Cherokee County, North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence
Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Cherokee County court dockets. Updated 2026-08-03. See methodology.
- Filing volume accelerating (+5.5%) — last 3 complete months (135 filings) vs prior 3 complete months (128 filings). Excludes the current calendar month (in progress).
- Max gross cap rate 8.5% at HUD Fair Market Rent — $11,220/year (2BR FMR × 12) on the $131,670 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 69.1% of filings are Lien — the dominant lead category in Cherokee County during the observed window.
About Cherokee County
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It borders Tennessee to its west and Georgia to its south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,774. The county seat is Murphy.
Source: Wikipedia
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616 verified property-related court filings tracked across 22 months (Sep 2020 to Jul 2026).
3% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (17 of 616 filings).
$131,670 median estimated property value across the 114 filings with property-enrichment data (19% coverage).
3.5% North Carolina unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-05). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 444 | 72.1% | |
| Divorce | 82 | 13.3% | |
| Tax Sale | 77 | 12.5% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 6 | 1.0% | |
| Real Estate Dispute | 6 | 1.0% | |
| Probate | 1 | 0.2% |
Each row is a distinct case verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion.
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Monthly filing activity
| Month | Filings | vs prior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | 1 | ||
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| May 2024 | 3 | +2 | |
| Jul 2024 | 8 | +5 | |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | -7 | |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | +1 | |
| Nov 2024 | 5 | +3 | |
| Dec 2024 | 6 | +1 | |
| Jan 2025 | 5 | -1 | |
| Jul 2025 | 18 | +13 | |
| Aug 2025 | 28 | +10 | |
| Sep 2025 | 64 | +36 | |
| Oct 2025 | 66 | +2 | |
| Nov 2025 | 40 | -26 | |
| Dec 2025 | 44 | +4 | |
| Jan 2026 | 40 | -4 | |
| Feb 2026 | 43 | +3 | |
| Mar 2026 | 43 | 0 | |
| Apr 2026 | 42 | -1 | |
| May 2026 | 37 | -5 | |
| Jun 2026 | 55 | +18 | |
| Jul 2026 | 43 | -12 |
Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
Top 3 ZIPs in Cherokee County account for 6.8% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| ZIP | City | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28906 | 31 | 5.0% | ||
| 28901 | 6 | 1.0% | ||
| 28905 | 5 | 0.8% |
Based on filings with a parseable property address (7% of Cherokee County filings).
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Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $75k | 25 | 21.9% | |
| $75k - $150k | 44 | 38.6% | |
| $150k - $250k | 32 | 28.1% | |
| $250k - $400k | 10 | 8.8% | |
| $400k+ | 3 | 2.6% |
Source: third-party property enrichment (19% coverage on Cherokee County filings). Median $131,670; mean $160,493.
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Day-of-week filing pattern
| Day | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 105 | 17.6% | |
| Mon | 128 | 21.5% | |
| Tue | 111 | 18.7% | |
| Wed | 122 | 20.5% | |
| Thu | 107 | 18.0% | |
| Fri | 21 | 3.5% | |
| Sat | 1 | 0.2% |
Filings show some weekend activity, suggesting after-hours electronic filing. Computed for 595 filings with a parseable date.
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 18182 Cherokee County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | Cherokee County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 28.3% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 43.1% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 4.5% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 76.0% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 31.3% | 17.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.
Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)
HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level — the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. Cherokee County sits within the Cherokee County, NC. Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.
| Unit size | Fair market rent / month |
|---|---|
| Efficiency / studio | $645 |
| 1-bedroom | $713 |
| 2-bedroom | $935 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,290 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,497 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (None). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.
New construction (market momentum)
Annual building permits filed in Cherokee County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total housing units permitted (2025) | 239 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | +3.0% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 100.0% |
| Single-family units permitted | 239 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 0 |
Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.
Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency
Cherokee County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. North Carolina state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina home price index (year-over-year) | +2.4% | 2026-01-01 |
| North Carolina home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +72.0% | 2026-01-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.89% | 2026-01-01 |
Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series NCSTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.
