Marlboro County presents a $94,562 value indication but conflicted price evidence. It warrants investigation by buyers able to verify leases and property condition; those needing demonstrated rent coverage or broad buyer depth should be cautious. Zillow's county median home value was down 3.70% year over year, whereas FHFA's annual repeat-transaction HPI increased 6.63%. FHFA is an appreciation index rather than a home value, and the methods and observation periods differ. It can challenge Zillow's direction, but the measures cannot be averaged into one growth rate.
Market rent is not published, so gross yield cannot be computed. HUD's two-bedroom FMR of $902 per month is a payment standard, not an estimate of asking rent, and cannot replace that missing input. The effective property-tax rate is 0.61%, and median annual property tax is $496. Those are carrying-cost inputs, but assessment treatment, insurance, repairs, financing and parcel condition are not published. Underwriting therefore needs achieved or current asking rents, lease-up evidence and operating costs before coverage can be tested.
Migration and purchase data do not establish deep demand. Tax-return migration was net negative by 52 households, and arriving movers' average AGI was a calculated $565 below departing movers' average; this is a small negative movement/income balance, not a tenant-demand forecast. No investor purchase mortgages were recorded among 120 total purchases. That limits evidence of investor bidding, but mortgage data exclude cash activity and do not prove owner-occupier demand. Realtor.com MLS listing-market evidence—asking prices, active listings, days on market and price-reduced share—is not published, preventing tests of visible supply, marketing time and seller concessions.
Inland flood is the dominant hazard, while modeled climate loss equals 0.18% of building value per year; it is not a dollar loss or a parcel-level flood finding. QCEW reports 5,646 annual average covered workplace jobs, up 0.98%, and a $1,028 average weekly covered-worker wage, down 0.77%. Manufacturing, the largest disclosed private supersector, has 1,327 jobs, or 33.47% of private covered employment. These are workplace-based covered-employment measures, not resident employment, unemployment or a forecast; the concentration is not the whole economy. Next checks are parcel flood zone and insurance quotes, tax treatment and condition, verified rents, and MLS, pending and closed-sale evidence.