’s decision tension is positive price direction against unmeasured rental income, flood-linked carrying risk, and limited liquidity evidence. The Zillow county measure is labeled 2026-06 at $102,699, following a 3.20% year-over-year increase. The FHFA annual measure is labeled 2025, and its repeat-transaction HPI rose 10.64%. These measures are directionally aligned but not interchangeable or suitable for averaging because Zillow reports a home-value measure while FHFA is a repeat-transaction index. Investors seeking a basis case should test rent and flood exposure; those requiring demonstrated resale depth should be cautious.
Measured market rent is not published, so gross yield cannot be computed. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR of $880 per month is a payment standard, not an asking-rent estimate, and cannot substitute for market rent in yield analysis. Carrying costs also require parcel review: the effective property-tax rate is 0.51%, with median annual tax of $525, but neither figure identifies the tax bill for a specific home. Modeled climate loss equals 0.20% of building value annually, consistent with inland flood as the dominant hazard; it is not a property-specific insurance quote or damage estimate.
County workplace evidence points to a smaller covered-job base. QCEW annual covered employment at workplaces in the county was 6,804, down 3.59% from the prior annual average. Trade, transportation, and utilities was the largest disclosed private supersector, but that designation does not describe the entire county economy or resident employment. Tax-return migration was net negative by 84 households, while average income of movers out exceeded that of movers in by $7,996. Investor mortgages represented 18.06% of 155 purchase mortgages, showing investor participation but not rental demand, pricing power, or all-cash activity.
Realtor.com figures for median MLS listing price, active listings, days on market, and price-reduced share are not published here. That prevents an assessment of visible supply, marketing time, seller concessions, and listing-market exit conditions. Required next checks are current lease comparables, property-specific tax assessments, flood-zone and elevation records, prior losses, insurance terms, and closed-sale comparables. County evidence cannot establish a property’s rent durability, flood premium, condition, or resale outcome.