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Filing velocity by case type
How each distress category is trending — are foreclosures accelerating while divorces cool, or vice versa? This breakdown is only possible with direct court-record data.
| Case type | Total | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 425 | 69.0% | +18.5% |
| Divorce | 82 | 13.3% | -17.4% |
| Tax Sale | 57 | 9.3% | -66.7% |
| Other | 7 | 1.1% | -- |
| Real Estate Dispute | 6 | 1.0% | -- |
| Eviction | 6 | 1.0% | -- |
| Contract | 5 | 0.8% | -- |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 5 | 0.8% | -- |
Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.
Seasonal filing patterns
Court filings peak in Oct and are lowest in Aug. The 4.6x peak-to-trough ratio suggests strong seasonal patterns — investors who time their outreach around Oct can reach more distressed homeowners.
| Month | Avg filings | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22.5 | 34% |
| Feb | 43 | 65% |
| Mar | 43 | 65% |
| Apr | 42 | 64% |
| May | 20 | 30% |
| Jun | 55 | 83% |
| Jul | 23 | 35% |
| Aug | 14.5 | 22% |
| Sep | 22.3 | 34% |
| Oct | 66 | 100% |
| Nov | 15.3 | 23% |
| Dec | 25 | 38% |
Average filings per calendar month across all observed years. Relative column shows each month as a percentage of the peak month (Oct), with a 4.6x peak-to-trough ratio.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress is geographically dispersed across 3 ZIP codes, with no single area dominating.
| ZIP | Area | Filings | Share | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28906 | 31 | 5.0% | $92,695 | |
| 28901 | 6 | 1.0% | $124,210 | |
| 28905 | 5 | 0.8% | $189,540 |
Top 3 of 3 ZIP codes with filings.
Non-resident owner analysis
Most filings (97%) involve owner-occupied properties. The relatively low absentee rate suggests distress is primarily hitting homeowners, not institutional investors.
| Case type | Total filings | Non-resident % |
|---|---|---|
| Lien | 425 | 0.0% |
| Divorce | 82 | 0.0% |
| Tax Sale | 77 | 22.1% |
| Other | 7 | 0.0% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 6 | 0.0% |
| Real Estate Dispute | 6 | 0.0% |
| Eviction | 6 | 0.0% |
| Contract | 5 | 0.0% |
Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.
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Distress composition and shifts
Lien share is rising. Tax Sale share is declining. Low diversity — distress is dominated by one or two case types, suggesting a concentrated driver.
| Case type | Recent share | Earlier share | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 83.7% | 69.0% | +14.7pp (rising) |
| Divorce | 11.2% | 14.3% | -3.1pp |
| Tax Sale | 2.0% | 11.1% | -9.1pp (falling) |
| Eviction | 1.0% | 1.0% | +0.0pp |
| Other | 1.0% | 1.2% | -0.2pp |
| Contract | 1.0% | 0.8% | +0.2pp |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 0.0% | 1.0% | -1.0pp |
| Real Estate Dispute | 0.0% | 1.2% | -1.2pp |
| Probate | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
| Personal Property | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
Distress diversity score: 0.88 (Shannon entropy; higher = more diverse distress sources). "Recent" = last 2 complete months; "Earlier" = all prior months.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $102,060. Divorce filings involve the highest-value properties (median $129,370), while Tax Sale filings trend lower (median $25,270). The largest segment (49.0%) falls in the Under $100K range.
| Value range | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100K | 72 | 49.0% |
| $100K - $250K | 62 | 42.2% |
| $250K - $500K | 11 | 7.5% |
| Over $1M | 2 | 1.4% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $116,850 | $145,668 | 104 |
| Tax Sale | $25,270 | $49,515 | 24 |
| Divorce | $129,370 | $134,087 | 17 |
Based on county assessor records for 147 properties with court filings (23.9% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code
Across 3 ZIP codes with sufficient court filing data, ZIP 28906 ranks highest with an investment opportunity score of 75/100, driven by high filing volume (31 cases).
