Real Estate Market In NC

Real Estate Market In NC

Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes

Let's talk about some NC Market data that has been pulled from the Office Of State Budget and Management in NC.

NC has 5 key markets, broken down by what they are "best in".  I will link the article at the bottom containing all the numbers; the metrics used by OSBM including Median Home Value, Property Appreciation Rate, Median Household Income, Median Gross Rent, Median Mortgage Cost.

1. Jacksonville - Best Overall Market In NC

Jacksonville has been recognized as the best market in NC overall due to characteristics that make Jacksonville unique, this expressly includes Camp Lejune, the Marine Base. Military always brings an influx of people, and the best part is they are new and need a place to stay. The median age in Jacksonville is 26.5 which means a young demographic of renters and first time buyers. Great opportunity in long-term rentals, vacation rentals, flips, and BRRRR.

"Overall, the city has a small-town charm with all of the attractions of a larger metro, so it's a great spot for investors to get started."

2. Raleigh - Best Vacation Rentals In NC

Raleigh had 15.8 Million Tourists in 2021. That should be a number that peaks the attention of any investor in NC. Short-Term Rentals, Air BnBs, Vacation Rentals are a gold mine for the savvy investor in Raleigh. A large student base, big college teams nearby and being the Capital of NC has it perks. Raleigh was ranked 4th best place to live (out of 50) in 2022-2023 by Money.com. It has grown, continues to grow, and has many futures plans for development. 

3. Durham - Best House Hacking

Durham has recently begun to explode in terms of real estate investments. House hacking is a great way to get into the game with low starting costs and ample room for benefit, recommended to abide by the 30% rule if house hacking. Durham in general is a great location, being near Chapel Hill and Raleigh it also possesses a great Vacation/Air BnB opportunity. With Duke university nearby it will always have a high demand for student housing.

4. Burlington - Best For Flipping

The main call to flipping in Burlington is price point. Median Home Value sits at $271,384, and the population growth rate is double that of places like Winston Salem and Forsyth County as a whole. I grew up local in Stokes County (just north of Forsyth County) and I can firsthand attest to many people moving out and around the Winston areas, similar things are happening in Greensboro as crime is a regular issue. This leads to outlying areas around these large cities in NC to be particularly attractive to a lot of people. A large portion of local young graduates who decide to stay in NC, move to the outlier areas looking for move-in ready homes. Burlington and smaller towns/cities in NC that are 30-45 min drives from large cities are exploding in NC. 

5. Winston-Salem - Best For Long- Term Rentals

As stated above, growing up near Winston and having rented several homes when I was younger in Winston, I can attest to a large market of young adults who are looking to have "their own place." A vast majority of my graduating class, and classes at schools around me, rather quickly after graduating high school moved out to an apartment or renting a house, with plans to stay there for quite some time. Hunting down locations to rent for Long term rentals was always a chore due to the fact that they went rather quickly. Zillow or craigslist, didn't matter the source those rentals move quickly. There is also a large demand for Mobile Home Rentals, especially North, NW, NE of Winston, and those tend to lead to long term tenants of 5+ years. If that peaks your interest look to places like Stokes Cty and Surry Cty. Winston may not be the most glorious city, but it does boast an excellent night-life that attracts a plethora of young people. Winston also has a uniquely large Brewery/Bar Scene, for those that enjoy those. 

Hope this was helpful, please give feedback and alternate opinions if you have them!

I'm looking to connect with more people here as well, so let's connect and see if we can be resources for each other! 

Links:

https://money.com/best-places-...

https://www.wral.com/best-plac...

https://listwithclever.com/rea...

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Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
3y

@Levi Bennett Don't take the list personally. I do think your post has a lot of merit. The reality is that Avery and Watauga counties are sparsely populated and that skews lists/polls/etc. The NC Department of Commerce recognizes that Avery County has "something" since it is one of only five counties moving up in the state's 2023 Tier ranking system. The good news is that you see the local opportunity and can capitalize on it. Regarding the tourist angle, I do agree with you in general. The Raleigh STR market is an inter-city recreational and tourist market, historically governed by HomeStay legislation, that was finally liberated last year. STR dollar-wise, though, there is no comparison to the NC mountains, or coast for that matter. 

