Property One
The exterior of the Educator building.

Case Study

Educator

Metairie, LA

The Levy family had held their Metairie property for years and wanted to sell, but the property had very specific attributes that limited the buyer pool. The task was straightforward but not simple to execute: find a buyer who could use the specific property features, navigate the zoning concerns, and help the buyer finance in a changing market.

Persistence Pays Off: Overcoming Financing and Zoning Hurdles to Close a Metairie Commercial Sale

Deal Type: Sale
Property: Formerly The Educator (school supplies); Now FINNish Strong Academy
Location: 3017 Edenborn Ave., Metairie, LA 70002
Date Completed: December 2, 2025

Agent(s) Involved: David da Cunha
Client Type: Seller – The Levy Family (Local Owner)

The Challenge

Nearly every part of this deal fought back.

Prospective buyers repeatedly struggled to secure financing as interest rates spiked mid-process. Zoning approvals that seemed close fell through, and leasing efforts on the property stalled. Multiple attempts resulted in failed transactions.

Rather than let the deal go cold, David da Cunha stayed engaged with prospective buyers over an extended period, re-engaging a previously interested buyer when circumstances changed, and worked through zoning and inspection issues as they surfaced to keep the transaction alive.

Property One’s Solution

Representing the seller, David da Cunha kept the deal moving by adapting strategy every time the process hit a wall. He accomplished this by:

  • Introducing Bond-for-Deed financing as a creative structure to overcome traditional lending challenges.
  • Maintaining relationships with prospective buyers over an extended period rather than letting the deal go cold.
  • Re-engaging a previously interested buyer when circumstances changed.
  • Navigating zoning and inspection issues to keep the transaction alive.
  • Combining deep local market knowledge with a strong buyer network and creative deal structuring to get the transaction across the finish line.

Results

  • Successfully closed a sale that had stalled repeatedly due to financing, rate, and zoning obstacles.
  • Delivered a confident buyer and a seller who stayed the course through a difficult process.
  • Enabled the Levy family to divest of the real estate and distribute sale proceeds to shareholders.
  • Preserved the property’s educational legacy — the space continues to be used for educational purposes, which meant a great deal to the Levy family.

Property Snapshot

Property Address: 3017 Edenborn Ave., Metairie, LA 70002
Transaction Type: Commercial Sale
Representation: Seller Representation
Status: Closed
Sale Price: Confidential
Current Tenant: FINNish Strong Academy

Broker Commentary

Greg Levy and his family were a pleasure to work with. Their continued faith in my abilities provided additional motivation to persevere. The buyer who had previously thought that it would be improbable to bridge the gap between buying and selling expectations remained open to ideas and eventually was able to realize her goals of finding a permanent home for her FINNish Strong Academy.
David da Cunha

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