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Cumberland County, North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence

Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Cumberland County court dockets. Updated 2026-07-12. See methodology.

Data current as of 2026-07-04 · refreshes nightly #2 of 4 North Carolina counties we cover by filing volume
Investor takeaway

About Cumberland County

Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,728, making it the fifth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Fayetteville. Cumberland County is part of the Fayetteville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Source: Wikipedia

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At a glance

433 verified property-related court filings tracked across 4 months (Jan 2026 to Jun 2026).

143 typical monthly filing volume.

#2 of 4 North Carolina counties Keystone covers, ranked by total filing volume.

1% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (3 of 433 filings).

$219,600 median estimated property value across the 165 filings with property-enrichment data (38% 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 typeFilingsShare
Probate 219 50.6%
Pre-Foreclosure 183 42.3%
Guardianship 27 6.2%
Pre-Probate 4 0.9%

Each row is a distinct case verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion.

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Monthly filing activity

MonthFilingsvs prior
Jan 2026 338
Feb 2026 90 -248
May 2026 2 -88
Jun 2026 2 0

Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.

Geographic concentration by ZIP

Top 10 ZIPs in Cumberland County account for 17.6% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.

ZIPCityFilingsShare
28304 Fayetteville 15 3.5%
28314 Fayetteville 14 3.2%
28303 Fayetteville 9 2.1%
28311 Fayetteville 8 1.8%
28301 Fayetteville 7 1.6%
28348 Hope Mills 7 1.6%
28312 Fayetteville 6 1.4%
28306 Fayetteville 5 1.2%
28371 Parkton 3 0.7%
28391 Stedman 2 0.5%

Based on filings with a parseable property address (18% of Cumberland County filings).

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Property value distribution

Estimated valueFilingsShare
Under $75k 7 4.2%
$75k - $150k 20 12.1%
$150k - $250k 69 41.8%
$250k - $400k 50 30.3%
$400k+ 19 11.5%

Source: third-party property enrichment (38% coverage on Cumberland County filings). Median $219,600; mean $302,086.

Day-of-week filing pattern

DayFilingsShare
Sun 0 0.0%
Mon 25 5.8%
Tue 100 23.1%
Wed 38 8.8%
Thu 224 51.9%
Fri 45 10.4%
Sat 0 0.0%

Filings cluster Monday through Friday, with weekend filings essentially absent (court system closed). Computed for 432 filings with a parseable date.

Building characteristics

Per-property details from third-party property enrichment, aggregated across the 24 filings with characteristic data:

IndicatorValue
Owner-occupied (at time of enrichment)0.0%

Property characteristics

Parcel-level detail for the 23 Cumberland County filings that match county GIS records:

IndicatorValue
Median county-assessed value$240,500
Property class: R101-Res19 filings
Property class: R131-Res1 filings
Property class: F106-Rural1 filings
Property class: R106-Res2 filings

Source: Cumberland County public parcel data via the county's GIS REST API. Court records are public information.

Housing stock + distress signals

Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 143184 Cumberland County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.

Indicator Cumberland County US average
Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale)10.5%10.5%
Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage66.6%60.8%
Pre-1940 housing stock2.0%12.3%
Single-family detached share of housing stock64.6%61.2%
Residents age 65 or older12.7%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. Cumberland County sits within the Fayetteville, 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$1,090
1-bedroom$1,113
2-bedroom$1,251
3-bedroom$1,667
4-bedroom$2,068

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 Cumberland 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)1,547
Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025)+25.8%
Single-family share of permits (2025)53.3%
Single-family units permitted825
Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building)722

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

Cumberland 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.

IndicatorValuePeriod
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.

FEMA flood zone exposure

Are distressed properties concentrated in flood-prone areas? By checking each property's coordinates against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, we identify which filings fall in Special Flood Hazard Areas (mandatory flood insurance zones). This analysis covers 154 properties with geocoded locations.

1.9%
in Special Flood Hazard Area
3
properties in high-risk zones
Zone Properties Share
X 146 94.8%
X-500yr 5 3.2%
AE 3 1.9%

Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), queried by property coordinates. Zones A/AE/AH/AO/V/VE are Special Flood Hazard Areas (1% annual flood chance, mandatory flood insurance). Zone X is minimal risk. 154 properties checked.

