Schoharie County’s tension is positive price indicators against unproven income economics, more visible listing supply, and inland-flood exposure. The county suits investigators who can underwrite a specific parcel’s rent, tax and flood costs; yield-led buyers should be cautious. Zillow’s June 2026 median home value was $259,459, up 7.41%, while FHFA’s separate 2025 annual repeat-transaction HPI increased 14.33%. These methods and periods support direction but cannot be averaged into a single appreciation rate.
Market asking rent is not published, so gross yield cannot be computed. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR of $1,702 is a payment standard, not evidence of market rent. The 2.03% effective property-tax rate is a carrying-cost line that requires parcel assessment verification. In Realtor.com’s June 2026 MLS listing market, 136 active listings were 38.78% higher year over year and median marketing time was 59 days. Those are visible supply and asking-market measures, not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand.
Annual 2025 QCEW reports 8,498 covered jobs at county workplaces, a 5.41% increase; it is neither resident employment nor unemployment. Trade, transportation, and utilities is the largest disclosed private supersector, but not the whole economy. Tax-return movers produced net migration of negative 6, although inbound movers’ average income exceeded outbound movers’ by $4,779. That mixed household signal does not establish housing demand. Investors accounted for 13 of 271 purchases, or 4.8%, indicating limited measured non-owner competition rather than a complete buyer-profile measure.
Inland flood is the dominant hazard, and modeled annual climate loss equals 0.15% of building value; it is modeled county-level exposure, not a parcel loss estimate. The record lacks market rent, vacancy, operating and insurance costs, closed-sale data, flood-zone and elevation detail, and parcel assessment history. Those omissions prevent a yield calculation, direct affordability test, and property-specific hazard or tax underwriting. Next checks are lease comparables, insurance quotes, flood maps, assessments, and sale comps.