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area | Score | Filings | Avg Value | Absentee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 28906 | — |
75
|
31 | — | 0% |
| #2 | 28901 | — |
26
|
6 | — | 0% |
| #3 | 28905 | — |
25
|
5 | — | 0% |
How the score is calculated
The Investment Opportunity Score combines four dimensions from verified court filing data:
- Filing volume (35%): More filings = more potential deals in the area
- Property value (25%): Higher assessed values = larger potential deal sizes
- Absentee owner rate (25%): Absentee owners are more likely to sell at a discount
- Case type diversity (15%): Multiple case types = broader opportunity set
Each dimension is normalized to a 0–100 scale across all scored ZIPs, then weighted and combined. A score of 100 means that ZIP ranks highest across all dimensions. Scores should be compared within the same county or state, not across different markets.
Based on 616 court filings across 3 ZIP codes. ZIPs with fewer than 3 filings are excluded. Property values from county assessor records. Absentee status from property ownership verification.
Distress Capital Analysis
$18,880,060 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 147 court-filed properties. Lien filings represent the largest capital pool ($15,149,510 across 104 properties).
Capital at Risk by Filing Type
| Filing Type | Total Value | Properties | Avg Value | High Equity % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $15,149,510 | 104 | $145,668 | -- |
| Divorce | $2,279,480 | 17 | $134,087 | -- |
| Tax Sale | $1,188,360 | 24 | $49,515 | -- |
Based on 147 properties with assessor valuations (23.9% of 616 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.
Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis
596 court filings tracked with 0 resolved (0.0% absorption rate). The court system is accumulating cases faster than they resolve, creating a growing backlog of 596 active cases.
| Month | New Filings | Resolved | Net | Inflow | Absorption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2020 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| Nov 2023 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| May 2024 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 0.0% | |
| Jul 2024 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 0.0% | |
| Aug 2024 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% | |
| Sep 2024 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 0.0% | |
| Nov 2024 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 0.0% | |
| Dec 2024 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2025 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 0.0% | |
| Jul 2025 | 18 | 0 | +18 | 0.0% | |
| Aug 2025 | 28 | 0 | +28 | 0.0% | |
| Sep 2025 | 64 | 0 | +64 | 0.0% | |
| Oct 2025 | 66 | 0 | +66 | 0.0% | |
| Nov 2025 | 40 | 0 | +40 | 0.0% | |
| Dec 2025 | 44 | 0 | +44 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2026 | 40 | 0 | +40 | 0.0% | |
| Feb 2026 | 43 | 0 | +43 | 0.0% | |
| Mar 2026 | 43 | 0 | +43 | 0.0% | |
| Apr 2026 | 42 | 0 | +42 | 0.0% | |
| May 2026 | 38 | 0 | +38 | 0.0% | |
| Jun 2026 | 55 | 0 | +55 | 0.0% | |
| Jul 2026 | 43 | 0 | +43 | 0.0% |
Resolution by Case Type
| Case Type | Filed | Resolved | Absorption | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 423 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Divorce | 82 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Tax Sale | 57 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Other | 9 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Real Estate Dispute | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Eviction | 6 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Contract | 5 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
Absorption rate measures the percentage of filed cases that have reached a terminal resolution (judgment, dismissal, settlement, or sale). A low absorption rate indicates a growing backlog of active cases in the court system. Resolution timing based on 0 resolved cases out of 596 total filings.