BTW, Raleigh tourism numbers include primarily food and lodging tax receipts and (I believe) do not include residential STR at all, mainly because they are too small to count. Think PNC Arena (Carolina Hurricanes, NCSU basketball, concerts, etc.) Raleigh Convention Center events, etc. Total collections were $56.8M in 2021. Tourism just in Buncombe County (includes Asheville) in 2017 was $200M. So, Levi, I agree. 

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 473 posts · 586 votes
    3y

    Jared - this was super helpful! I see quite a few deals in various NC markets. The 15.8 million tourists in Raleigh really jumped out at me. One market that is not mentioned here that seems to be pretty popular is Asheville, NC. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Asheville, NC · Member since 2016 · 67 posts · 62 votes
    3y

    @Jack Tulloch great point!  There's a lot to like about Asheville and other NC markets (Boone, Charlotte, OBX, etc.).  It really depends on the type of real estate you want to own.  Thanks @Jared Trindade for the interesting stats!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jack Tulloch:

    Jared - this was super helpful! I see quite a few deals in various NC markets. The 15.8 million tourists in Raleigh really jumped out at me. One market that is not mentioned here that seems to be pretty popular is Asheville, NC. 


     Absolutely, Asheville is a huge Market, I wanted to cover the top 5 for now. I will continue to gather more data on NC Market conditions and continue posting threads like this for everyone who is interested!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Christian Longacre:

    @Jack Tulloch great point!  There's a lot to like about Asheville and other NC markets (Boone, Charlotte, OBX, etc.).  It really depends on the type of real estate you want to own.  Thanks @Jared Trindade for the interesting stats!


     Thanks for reaching out! I intend on doing more threads related to different Markets, I may do research on each major city/location in NC and do market data for them individually in a larger post for anyone who is interested!

  • Real Estate Agent · Holly Springs, NC · Member since 2020 · 169 posts · 161 votes
    3y

    nice work. interesting content to think about

  • Jewel B.Pro Member
    New to Real Estate · Lehigh Valley, PA · Member since 2021 · 352 posts · 120 votes
    3y

    Great read!

    There seems to be a ton of new construction and home listings from the past month in Jacksonville.

  • Jewel B.Pro Member
    New to Real Estate · Lehigh Valley, PA · Member since 2021 · 352 posts · 120 votes
    3y

    I'd also love to know the best markets for mountain / inland getaways (STRs) and beach/lake/coastal getaways (STRs).

  • Lender · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2016 · 371 posts · 172 votes
    3y

    ....or actually look at the real numbers....Charlotte MSA for instance...

    http://marketstatsreports.show...

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Shane Lafleur:

    nice work. interesting content to think about


     Thank you!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jewel B.:

    I'd also love to know the best markets for mountain / inland getaways (STRs) and beach/lake/coastal getaways (STRs).


    Two different data collections from the MLS from different sources providing conflicting data, thank you for linking the alternate numbers for people to look at!

  • Lender · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2016 · 371 posts · 172 votes
    3y

    November numbers even worse

    https://marketstatsreports.sho...

  • Asheville, NC · Member since 2016 · 36 posts · 23 votes
    3y

    This is great stuff @Jared Trindade, thanks for sharing! 

    I moved to Asheville almost two years ago and it certainly has it's own characteristics...maybe Top 10?


    I'm a teacher and some of my students are from Fayetteville, which I've looked into recently. Is that market somewhat similar to Jacksonville?

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Pat Dansdill:

    This is great stuff @Jared Trindade, thanks for sharing! 

    I moved to Asheville almost two years ago and it certainly has it's own characteristics...maybe Top 10?


