Chase (NE) Investor Pulse Report (2026-Q1)

In Chase County, investors hold a significant 63.6% of the single-family residential market, totaling 1,040 properties out of 1,635 available SFRs. This high penetration rate underscores the importance of real estate investing in the local housing ecosystem.

The ownership structure is overwhelmingly dominated by individual investors, who control 936 properties, or 90.0% of the landlord-owned portfolio. Company-owned properties account for the remaining 110 homes (10.6%), highlighting a market driven by small-scale, local participants rather than large corporations.

A defining feature of this market is its complete lack of leverage; 100% of the 1,040 investor-owned properties are classified as cash holdings, with zero properties being financed. This suggests a fiscally conservative investor base that owns assets outright.

The vast majority of the portfolio is actively used for rental purposes, with 1,028 properties identified as rented. This demonstrates that the primary strategy for landlords in Chase County is generating rental income from their cash-owned assets.

The landlord entity count further reinforces the individual-driven nature of the market. There are 1,183 individual landlords compared to just 79 company landlords, a ratio of nearly 15 to 1, showing that the market is built on a broad base of small operators.

Acquisition pricing in Chase County is characterized by extreme volatility, a direct result of very low transaction volumes. In Q1 2025, landlords paid an average of $314,837, a staggering 133.2% premium over the traditional homeowner price of $135,000.

This trend completely reversed in the following quarter. In Q2 2025, landlords acquired properties for an average of $222,210, representing a massive 41.0% discount compared to the homeowner average of $376,667. This $154,457 price gap highlights the unpredictable nature of pricing in a thinly traded market.

The most recent quarterly data for Q3 2025 shows a more moderate, yet still significant, landlord discount of 10.7%. Investors paid an average of $169,654, which was $20,346 less than the homeowner average of $190,000.

The stark contrast between quarters makes it impossible to identify a consistent trend in landlord pricing advantages. Instead, the data reveals that individual transactions can heavily skew quarterly averages, suggesting that deal-specific factors outweigh broad market trends in Chase County.

Overall price appreciation appears muted when looking at longer timeframes. The average acquisition price during the 2020-2023 period was $158,398, which is lower than the prices recorded in any quarter of 2025, indicating some price growth but with significant recent fluctuations.

In a clear sign of a market pause, landlords made zero single-family property purchases in Chase County during Q4 2025. This brought their market share of acquisitions to 0.0% for the quarter.

The lack of activity was universal across all investor types. 'Mom-and-pop' landlords, who constitute the entirety of the local investor base, recorded zero new purchases.

Correspondingly, there was no activity from mid-size or institutional investors, as these tiers have no presence in the Chase County market.

The absence of new purchases means no new landlords entered the market in Q4 2025. The number of entities in the single-property tier remained static from new acquisition activity.

This halt in purchasing marks a significant shift from previous periods of active accumulation and suggests a potential market peak or a 'wait-and-see' approach from local investors heading into the new year.

The investor landscape in Chase County is exclusively composed of 'mom-and-pop' landlords (1-10 properties), who control 100% of the 1,040 investor-owned SFRs. This market structure completely lacks any mid-size (11-1000 properties) or institutional (1000+ properties) investors.

Single-property landlords (Tier 01) are the most significant group, holding 806 properties. This accounts for 73.3% of all investor-owned housing, demonstrating that the market is built upon a foundation of small, individual investors.

The next largest segment consists of two-property landlords (Tier 02), who own a combined 180 properties, representing 16.4% of the market. This further concentrates ownership at the smallest end of the investor spectrum.

The remaining share is held by small landlords in the 3-5 property tier (93 properties, 8.5%) and the 6-10 property tier (20 properties, 1.8%).

The complete absence of larger investors signifies a market that is likely characterized by local participants, relationship-based transactions, and a focus on long-term holds rather than large-scale, data-driven acquisitions.

In Chase County, there is no crossover point where companies become the majority owners. Individual investors maintain a strong majority across all existing portfolio tiers, from single-property owners to the 6-10 property bracket.

The dominance of individuals is most pronounced in the single-property tier, where they own 763 of the 806 properties, a commanding 94.3% share. Companies hold a minimal 5.7% stake in this entry-level tier.

This pattern continues into larger portfolios. Among two-property landlords, individuals own 147 properties (80.8%) while companies own 35 (19.2%).

Even in the highest tier present in the county (6-10 properties), individuals own 14 of the 20 properties, a 70.0% majority. This indicates that even as local investors scale, they tend to do so under personal ownership rather than forming corporate entities.

The data clearly shows that company ownership, while present, plays a secondary role across the entire investor landscape in Chase County, reinforcing the market's 'mom-and-pop' character.

The geographic distribution of investor-owned properties in Chase County is heavily concentrated in a few key areas. The zip code 69033 is the undisputed hub of activity, with 646 investor properties, representing 62.1% of the county's entire investor portfolio.

The second most active region, zip code 69045, contains another 236 properties. Combined, these two zip codes hold 882 of the 1,040 investor-owned homes, a concentration of 84.8%.

These areas of high investor concentration also have the highest rates of investor ownership. In 69033, 67.6% of all SFRs are investor-owned, and in 69045, the rate is 65.6%. This indicates that these are not just the largest areas, but also the most investor-dominated.

Other smaller zip codes like 69023 (98 properties) and 69027 (59 properties) make up the remainder of the significant investor holdings, though on a much smaller scale.

This intense geographic focus suggests that local market knowledge and proximity are key drivers for investment, with activity clustered in very specific communities within the county.

Historical transaction data reveals a strong and consistent trend of accumulation among landlords in Chase County. In 2025, they were aggressive net buyers, purchasing 70 properties while only selling 5, for a net increase of 65 SFRs to their portfolios.

This behavior is not a recent phenomenon. The trend was nearly identical in 2024, with landlords buying 66 properties and selling just 4. This multi-year pattern demonstrates a sustained strategy of growth and long-term investment in the local market.

The quarterly data for 2025 shows this momentum was strong throughout the year before the recent halt. In Q2, landlords had a 24-to-1 buy/sell ratio (24 buys, 1 sell), and in Q3, the ratio was 6.5-to-1 (13 buys, 2 sells).

As there are no institutional investors in the county, this net buying activity is driven entirely by mom-and-pop landlords. There is no offsetting divestment from larger players.

There is no evidence of significant inter-landlord trading in the provided data, suggesting that most acquisitions are likely sourced from the traditional homeowner market.

The first quarter of 2026 was marked by a complete lack of transaction activity from investors in Chase County. Landlords were involved in zero purchases or sales, bringing their share of the quarter's total transactions to 0.0%.

This inactivity was consistent across all tiers of the local market. The small-scale landlords that make up 100% of the investor base did not transact during the quarter.

Consequently, there was no variation in purchase prices by tier, as the average price for all tiers was $0. The typical pricing dynamics between different investor sizes were not a factor in Q1.

The data also confirms that no inter-landlord trading occurred. The percentage of properties bought from other landlords was 0%, as no acquisitions of any kind were made.

This complete standstill in transactions contrasts sharply with the strong net buying activity seen in previous years, signaling a significant pause in the local real estate investment cycle.