McIntosh County presents a narrow-investor test: Zillow’s county median home value is rising slowly while the MLS asking-price signal is much stronger, and FHFA’s long-run index gain contrasts with its latest annual reading. That tension warrants caution for buyers relying on appreciation or resale liquidity; investors should investigate property-level rent and insurance first. Zillow’s 2026-06 observation is $279,478, up 2.37%; Realtor.com’s 2026-06 listing-price measure rose 19.48%, but it is an asking-price change, not a closed-sale result. FHFA’s separate 2025 repeat-transaction HPI rose 0.18% year over year and 54.36% over five years. Keep these methods and periods separate. Market rent is not published, so gross yield cannot be computed; HUD’s $1,293 two-bedroom FMR is a payment standard, not market rent.
Carrying-cost underwriting is incomplete. The effective property-tax rate is 0.80%, with median annual tax of $1,462, but no insurance premium, repairs, vacancy, utilities, financing terms, or subject assessment is supplied. The tax burden is measurable; income and hurricane-related carrying cost are not. Obtain rent evidence, a parcel tax record, insurance quotes, and an operating statement before pricing the property.
Demand evidence is mixed but more usable than yield evidence. Tax-return flows show 469 households moved in versus 332 out, and inbound mover AGI exceeded outbound by $12,928; that supports positive migration and higher-income inflow, not durable rental demand. QCEW reports growing annual covered employment and unchanged average weekly wage; leisure and hospitality is the largest disclosed private supersector, not the whole county economy. Realtor.com shows 122 active listings and 76 median days on market: visible supply is measurable, while marketing time is long. With 23.20% of listings price-reduced, seller concessions deserve scrutiny. Investor purchases are a minority of total purchases, so competition is present but not demonstrably investor-led.
Hurricane is the dominant hazard, and the modeled annual building-value loss ratio is 0.61%; that is not a property-specific insurance quote or dollar loss. Missing market rent, closed-sale prices, insurance costs, property condition, hazard-zone detail, vacancy, and financing terms prevent a credible gross-yield or net-cash-flow conclusion. Next checks are subject-level rent comps, closed-sale comps, insurance and hazard review, and parcel-tied operating costs.