All Forum Posts by: Kasey Hardt

A common question I have been receiving, especially from out of state clients, is regarding areas outside of Charlotte to watch. In an effort to provide useful, helpful information, I pulled MLS data for one of the faster growing counties: Cabarrus County. I also included links to area highlights :)

  Key cities to watch: Concord and Kannapolis.

Cabarrus County Market Overview​

• Inventory: Inventory jumped 42.3% (619 homes vs. 435 last year), and months of supply rose from 1.8 to 2.6 months (+44.4%), signaling more options for buyers/investors.
• Price Trends: Median sales price rose slightly in April to $390,000 (+0.9% YoY), though year-to-date it's actually down 3.8% to $375,000.
  • Average sales price held steady at $427,487, indicating market stabilization.
• Demand Shifts: Closed sales are down 4.2% year-to-date, but pending sales ticked up 1.8%, suggesting a potential rebound.
• DOM (Days on Market):  Jumped 36% year-to-date (from 39 to 53 days), which can offer negotiating room for investors.

Concord Market Summary

• Listings & Sales: New listings are up 7.5%, and pending sales rose 12.3% YoY.
  • Closed sales were almost flat (+1.6% YTD).
• Price Softening: Median price dropped to $370,000 (-3.9% YTD).
  • Average price is flat at $430,777, with buyers getting about 95.4% of the original list price.
• Investor Note: DOM rose nearly 49%, now averaging 52 days

Kannapolis Market Summary​

• Investor Goldmine: Median price soared to $318,000 (+15.6% April YoY), and up 10.7% YTD — strong appreciation.
  • Average price is also up 8.4% YTD, reaching $328,720.
• Increased Supply: Inventory surged 58%, and months of supply jumped from 1.7 to 2.7 — giving buyers more leverage.
• Strong Buyer Demand: Pending sales up 11.7%, and new listings increased 7.4%, though closed sales dipped slightly (+6.6% YTD).

Growth Trends & Developments

Concord, NC

• Economic Anchors: Home to Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills (the largest outlet mall in NC).  As well as The Depot , developing District Exchange, and Downtown Concord
• Job Growth: Strong employment drivers in healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. Eli Lilly recently relocating to the area
• Development Hotspot: New residential and mixed-use developments continue to emerge near downtown and the George Liles Parkway corridor.
• Infrastructure: Ongoing road expansions and improved transit access to Charlotte increase long-term investment appeal.

Kannapolis, NC

• Revitalized Downtown: Anchored by the $100M+ investment in the North Carolina Research Campus, a biotech research hub.
• Stadium & Entertainment: Atrium Health Ballpark brings foot traffic and drives short-term rental appeal.
• Attraction Growth: Proximity to breweries, trails, and new retail makes it increasingly desirable for both renters and buyers.
• Price Momentum: Rapid appreciation signals early gentrification and potential equity growth for investors.

Investor Takeaways

• -Concord offers more stabilized pricing and growing inventory — a good opportunity to buy in a major employment center.
• -Kannapolis is showing explosive appreciation, especially attractive for value-add or rental investors targeting rapid equity gains.
• -County-wide, rising inventory and longer days on market give negotiating leverage, even as select submarkets (like Kannapolis) heat up.  

We got a great market with a growing MTR demand! :D

All Investors and Dog lovers!  You're Invited to Dog Prom 2025!

Skiptown, ROI Realty Partners & Element Home Loans are teaming up for the cutest event of the year — Dog Prom 2025!

Location: Skiptown
Date: Saturday, May 17th
Time: 1PM - 6PM

In place of an entry fee, we're collecting donations for Yellow Brick Road Dog Rescue.
Please bring new or gently used:
               Collars & Harnesses
               Toys
               Treats

We’ll have adoptable dogs onsite, so you might just meet your new best friend!

Pups come dressed to impress & maybe even get crowned PROM KING or QUEEN

Don't miss fun raffles, prizes and giveaways! & OF COURSE educational content for our market!

This event is 21+, all prom attendees must be up to date on their vaccinations. Please be sure to download Skiptown's app ahead of time for easy check in and vaccination verification!

🚨 Top ROI Zip Codes – April 2025 Edition! 📈

The following zip codes produced an ROI of 7% or higher- which can be helpful when looking for positive COC and Cash flow in a market🔥

🏡 Mecklenburg County: 28212, 28213, 28262
➡️ These areas continue to thrive thanks to their proximity to UNC Charlotte, Blue Line light rail expansion, and steady student + professional rental demand. 28262 especially benefits from research park job growth.