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
Probate 219 50.6% --
Pre-Foreclosure 183 42.3% --
Guardianship 27 6.2% --

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 Jan and are lowest in May. Filing volume is relatively steady year-round.

Month Avg filings Relative
Jan 338
100%
Feb 90
27%
May 2
1%
Jun 2
1%

Average filings per calendar month across all observed years. Relative column shows each month as a percentage of the peak month (Jan).

ZIP code distress hotspots

Distress is geographically dispersed across 12 ZIP codes, with no single area dominating.

ZIP Area Filings Share Median value
28304 Fayetteville 15 3.5% $195,110
28314 Fayetteville 14 3.2% $263,454
28303 Fayetteville 9 2.1% $200,200
28311 Fayetteville 8 1.8% $234,350
28301 Fayetteville 7 1.6% $179,800
28348 Hope Mills 7 1.6% $200,000
28312 Fayetteville 6 1.4% $350,150
28306 Fayetteville 5 1.2% $185,278
28371 Parkton 3 0.7% $300,000
28391 Stedman 2 0.5% $257,750

Top 10 of 12 ZIP codes with filings.

Non-resident owner analysis

Most filings (99%) involve owner-occupied properties. The relatively low absentee rate suggests distress is primarily hitting homeowners, not institutional investors.

0.7%
Non-resident owners
Case type Total filings Non-resident %
Probate 219 0.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 183 1.6%
Guardianship 27 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.

Court Docket Activity

Across 235 tracked cases, the average case has 9 docket entries (median 8). 48.9% of cases are in the "mid-process (6-15 events)" stage. Probate cases are the most court-active at 9.5 events on average. Higher docket activity signals that courts are actively processing the case, which can indicate timeline urgency for investor outreach.

9.4
Avg. docket entries per case
8
Median entries per case
25
Most active case
Activity level Cases Share
Early stage (1-5 events) 81 34.5%
Mid-process (6-15 events) 115 48.9%
Advanced (16+ events) 39 16.6%
Docket activity by case type
Case type Avg. events Cases tracked
Probate 9.5 210
Guardianship 8.4 25

Based on 235 cases with docket event tracking from Cumberland County court records. Docket entries include filings, hearings, orders, and motions.

Property Value Profile

The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $219,000. Probate filings involve the highest-value properties (median $236,600), while Pre-Foreclosure filings trend lower (median $195,674). The largest segment (51.5%) falls in the $100K - $250K range.

$219,000
Median assessed value
$342,022
Average assessed value
169
Properties with values
Value range Properties Share
Under $100K 12 7.1%
$100K - $250K 87 51.5%
$250K - $500K 57 33.7%
$500K - $1M 6 3.6%
Over $1M 7 4.1%
Value breakdown by case type
Case type Median value Avg value Properties
Pre-Foreclosure $195,674 $251,052 93
Probate $236,600 $471,078 69

Based on county assessor records for 169 properties with court filings (39.0% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.

Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code

Across 9 ZIP codes with sufficient court filing data, ZIP 28304 (Fayetteville) ranks highest with an investment opportunity score of 75/100, driven by high filing volume (15 cases). 3 of 9 scored ZIPs are above the average score of 49.

75/100
Highest ZIP score
9
ZIPs scored
49
Average score
Rank ZIP Code Area Score Filings Avg Value Absentee %
#1 28304 Fayetteville
75
15 0%
#2 28314 Fayetteville
72
14 0%
#3 28303 Fayetteville
58
9 0%
#4 28311 Fayetteville
47
8 0%
#5 28301 Fayetteville
44
7 0%
#6 28312 Fayetteville
41
6 0%
#7 28306 Fayetteville
38
5 0%
#8 28348 Hope Mills
37
7 0%
#9 28371 Parkton
25
3 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 433 court filings across 9 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

$57,801,698 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 169 court-filed properties. Probate filings represent the largest capital pool ($32,504,390 across 69 properties).

$58M
Total Value at Risk
169
Properties Valued
$219,000
Median Value

Capital at Risk by Filing Type

Filing Type Total Value Properties Avg Value High Equity %
Probate
$32,504,390
69 $471,078 --
Pre-Foreclosure
$23,347,808
93 $251,052 --
Guardianship
$1,145,300
3 $381,767 --
Pre-Probate
$804,200
4 $201,050 --

Based on 169 properties with assessor valuations (39.0% of 433 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.

Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis

432 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 432 active cases.

0.0%
Absorption Rate
432
Active Case Backlog
Month New Filings Resolved Net Inflow Absorption
Jan 2026 338 0 +338
0.0%
Feb 2026 90 0 +90
0.0%
May 2026 2 0 +2
0.0%
Jun 2026 2 0 +2
0.0%

Resolution by Case Type

Case Type Filed Resolved Absorption Avg Days
Probate 219 0 0.0% n/a
Pre-Foreclosure 183 0 0.0% n/a
Guardianship 27 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 432 total filings.

Property Type Distribution

98.2% of distressed properties are classified as Residential, followed by Commercial (1.2%).

Residential
Most common (98.2%)
168
Properties classified
3
Property categories
Property type Count Share Distribution
Residential 165 98.2%
Commercial 2 1.2%
Agricultural 1 0.6%
Property type by case type
Case type Dominant property type Share Properties
Pre-Foreclosure Residential 100.0% 92
Probate Residential 95.7% 69

Property classifications from county assessor records for 168 properties (38.8% of total filings). Categories normalized from assessor codes.

Case Aging & Stall Analysis

0 cases (0.0%) have been active for over a year without resolution. 4 filings in the last 30-90 days represent fresh opportunities.

0
Cases stalled 1yr+
0.0%
of all filings
432
Total tracked
Age Total Resolved Still active Resolution rate
30-90 days 4 0 4 0.0%
3-6 months 185 0 185 0.0%
6-12 months 243 0 243 0.0%
Resolution speed by case type
Case type Total Resolved Rate Median days
Probate 219 0 0.0%
Pre-Foreclosure 183 0 0.0%
Guardianship 27 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.

Property Age & Distress Profile

150 filings (34.6% of scope) have year-built data. 1960–1979 properties are most common (43%). Newer properties (2000+) average $328,538 — 1.9x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($177,359).

150
Properties with year built
34.6%
Coverage
1960–1979
Most common era (43.3%)
Construction era Filings Share Avg value Median days
Pre-1960 17 11.3% $177,359
1960–1979 65 43.3% $225,264
1980–1999 36 24.0% $253,464
2000+ 32 21.3% $328,538

Value trend: 2000+ properties average $328,538 — 1.85x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($177,359).

Top case types by construction era
Pre-1960: Pre-Foreclosure (47.1%), Probate (35.3%), Pre-Probate (11.8%), Guardianship (5.9%)
1960–1979: Pre-Foreclosure (63.1%), Probate (33.8%), Pre-Probate (3.1%)
1980–1999: Pre-Foreclosure (47.2%), Probate (47.2%), Guardianship (5.6%)
2000+: Pre-Foreclosure (68.8%), Probate (31.2%)

Construction year sourced from county tax assessor records. Value is assessed value from the most recent available tax assessment. Resolution timing based on court docket events.

Property Value Distribution

The median property value in distressed filings is $219,000, with the largest concentration (29.6%) in the $200K–$300K range. Probate filings have the highest median value ($236,600) while Pre-Foreclosure filings are lowest ($202,900).

$219,000
Median value
$343,313
Average value
169
Properties valued
Price range Count Share Distribution
Under $50K 8 4.7%
$50K–$100K 4 2.4%
$100K–$150K 15 8.9%
$150K–$200K 48 28.4%
$200K–$300K 50 29.6%
$300K–$500K 31 18.3%
$500K+ 13 7.7%
Value by case type
Case type Median value Average value Properties
Pre-Foreclosure $202,900 $253,398 93
Probate $236,600 $471,078 69

Assessed property values from county assessor records for 169 properties (39.0% of total filings). Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.

Ownership Duration Before Filing

The median ownership duration before a court filing is 4.6 years (15.0% held 10+ years).