Case Aging & Stall Analysis
51 cases (8.6%) have been active for over a year without resolution. 35 filings in the last <30 days represent fresh opportunities.
| Age | Total | Resolved | Still active | Resolution rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <30 days | 35 | 0 | 35 | 0.0% |
| 30-90 days | 96 | 0 | 96 | 0.0% |
| 3-6 months | 130 | 0 | 130 | 0.0% |
| 6-12 months | 284 | 0 | 284 | 0.0% |
| 1-2 years | 38 | 0 | 38 | 0.0% |
| 2+ years | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0.0% |
Resolution speed by case type
| Case type | Total | Resolved | Rate | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 423 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Divorce | 82 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Tax Sale | 57 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
Case aging computed from filing date to present for unresolved cases. Resolution classified from court docket entries (judgments, settlements, dismissals, sheriff sales). Cases with a resolution event are removed from the stall count.
Quarterly Filing Volume Trends
Filing trends across 4 comparable quarters show 521 tracked filings in Cherokee County. Most recent quarter (2026 Q2: 135) was stable vs prior (2026 Q1: 126, +7.1%).
| Quarter | Total | Lien | Divorce | Tax Sale | Pre-Foreclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 110 | 86 (78.2%) | 12 (10.9%) | 7 (6.4%) | 1 (0.9%) |
| 2025 Q4 | 150 | 105 (70.0%) | 24 (16.0%) | 7 (4.7%) | 1 (0.7%) |
| 2026 Q1 | 126 | 95 (75.4%) | 18 (14.3%) | 9 (7.1%) | 2 (1.6%) |
| 2026 Q2 | 135 | 102 (75.6%) | 25 (18.5%) | 2 (1.5%) | 2 (1.5%) |
Only comparable quarters shown (collection ramp-up periods excluded). Filing dates from verified court records. Current partial quarter excluded from trend calculations.
Property Value Distribution
The median property value in distressed filings is $102,060, with the largest concentration (30.6%) in the Under $50K range. Divorce filings have the highest median value ($129,370) while Tax Sale filings are lowest ($25,135).
| Price range | Count | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50K | 45 | 30.6% | |
| $50K–$100K | 27 | 18.4% | |
| $100K–$150K | 30 | 20.4% | |
| $150K–$200K | 25 | 17.0% | |
| $200K–$300K | 12 | 8.2% | |
| $300K–$500K | 6 | 4.1% | |
| $500K+ | 2 | 1.4% |
Value by case type
| Case type | Median value | Average value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | $116,720 | $145,668 | 104 |
| Tax Sale | $25,135 | $49,515 | 24 |
| Divorce | $129,370 | $134,087 | 17 |
Assessed property values from county assessor records for 147 properties (23.9% of total filings). Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.
Repeat litigation patterns in Cherokee County
Of 504 unique property owners in court filings, 49 (9.7%) appear in multiple cases, including 10 with 3 or more filings. The most active repeat filer has 4 cases spanning 2 months. Lien cases have the highest repeat rate at 13.1%.
Repeat rate by case type
| Case type | Repeat owners | Total owners | Repeat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 48 | 367 | 13.1% |
Analysis based on 504 unique owner names across court filings. Repeat filers are property owners appearing in 2 or more distinct cases.
Serial distressed properties in Cherokee County
Of 111 unique properties in court filings, 16 (14.4%) have multiple filings (averaging 2.3 filings per property). Average time between repeat filings: 1 months. Lien properties have the highest repeat rate at 30.6%.
Serial distress rate by case type
| Case type | Serial properties | Total properties | Serial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lien | 15 | 49 | 30.6% |
Analysis based on 111 unique property addresses across court filings. Serial distressed properties have 2 or more distinct case filings at the same address.
Methodology and data sources
- Court filings are collected directly from Cherokee County court records, which are public information.
- Every filing in this dataset has been verified for current owner-of-record. Entity-owned filings (LLCs, trusts, banks) and properties where the named party is not the current owner are excluded.
- Property value figures come from third-party enrichment (19% coverage on this dataset).
- Individual case data, defendant names, and property addresses are not published. Reports show aggregated statistics only.
- The methodology page at /reports/methodology documents data sources, sample sizes, and known limitations in detail.
- This report was generated 2026-08-03 from the live database. Numbers reflect the dataset at that moment.
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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Cherokee County North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-08-03, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/cherokee-nc-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)