Clarendon County's underwriting tension is a cheaper current Zillow reading versus a positive FHFA transaction index, so an investor should investigate asset-level comparables and be cautious about treating either as a settled price signal. Zillow's 2026-06 median home value was $182,482, down 5.24% year over year. FHFA's 2025 repeat-transaction HPI, not a home value, increased 8.35% over its annual measurement. Different vintages and methods mean these measures cannot be merged into one appreciation rate.
Cash-flow underwriting is constrained because market rent is not published; gross yield therefore cannot be computed. HUD's $902 FMR is a two-bedroom payment standard, not market asking rent, and cannot fill that gap. The effective property-tax rate of 0.56% and $883 median annual tax bill inform carrying costs, but do not show whether rent covers them. Obtain executed lease rents, vacancy, insurance, utilities and repairs before testing cash flow.
At Realtor.com's 2026-06 MLS listing-market snapshot, 124 active listings and 73 median days on market describe visible supply and marketing time—not sales or conclusive buyer demand. The 19.81% price-reduced share points to seller concessions. Migration was positive by 107 tax-return households, and arriving movers averaged $10,517 more income than departing movers, a constructive composition signal but not proof of tenant demand. Investor borrowers accounted for 21 of 274 purchases (7.66%), limiting the case that non-occupant competition dominates.
Hurricane is the dominant hazard, while modeled expected annual building-value loss is 0.30%; that model is a value-loss ratio, not a site-specific insurance quote. QCEW's 2025 annual covered employment at county workplaces was essentially unchanged, and covered-worker wage rose 6.31%; this is neither resident employment nor a forecast. Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest disclosed private supersector, not the whole economy. Check flood and wind insurance, elevation, lease comparables, tax assessment and claims history; those missing items prevent property-level resilience and return conclusions.