Moultrie (IL) Investor Pulse Report (2025-Q4)

Investors hold a significant 14.3% share of the Single-Family Residential market in Moultrie County, with a total portfolio of 517 properties.

The market is defined by individual ownership, with 453 individual landlords comprising 83.9% of all investors and controlling 397 properties (76.8% of the investor-owned housing stock).

Company ownership, while smaller, is still notable, with 87 companies owning 122 properties, or 23.6% of the total investor portfolio.

The primary strategy for investors in this county is providing rental housing, evidenced by the 497 non-owner-occupied properties, which account for 96.1% of their entire portfolio.

Investors demonstrate strong financial positioning, with cash-owned properties (375) outnumbering financed ones (142) by a ratio of more than 2.6 to 1, indicating low leverage across the market.

Landlords in Moultrie County consistently acquire properties at a significant discount compared to traditional homebuyers. In Q4 2025, they paid an average of $163,000, which is 16.4% or $31,865 less than the homeowner average of $194,865.

The Q4 price advantage, while substantial, was the narrowest recorded all year, suggesting increased competition for available inventory.

Earlier in 2025, investor discounts were exceptionally large, peaking at an astounding 69.6% in Q3 when landlords paid just $52,000 on average compared to homeowners at $171,310.

Year-over-year price appreciation for properties targeted by investors has been robust, with the average acquisition price climbing from $58,971 in 2024 to $93,540 in 2025.

Current pricing appears to be stabilizing closer to pre-pandemic norms. The Q4 average of $163,000 is approaching the average price of $151,623 seen during the 2020-2023 boom years.

Investor purchasing activity represented 7.7% of the total market in Q4 2025, with landlords acquiring 4 of the 52 SFRs sold in Moultrie County.

The quarter's activity was driven exclusively by small-scale investors. Mom-and-pop landlords (1-10 properties) accounted for 100% of all investor purchases, with zero acquisitions by institutional firms.

The market continues to see new entrants, as 3 new single-property landlord entities were formed in Q4, collectively purchasing 2 properties.

This influx of new, small landlords, coupled with the complete absence of institutional buying, reinforces the character of the local market as one built on grassroots investment.

The distribution of acquisitions was entirely at the smallest end of the scale, with single-property investors (2 properties) and other small landlords (2 properties) comprising all Q4 activity.

The investor landscape in Moultrie County is overwhelmingly dominated by small-scale operators, as mom-and-pop landlords (owning 1-10 properties) control 93.3% of all investor-held SFRs.

Single-property landlords form the absolute bedrock of the rental market, alone accounting for 351 properties, which represents 65.5% of the entire investor portfolio.

Dispelling the narrative of a corporate takeover, institutional investors (1,000+ properties) have a nearly nonexistent footprint, owning just 2 properties, or 0.4% of the local investor market.

The 'missing middle' is also apparent, with mid-size landlords (11-100 properties) holding a combined total of only 34 properties, or 6.4% of the portfolio.

This ownership structure reveals that the local rental housing supply is provided and managed almost entirely by community-level individuals and small businesses, not large, out-of-state corporations.

Individual investors are the driving force behind smaller portfolios in Moultrie County, accounting for 82.7% of single-property owners and 83.9% of two-property owners.

A critical shift in ownership structure occurs in the 6-10 property tier, where companies (54.8%) become the majority owners for the first time over individuals (45.2%).

This crossover point suggests that as local investors scale their portfolios beyond five properties, they increasingly adopt formal corporate structures for liability protection and operational efficiency.

Even at the 3-5 property tier, companies have a significant foothold, owning 34.5% of the properties, indicating a trend toward professionalization at an early stage.

Interestingly, the 11-20 property tier sees a reversion back to individual dominance (83.9%), suggesting that mid-sized portfolios in the county are still primarily managed by private individuals rather than larger investment firms.

Investor activity in Moultrie County is heavily concentrated in the 61937 zip code, which is home to 101 investor-owned properties and represents the clear epicenter of rental housing.

The 61937 zip code not only leads in property count but also has the highest investor ownership rate at 20.5%, meaning more than one in five single-family homes in the area is an investment property.

Other key areas for investment include the 61914 zip code, with 65 properties, and the 61911 zip code, with 51 properties and the county's second-highest penetration rate of 17.3%.

The 62534 zip code also stands out for its high concentration, with a 16.7% investor ownership rate, further highlighting specific community targets for landlords.

The top five zip codes by property count contain 254 properties, which is 49.1% of all investor-owned SFRs in the county, demonstrating a highly localized investment strategy.

Investors in Moultrie County are actively expanding their portfolios, consistently operating as net buyers over the last two years.

In 2025, landlords demonstrated strong market conviction, purchasing 29 properties while selling only 8, resulting in a robust buy-to-sell ratio of 3.6 to 1 and a net gain of 21 properties.

This accumulation trend was steady throughout the year, with positive net acquisitions in every quarter, including a net of 2 properties in Q4, 6 in Q3, and 3 in Q2.

Investor confidence appears to be growing, as acquisition volume increased from 23 purchases in 2024 to 29 in 2025.

Institutional investors (1000+ tier) were entirely absent from the transaction market, with zero recorded buys or sells, underscoring that all market dynamics are driven by smaller players.

Investor activity accounted for 6.4% of the total transaction market in Q4 2025, with landlords participating in 5 of the 78 SFR transactions in Moultrie County.

All 5 of these transactions were executed by mom-and-pop landlords, with no market activity from institutional-level investors.

A notable pricing divergence emerged among buyers: new, single-property landlords paid a premium average price of $239,000 for their acquisitions.

In contrast, more established small landlords in the 6-10 property tier paid significantly less, at an average of $48,000, suggesting a focus on value-add or distressed properties compared to the move-in-ready homes sought by new entrants.

The market shows no signs of inter-landlord trading, as 0% of investor purchases in Q4 were from other landlords. This indicates investors are acquiring inventory directly from the traditional homeowner market.