4.6 yr
Median tenure
6.0 yr
Average tenure
20
Properties tracked
Ownership period Count Share Distribution
Under 2 years 5 25.0%
2–5 years 11 55.0%
5–10 years 1 5.0%
10–20 years 1 5.0%
20+ years 2 10.0%
Tenure by case type
Case type Median tenure Average tenure Properties
Pre-Foreclosure 4.7 yr 7.0 yr 14

Duration calculated from last recorded property sale to court filing date for 20 properties (4.6% of total filings). Longer ownership often correlates with higher equity.

Repeat litigation patterns in Cumberland County

Of 414 unique property owners in court filings, 8 (1.9%) appear in multiple cases, including 3 with 3 or more filings. The most active repeat filer has 11 cases. Pre-Foreclosure cases have the highest repeat rate at 2.4%.

414
Unique owners
8
Repeat filers (2+ cases)
1.9%
Repeat rate
3
Serial filers (3+ cases)

Repeat rate by case type

Case type Repeat owners Total owners Repeat rate
Probate 5 214 2.3%
Pre-Foreclosure 4 170 2.4%

Analysis based on 414 unique owner names across court filings. Repeat filers are property owners appearing in 2 or more distinct cases.

Serial distressed properties in Cumberland County

Of 145 unique properties in court filings, 5 (3.4%) have multiple filings (averaging 3.8 filings per property). Average time between repeat filings: 1 months. Probate properties have the highest repeat rate at 5.0%.

145
Unique properties
5
Repeat-filing properties
3.4%
Serial distress rate
1 mo
Avg time between filings

Serial distress rate by case type

Case type Serial properties Total properties Serial rate
Pre-Foreclosure 3 79 3.8%
Probate 3 60 5.0%

Analysis based on 145 unique property addresses across court filings. Serial distressed properties have 2 or more distinct case filings at the same address.

Land vs improvement value composition

Across 160 properties with assessed value breakdowns, the median land share is 18.0% (median land value $30,500, median improvement value $127,148). 2 properties (1.2%) are land-dominant (50%+ land value) — potential teardown or vacant-lot targets. Probate cases skew most land-heavy (median 18.8%) while Pre-Foreclosure skews most improvement-heavy (17.6%).

18.0%
Median land share
$30,500
Median land value
$127,148
Median improvement value
1.2%
Land-dominant (50%+)

Land share distribution

Land share bracket Properties % of total
Under 10% 10 6.2%
10–20% 87 54.4%
20–30% 43 26.9%
30–50% 18 11.2%
50–70% 1 0.6%
Over 70% 1 0.6%

Land share by case type

Case type Filings Median land %
Pre-Foreclosure 89 17.6%
Probate 64 18.8%

Analysis of 160 properties (37.0% of filings) with assessed land and improvement value breakdowns.

Prior sale value trajectory

Across 86 properties with purchase and assessed value data, the median value change since purchase is +57.7%. 7 properties (8.1%) are underwater (current assessed value below purchase price). Probate cases have the highest underwater rate (25.0%) while Pre-Foreclosure has the lowest (4.4%).

+57.7%
Median value change
$147,000
Median purchase price
$217,750
Median assessed value
8.1%
Underwater properties

Value change distribution

Value change bracket Properties % of total
20–50% loss 2 2.3%
0–20% loss 5 5.8%
0–20% gain 19 22.1%
20–50% gain 11 12.8%
50–100% gain 18 20.9%
100%+ gain 31 36.0%

Value trajectory by case type

Case type Filings Median change Underwater
Pre-Foreclosure 68 +62.7% 4.4%
Probate 16 +43.7% 25.0%

Analysis of 86 properties (19.9% of filings) with both prior sale price and current assessed value data.

Methodology and data sources

Top cities for filings within Cumberland County

Where filings concentrate inside Cumberland County, by parsed property city or township.

City / Township Filings Share (of city-parsed filings)
Fayetteville6379.7%
Hope Mills78.9%
Parkton33.8%
Stedman22.5%
Spring Lake22.5%

Share is computed against filings with a parsed property city (not against total Cumberland County filings — addresses missing the city portion are excluded from the denominator). Top 5 shown; smaller cities aggregate into the long tail.

Related North Carolina guides

North Carolina foreclosure process How to find leads in North Carolina Top foreclosure counties in North Carolina North Carolina statewide analysis

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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Cumberland County North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-07-12, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/cumberland-nc-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)