    I'm a teacher and some of my students are from Fayetteville, which I've looked into recently. Is that market somewhat similar to Jacksonville?


    If you consider investing with the thought process of using the military as a staple for your tenants (if you are looking at rentals or BRRRR), I would say you'd find some similarity there. Fayetteville has a larger military population ~55,000 vs ~39,000, Fort Bragg also sports the largest % of military population interwoven with civilians last I checked it was roughly 55% living off post. Camp Lejeune boasts a large nearly ~170,000 on base population with all people accounted for, but again that's on base. If seeking to use military as your target market, I'd lean towards Fayetteville.

    If you aren't considering military, then it's good to note that Jacksonville has a solid median home value at 241k and Fayetteville support a $200k Median home value. Fayetteville is a little cheaper, much larger, but isn't quite as valuable. Fayetteville is an extremely hot market at this time, due to the price points. Fayetteville like almost every large municipality has an "oversaturated" STR market. Honestly, when people say that, I think- produce a better product and you'll find renters.

    I'd recommend taking a look at comps in both the Jacksonville area, and the Fayetteville area. This can give you a good idea of what is moving and at what speed. 

    MLS dependent data can be unreliable at times due to certain information being only sourced from a single location. Some data includes off market listings (like when you search market data in an area) and some do not. Looking at what's going on at ground level is a healthy indicator of what's happening in the local market. Coupling that with speaking to investors who are investing locally in those areas is a quick way to get the inside scoop.

    Hope that's helpful!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Pat Dansdill:

    This is great stuff @Jared Trindade, thanks for sharing! 

    I moved to Asheville almost two years ago and it certainly has it's own characteristics...maybe Top 10?


    I'm a teacher and some of my students are from Fayetteville, which I've looked into recently. Is that market somewhat similar to Jacksonville?


     Also, I would absolutely have Asheville in the top 10, probably ranked 6th or 7th!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Paul Sofia:

    November numbers even worse

    https://marketstatsreports.sho...

    I'd like point out, nothing covered in my post has any data related to Charlotte. Especially considering this data is also pulling from Counties in South Carolina. How is it possible to get solid NC market data, if we are lumping in SC to our numbers? Especially considering the counties that are lumped into that data, I've driven through every single one of those counties on that list, and it is quite clear that those SC counties don't have anything on what NC brings to that data pool. Canopy pulls their data on the MLS from SOLD only, with a clear online trail that can be tracked. No off market data, nor cross referencing data, and also pulling from non NC locations.

    I'd consider this worth reading, if only to see, but take this data with a grain of salt. It cannot represent NC data if it shares SC data. Unreliable at best. 

     Again, Charlotte is not the entire state, and not connected to anything in this post. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Paul Sofia:

    November numbers even worse

    https://marketstatsreports.sho...


    Also reposting the same data link on same the thread is a waste of what this thread is supposed to be used for. Please link data related to NC only, as that what this post is related to. If you have value to add to the discussions, I'd invite you to share it.

  • Lender · Asheville, NC · Member since 2020 · 463 posts · 507 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Pat Dansdill:

    This is great stuff @Jared Trindade, thanks for sharing! 

    I moved to Asheville almost two years ago and it certainly has it's own characteristics...maybe Top 10?


    I'm a teacher and some of my students are from Fayetteville, which I've looked into recently. Is that market somewhat similar to Jacksonville?

    @Pat Dansdill. I have a couple friends that invest in LTR's in Fayetteville and feel very good about it. A recent guest on the BP podcast, can't remember who, also mentioned Fayetteville. The appreciation opportunity isn't as great as elsewhere, but you can get a home for under $200K and maybe hit the 1% rule on LTR. And the tenant pool is mainly vets, so a pretty great crowd. 