🏗️ Cabarrus County: 28081, 28083
➡️ Kannapolis and Concord are hotbeds of revitalization. The NC Research Campus and downtown redevelopment are driving rental demand. Investors are seeing great ROI on single-family and small multi-family units here.

🔧 Gaston County: 28052
➡️ Gastonia’s downtown redevelopment and new industrial job announcements are putting this ZIP on the map. With lower entry prices and rising rents, it’s a cash-flow-friendly zone.

📊 With job growth trending up and unemployment holding below 4% across the Charlotte metro, now is a great time to enter this market!  Whether you're house hacking or buying rentals, these areas are worth keeping an eye on!

In an attempt to help provide insight on our specific market, I went through and pulled our MLS market watch, inventory, and pricing calculations; and summarized the findings, as well as what experts are predicting in terms of growth, for the Charlotte area:

Current Inventory & Pricing in Charlotte (Q1 2025)

• Median Sales Price (Charlotte Region): $387,200, a +1.9% increase year-over-year.

• Inventory of Homes for Sale: Up 39.4% year-over-year across the region.

• Mecklenburg County (Charlotte metro core):

  • Median Sales Price: $445,000, up +4.7%.

  • Inventory: Up 45.8%, with a 2.2-month supply—still below a balanced market (typically 5-6 months).

  • Closed Sales: Down 3.6%, indicating buyer hesitancy or limited affordable supply.

Is Inventory Catching Up with Demand?

Despite sharp increases in listings (some counties seeing 40–70% growth in inventory), supply is still not keeping pace with long-term demand, especially given the region’s rapid population growth.  The Charlotte region only has about 2.5 to 3.7 months of inventory depending on housing type, which is well below the level considered balanced (5-6 months).  

Homes are staying on the market longer: Days on market for most price points increased by 20–40% year-over-year, indicating more supply, but not enough in the right price ranges.

Population Growth & Expert Projections

Charlotte remains a high-growth metro nationally:

• The region's population continues to grow steadily; Mecklenburg County added over 20,000 people in the past year, and projections estimate over 1 million residents in the county alone by 2030. This surge is driven by job growth, in-migration from other states (especially the Northeast and West Coast), and major development projects (like River District and Ballantyne Reimagined).

Expert Outlook

• Experts across the board agree: Even with inventory gains, supply will continue to lag behind demand due to Charlotte’s:

  • Above-average population and job growth

  • Ongoing attraction for corporate relocations (ex: Honeywell, Red Ventures).

  • Housing affordability relative to larger metros like Atlanta and Raleigh.

  • Citywide Deficit: Charlotte is currently short over 18,000 homes, contributing to a national shortage of 4.5 million homes. ​

  • Projected Needs by 2030: The Charlotte metro area is expected to require at least 72,000 new apartments by 2030 to meet growing demand. ​

Key Takeaways for Investors:

• Inventory is improving, but still tight relative to demand.

• If investors are waiting for a "buyer’s market," they may be disappointed—low supply and strong demand will likely persist.

• Acting now may help buyers avoid increased competition as demand rises into summer.

As the market continues to shift rapidly, our team has received a growing number of questions and insights—particularly from our out-of-state clients navigating different market conditions than what we’re currently seeing here in the Charlotte area.

To help provide clarity and context, I'll be sharing periodic updates that break down real-time data from our MLS sources. These updates will focus on rental trends and overall market activity, offering valuable insights to support your investment and real estate decisions:

Overview of Rental Trends (March 2025)

County	Active Rentals (YoY)	Properties Leased (YoY)	Avg Lease Price (YoY)
Mecklenburg	▲ +6.0%	▼ -2.5%	▲ +1.0%
Cabarrus	▼ -4.8%	▲ +1.0%	▲ +2.1%
Iredell	▼ -5.2%	▼ -12.1%	▲ +2.6%
Gaston	▼ -9.0%	▲ +2.9%	▲ +0.8%
Catawba	▼ -17.0%	▲ +25.8%	▼ -1.0%

Vacancy Trends (Measured via Active Rentals)

• Decreasing active rentals across the board, especially in Catawba (-17%) and Gaston (-9%), which indicates stronger rental demand or tighter supply.
  
