Catoosa County presents a conditional income thesis: asking rent is advancing faster than Zillow’s price measure, but visible listing supply is loosening. In the 2026-06 observation, Zillow’s median home value was $295,739, up 0.81%, while median asking rent was $1,486, up 5.27%. This supports screening for durable rent coverage rather than appreciation. Caution is warranted for buyers needing rapid resale or without flood screening. The evidence is county-level within the Chattanooga, TN metro context, not proof the county represents the metro.
The supplied gross yield is 6.03% before costs and is based on measured market rent, not HUD. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR is $1,390, a payment standard rather than asking-rent evidence; the supplied ratio implies market rent is 6.9% higher, a calculation, not a rent estimate. The 0.65% effective property-tax rate directly reduces net yield. FHFA’s repeat-transaction HPI rose 2.45% in 2025. It is not a home value and is a separate appreciation signal from Zillow; do not average the vintages or methods.
Demand evidence is mixed. Net migration was 188, but the average mover AGI gap was -$233, meaning outflow income exceeded inflow income; volume does not show a higher-income draw. QCEW measures workplace covered, not resident, employment; annual employment growth was 0.84%, and Trade, transportation, and utilities was the largest disclosed private supersector. Realtor.com active listings rose 23.67%, a visible-supply signal, not proof of demand. Investors accounted for 68 of 879 purchase mortgages, or 7.74%, so they were present but not the whole purchase market.
The dominant hazard is inland flood, and modeled annual building-value loss is 0.15%; this is a screening signal, not a property-specific insurance or damage estimate. Next checks are parcel flood-zone and elevation data, insurance quotes and exclusions, achieved rent, operating expenses, property condition, and debt terms. Because those are unpublished, the record cannot establish net cash flow, insurability, or resale liquidity. Confirm each candidate’s rent rather than relying on asking-rent evidence.