  • Levi BennettPro Member
    Real Estate Broker · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2014 · 285 posts · 248 votes
    3y

    I find it astonishing that nothing in Western NC made this list. Boone/Banner Elk (Watauga County and Avery County) have literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new construction happening right now in a relatively rural area, making, per capita, one of the fastest growing counties in the entire United States, but didn't make the top 5 in North Carolina? Respectfully, a better name for this post seems to be "Real Estate Market in Eastern NC"

    A quick google search for top tourist attractions in NC, and you find that 6 of the top 10 are either in Western NC, or Charlotte area (including #1, the Biltmore Estate, which is Asheville and has some of the fastest appreciating real estate in the entire state). While Raleigh/Durham ranks 4th fastest growing metro area in the United States, Charlotte ranks 10th, nothing to sneeze at. But what makes Western NC very interesting is the number of people that have moved to the Carolinas from up North, and brought their skis with them. This has made the High Country one of the most desirable places for vacation rentals in the entire United States with an overall market cap in vacation rentals exceeding the national average by quite a large margin due to relatively low entry prices, and very high returns and occupancy. 

    I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination with Eastern NC, but I can say with some conviction that I serve clients that seek me out from all over the country to invest in Charlotte and Western NC and the performance of those acquisitions have been stellar to this point. There are several cities and small towns in Western NC that have emerged as hot spots for consistently high yield investments. I think the overall tide is rising in NC, and we've seen a statewide appreciation in value and yield that we all get to benefit from, but for some reason I would be fairly surprised that a town outside of Raleigh would beat the kind of outrageous returns that are commonly seen in the mountains right now. 

  • Realtor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2021 · 170 posts · 58 votes
    3y

    @Amna Malik , great info here for your venture in NC!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Levi Bennett:

    I find it astonishing that nothing in Western NC made this list. Boone/Banner Elk (Watauga County and Avery County) have literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new construction happening right now in a relatively rural area, making, per capita, one of the fastest growing counties in the entire United States, but didn't make the top 5 in North Carolina? Respectfully, a better name for this post seems to be "Real Estate Market in Eastern NC"

    A quick google search for top tourist attractions in NC, and you find that 6 of the top 10 are either in Western NC, or Charlotte area (including #1, the Biltmore Estate, which is Asheville and has some of the fastest appreciating real estate in the entire state). While Raleigh/Durham ranks 4th fastest growing metro area in the United States, Charlotte ranks 10th, nothing to sneeze at. But what makes Western NC very interesting is the number of people that have moved to the Carolinas from up North, and brought their skis with them. This has made the High Country one of the most desirable places for vacation rentals in the entire United States with an overall market cap in vacation rentals exceeding the national average by quite a large margin due to relatively low entry prices, and very high returns and occupancy. 

    I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination with Eastern NC, but I can say with some conviction that I serve clients that seek me out from all over the country to invest in Charlotte and Western NC and the performance of those acquisitions have been stellar to this point. There are several cities and small towns in Western NC that have emerged as hot spots for consistently high yield investments. I think the overall tide is rising in NC, and we've seen a statewide appreciation in value and yield that we all get to benefit from, but for some reason I would be fairly surprised that a town outside of Raleigh would beat the kind of outrageous returns that are commonly seen in the mountains right now. 


     Nothing in this post is designed to discount or down play other markets in NC, this data was pulled from using median data, growth numbers, DOM, and not pulled from specifics of this market is hot because x and that market is hot because x. The numbers were intended to be an avenue for me to branch off with personal added information and perspective. I primarily focus on the Mid-East parts of NC. There are beautiful markets in Western NC. I don't think discounting the data- because it's not including other areas in other markets- is truly getting the value out of the data presented. 

    Thank you for your addition in numbers, and I thank you for adding in other area numbers! I am continuing to do other threads and more market research, and posting in different areas in NC. Including specific locations, and will be doing deeper dives into the Eastern part of NC, since I'm not typically servicing those areas, I want to gain more knowledge of those areas past what I have. 

    Thank you for your post. 

    Cheers!