  
• Mecklenburg bucks the trend with a 6% increase in active rentals, potentially signaling more inventory entering the market or longer days on market.
  

Rental Demand (Properties Leased YoY)

• Catawba County showed the strongest increase in leasing activity at +25.8%, despite a drop in listings—suggesting high demand and possibly faster leasing.
  
  
• Cabarrus and Gaston also saw healthy demand with increases of 1.0% and 2.9%, respectively.
  
  
• Iredell’s 12.1% drop in leasing activity paired with fewer listings may point to declining renter interest or affordability challenges.
  

Rental Price Trends

• All counties except Catawba saw increases in average monthly rent.
  
  
  • Iredell led the way with a +2.6% increase.
    
    
  • Cabarrus and Gaston trailed with +2.1% and +0.8%, respectively.
    
    
• Catawba County was the only one to record a drop in average rent (-1.0%), despite increased leasing activity. This may reflect more rentals in lower price tiers or smaller units coming online.
  

Key Takeaways by County

Mecklenburg

• Increase in active listings (+6%) and small drop in leased units (-2.5%) may reflect softening demand or longer days on market.
  
• Prices still rose slightly (+1%), indicating stability.
  

Cabarrus

• Slight inventory drop (-4.8%) with steady leasing and modest rent growth (+2.1%) suggest a balanced market.
  

Iredell

• Dual declines in listings and leases signal possible cooling, though rents still rose (+2.6%).
  

Gaston

• Leasing increased (+2.9%) despite a 9% drop in active rentals, pointing to tightening supply and possibly more competition among renters.
  

Catawba

• Strongest rental demand increased (+25.8%) with a shrinking inventory. Despite that, average rent dropped slightly, potentially due to a shift in product mix.

Key Visual Insights:

• Catawba County had a huge spike in leasing activity (+25.8%) despite a large drop in active rentals (tightening market).
  
  
• Mecklenburg had a rise in active listings but saw a small decline in leased units—suggesting potential for longer days on market.
  
  
• Iredell’s leasing volume dropped notably (-12.1%), though rents still increased slightly.
  
  

Estimated price per square foot was highest in Mecklenburg ($1.82/sqft), reflecting its premium market position, and lowest in Gaston (~$1.52/sqft).

Big question we are getting from our buyers- Are we in an overall buyers market? Currently in the Charlotte region:

• 2.5 months supply for Single-Family homes
• 2.9 months supply for Townhomes
• 3.7 months supply for Condos.

Historically speaking 6 months of inventory would be a balanced market, with anything over 6 months changing us officially from a sellers to a buyers market.  As we know- things are changing (and un-changing?!) quickly these days!  Looking forward to sharing what the data trends shows next time :D

Hey Shan! To calculate I use MLS data and take the zip codes AR and divide it by the avg purchase price for that month for a quick ROI %. This is by no means the end all be all/guarantee anything. This formula helped me when I was initially combing the MLS for listings- a way to go from 10000 listings to more focused search. I'm currently running higher estimated interest rate to remain conservative on my calculators (under promise over deliver) with a 75% LTV. When looking in the zip codes with higher ROI (or lower RTP) my calculators have been looking better regarding cash flow

💸 Top ROI Zip Codes Around Charlotte! 💸

If you're an investor looking for cash flowing properties, these zip codes are 🔥 right now — all showing 7%+ ROI!

📍 Mecklenburg County
➡️ 28134 – Pineville
➡️ 28262 – University Area
➡️ 28216 – Northwest Charlotte
➡️ 28213 – Hidden Valley & University City

📍 Catawba County
➡️ 28601 – Hickory (yes, that Hickory with all the major revitalization 👏)

📍 Cabarrus County
➡️ 28081 & 28083 – Kannapolis (up-and-coming with a growing rental market)

📍 Iredell County
➡️ 28677 – Statesville (affordable entry points and strong rental demand)

These areas have a higher probability of finding cash flow properties while still having room for appreciation!

I agree with you!  I have a lot of out of state clients that initially believe they want a townhome or condo- however HOAs quickly eat up any cash flow.  I am curious if the slowing down is due to whats happening politically/economically right now vs being market specific.  We have so many developments and so many people still moving in and around this area- Im curious to see what the next 6 months look like both locally and nationally

its going to be a great spot :D