Crockett (TN) Investor Pulse Report (2026-Q1)

Investors hold a significant 34.0% of the Single-Family Residential market in Crockett County, owning 1,525 out of 4,491 total properties.

Ownership is overwhelmingly concentrated among individuals rather than companies. Individual landlords own 1,410 properties, constituting 92.5% of the investor-owned portfolio, while companies own the remaining 133 properties (8.7%).

The entity count further underscores individual dominance, with 1,761 individual landlords compared to just 101 company landlords operating in the county.

Cash is the preferred acquisition method for investors in this market. A substantial 86.6% of the portfolio (1,320 properties) is owned free and clear, while only 205 properties are financed.

The portfolio is almost entirely dedicated to rentals, with 1,501 of the 1,525 investor-owned properties being rented, indicating a strong focus on generating rental income.

In a striking reversal of typical patterns, landlords paid significantly more than traditional homeowners in Q1 2026. The average landlord acquisition price was $260,651, a 33.5% premium over the homeowner average of $195,315.

This $65,336 premium per property contrasts sharply with the deep discounts investors secured throughout most of 2025. For example, in Q3 2025, landlords paid 49.5% less than homeowners, a discount of $118,275 per property.

The pricing dynamic has been volatile over the past year. While landlords paid a smaller 13.9% premium in Q1 2025, they enjoyed substantial discounts of 49.5% and 45.9% in Q3 and Q2 2025, respectively, before the market flipped again in early 2026.

Overall acquisition prices for landlords have trended upward, rising from a yearly average of $109,095 in 2024 to $154,310 in 2025, signaling increasing competition and property values in the market.

The shift to a significant premium suggests that in Q1 2026, investors were competing aggressively for limited inventory, possibly targeting properties with specific features not pursued by typical homeowners.

Landlords captured a significant portion of the market in Q4 2025, buying 12 of the 44 single-family homes sold, which translates to a 27.3% market share.

Purchase activity was highly concentrated among the smallest investors. Mom-and-pop landlords (those with 1-10 properties) accounted for 11 of the 12 purchases, representing 91.7% of all investor acquisitions.

New entrants were a primary driver of activity, with the single-property tier alone responsible for 9 purchases (75.0% of the total). This activity was driven by 12 distinct entities, indicating a fresh wave of first-time landlords entering the market.

Institutional investors with portfolios of 1,000 or more properties were completely absent from the purchasing market in Q4, acquiring zero properties.

The data clearly shows a market fueled by small-scale, local investors rather than large corporations, with the smallest landlords being the most active buyers.

The investor market in Crockett County is defined by small-scale ownership. Mom-and-pop landlords, operating portfolios of 1-10 properties, control a staggering 98.5% of all investor-held SFRs.

Single-property landlords form the backbone of this market, holding 1,251 properties. This single tier represents 79.0% of the entire investor portfolio, highlighting the highly decentralized nature of rental ownership in the area.

As portfolio size increases, the number of properties drops off dramatically. Landlords with two properties hold 6.8% of the market, while those with 3-5 properties hold 8.9%.

Mid-size landlords (11-100 properties) have a minimal footprint, collectively owning just 24 properties, or 1.5% of the total investor-owned housing stock.

Confirming the local focus of the market, there is no institutional investor (1,000+ properties) presence in the county, with this tier holding 0.0% of properties. This structure defies the common narrative of large-scale corporate consolidation.

Individual investors form the foundation of the Crockett County market, comprising the vast majority of owners in smaller portfolio tiers. They own 94.8% of single-property portfolios and 91.7% of two-property portfolios.

A clear strategic shift from individual to corporate ownership occurs as portfolio sizes increase. While individuals still hold a slight majority (50.8%) in the 6-10 property tier, the balance tips towards corporate structures for larger holdings.

The primary crossover point appears in portfolios larger than 20 properties. In the 21-50 property tier, companies own 9 out of 10 properties, a 90.0% share, indicating a preference for corporate entities when managing more extensive assets.

This tiered structure reveals a common progression for investors: many start as individuals, and as their portfolios grow, they transition to a corporate structure for liability protection and operational efficiency.

Despite this trend, individuals are still present even in larger tiers. An individual owner holds one property in the 21-50 tier, demonstrating that personal ownership can scale, although it is less common.

Investor ownership is geographically concentrated in Crockett County, with just three zip codes accounting for 83.0% of the entire investor portfolio: 38001 (499 properties), 38006 (436 properties), and 38034 (331 properties).

The areas with the highest percentage of investor ownership are often different from those with the highest raw counts. The small zip code of 38021 is 100.0% investor-owned, and 38050 has an 85.7% investor ownership rate, indicating pockets of extreme investor saturation.

The zip code 38034 stands out as a critical hub for real estate investing, demonstrating both high volume with 331 investor-owned properties and a high penetration rate of 46.1%.

In contrast, areas like 38343 have a lower concentration, with investors owning 74 properties, which represents a 24.3% ownership rate in that zip code.

This geographic analysis reveals distinct sub-markets within the county, with some areas serving as volume centers for investors while others are niche markets with very high investor saturation.

Landlords in Crockett County are firmly in an accumulation phase, consistently acting as net buyers across all observed timeframes. In Q1 2026, they demonstrated strong market confidence by purchasing 16 properties while selling only 5.

This aggressive buying behavior resulted in a buy-to-sell ratio of 3.2 in Q1 2026, meaning investors acquired more than three properties for every one they sold.

The pattern of net buying has been consistent over the past two years. In 2025, landlords added a net of 52 properties to their portfolios (85 buys vs. 33 sells), and in 2024, they added a net of 61 properties (90 buys vs. 29 sells).

While acquisition volume saw a slight dip from 90 purchases in 2024 to 85 in 2025, the overall transaction activity remains robust and heavily skewed towards buying.

Institutional investors have recorded no transactions in any period, reinforcing that all market dynamics are driven by smaller, non-institutional players who continue to expand their holdings.

In Q1 2026, landlords were a significant force in the market, participating in 16 of the 68 total SFR transactions and thereby capturing a 23.5% share of all activity.

This activity was overwhelmingly driven by the smallest investors. Landlords in the single-property tier were the most active, accounting for 12 of the 16 investor transactions (75%).

Collectively, mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04) were responsible for 15 of the 16 transactions, demonstrating that the market's liquidity is almost entirely sustained by small-scale investors.

Pricing data reveals that first-time or single-property investors paid the highest average price at $280,321 per property, notably more than the $262,500 average paid by slightly larger landlords in the 3-5 property tier.

A notable level of inter-investor trading occurs at the entry level. For single-property buyers, 16.7% of their acquisitions (2 of 12) came from other landlords, suggesting that a portion of new inventory is sourced from within the existing investor community.