Building a real market report instead of citing an unverifiable one
Many "market report" pages present numbers with no visible source. A defensible report names its data source for every figure and lets a reader reproduce the pull. This page shows the framework: which public datasets to combine, and what ranges those datasets typically show, framed explicitly as estimates.
2026 market indicator estimate ranges (verify locally)
| Indicator | Estimate range | Public source to check |
|---|---|---|
| YoY home price appreciation (national) | 2%-5% | FHFA House Price Index |
| Foreclosure filing rate | 0.2%-0.6% of housing units | County clerk / public foreclosure data |
| MLS median days on market | 25-55 days | Local MLS / Realtor.com aggregate |
| Vacant/distressed housing share by ZIP | 3%-10% | Census ACS |
| Cash-buyer share of closed sales | 20%-35% | County deed cash-vs-financed flag |
Ranges above reflect commonly discussed industry bands, not a single verified survey — confirm current figures against the source before publishing or acting on them.
How to reproduce this yourself
- Pull deed/transfer records from your county recorder or a title company for the ZIP codes or city you're evaluating (many counties publish these free online).
- Filter for "double-close" or same-day/short-hold transactions (buyer and seller on the same parcel within 0-30 days) as a rough proxy for wholesale-style flips.
- Cross-reference sale prices with an ARV estimate from recent comparable sales (MLS or a public comp tool) to back into estimated spreads.
- Pull HUD/Census ACS data for household income, vacancy rate, and rent-to-price ratio by ZIP to gauge investor demand.
- Check FHFA House Price Index for the metro to see appreciation trend context.
- Cross-check foreclosure/pre-foreclosure filing counts from your county clerk or an ATTOM-style public data feed to estimate distressed-inventory volume.
Limitations
These are estimate ranges, not audited findings. Public deed records don't label a transaction "wholesale deal" — the double-close/short-hold proxy above will include unrelated flips and renovations. Sample sizes, time periods, and data completeness vary by county. Always validate any range against your own local pull before using it to price a deal or set expectations with a client.
Where Offr AI fits in
Once you've benchmarked a market using the steps above, Offr AI turns a plain-English buy box into 25+ off-market distressed leads across all 50 states, each with skip-traced owner phone numbers, an ARV estimate, a rehab range, a suggested Maximum Allowable Offer (MAO), ready-to-send contracts, and call scripts, plus matching to your local cash-buyer list. Try 3 searches free, or see pricing for the $45/mo platform-only or $65/mo all-access plan (7-day free trial).
See also: wholesaling guides, answers hub, and plan comparisons.