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Levi Bennett:

    I find it astonishing that nothing in Western NC made this list. Boone/Banner Elk (Watauga County and Avery County) have literally hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new construction happening right now in a relatively rural area, making, per capita, one of the fastest growing counties in the entire United States, but didn't make the top 5 in North Carolina? Respectfully, a better name for this post seems to be "Real Estate Market in Eastern NC"

    A quick google search for top tourist attractions in NC, and you find that 6 of the top 10 are either in Western NC, or Charlotte area (including #1, the Biltmore Estate, which is Asheville and has some of the fastest appreciating real estate in the entire state). While Raleigh/Durham ranks 4th fastest growing metro area in the United States, Charlotte ranks 10th, nothing to sneeze at. But what makes Western NC very interesting is the number of people that have moved to the Carolinas from up North, and brought their skis with them. This has made the High Country one of the most desirable places for vacation rentals in the entire United States with an overall market cap in vacation rentals exceeding the national average by quite a large margin due to relatively low entry prices, and very high returns and occupancy. 

    I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination with Eastern NC, but I can say with some conviction that I serve clients that seek me out from all over the country to invest in Charlotte and Western NC and the performance of those acquisitions have been stellar to this point. There are several cities and small towns in Western NC that have emerged as hot spots for consistently high yield investments. I think the overall tide is rising in NC, and we've seen a statewide appreciation in value and yield that we all get to benefit from, but for some reason I would be fairly surprised that a town outside of Raleigh would beat the kind of outrageous returns that are commonly seen in the mountains right now. 


     Just put out a post on Asheville you may want to check out! Love to get some feedback from you on it!

  • Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    3y

    @Levi Bennett Don't take the list personally. I do think your post has a lot of merit. The reality is that Avery and Watauga counties are sparsely populated and that skews lists/polls/etc. The NC Department of Commerce recognizes that Avery County has "something" since it is one of only five counties moving up in the state's 2023 Tier ranking system. The good news is that you see the local opportunity and can capitalize on it. Regarding the tourist angle, I do agree with you in general. The Raleigh STR market is an inter-city recreational and tourist market, historically governed by HomeStay legislation, that was finally liberated last year. STR dollar-wise, though, there is no comparison to the NC mountains, or coast for that matter. 

    BTW, Raleigh tourism numbers include primarily food and lodging tax receipts and (I believe) do not include residential STR at all, mainly because they are too small to count. Think PNC Arena (Carolina Hurricanes, NCSU basketball, concerts, etc.) Raleigh Convention Center events, etc. Total collections were $56.8M in 2021. Tourism just in Buncombe County (includes Asheville) in 2017 was $200M. So, Levi, I agree. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Raleigh · Member since 2022 · 18 posts · 18 votes
    3y

    This was helpful information (the original + all the other posts). Raleigh is a great market, but (at least from my research so far) definitely not a place for LTRs at least at my price point. I'm still looking around in state first, and there's plenty of locations to look at, but cash flow wise, I've struggled to get the numbers to work in Raleigh, seems to be only appreciation plays here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that I'd prefer the cash flow at this time mostly. 

    ^ Open to push back if others disagree with my point here though regarding long term rentals. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Fayetteville, NC · Member since 2022 · 213 posts · 293 votes
    3y
    Quote from @Account Closed:

    This was helpful information (the original + all the other posts). Raleigh is a great market, but (at least from my research so far) definitely not a place for LTRs at least at my price point. I'm still looking around in state first, and there's plenty of locations to look at, but cash flow wise, I've struggled to get the numbers to work in Raleigh, seems to be only appreciation plays here. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just that I'd prefer the cash flow at this time mostly. 

    ^ Open to push back if others disagree with my point here though regarding long term rentals. 

    I agree there are better markets in NC for LTRs than Raleigh, it's not that it cannot be done in Raleigh, or done effectively, but I do think for price points in other places with better cashflow is ideal. 
  • Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2019 · 9 posts · 7 votes
    3y

    Thank you for this info. Very helpful!

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