Wake County, North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence
Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Wake County court dockets. Updated 2026-07-02. See methodology.
- Filing volume cooling (-93.1%) — last 2 complete months (2 filings) vs prior 2 complete months (29 filings). Excludes the current calendar month (in progress).
- 32.3% off-site owners — share of filings where the owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could be out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties (we don't distinguish; the underlying signal is "not living there").
- Max gross cap rate 6.3% at HUD Fair Market Rent — $21,000/year (2BR FMR × 12) on the $332,000 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 83.9% of filings are Pre-Foreclosure — the dominant lead category in Wake County during the observed window.
At a glance
31 verified property-related court filings tracked across 4 months (Jan 2024 to Jun 2026).
#1 of 3 North Carolina counties Keystone covers, ranked by total filing volume.
32% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (10 of 31 filings).
$332,000 median estimated property value across the 31 filings with property-enrichment data (100% coverage).
3.4% North Carolina unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-04). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Foreclosure | 26 | 83.9% | |
| Partition | 3 | 9.7% | |
| Pre-Probate | 1 | 3.2% | |
| Probate | 1 | 3.2% |
Each row is a distinct case verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion.
Monthly filing activity
| Month | Filings | vs prior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | 2 | ||
| Jan 2026 | 27 | +25 | |
| May 2026 | 1 | -26 | |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 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 Wake County account for 71.0% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| ZIP | City | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27616 | Raleigh | 4 | 12.9% | |
| 27603 | Raleigh | 3 | 9.7% | |
| 27610 | Raleigh | 3 | 9.7% | |
| 27545 | Knightdale | 2 | 6.5% | |
| 27604 | Raleigh | 2 | 6.5% | |
| 27597 | Zebulon | 2 | 6.5% | |
| 27529 | Garner | 2 | 6.5% | |
| 27615 | Raleigh | 2 | 6.5% | |
| 27501 | Angier | 1 | 3.2% | |
| 27519 | Cary | 1 | 3.2% |
Based on filings with a parseable property address (94% of Wake County filings).
Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150k - $250k | 1 | 3.2% | |
| $250k - $400k | 24 | 77.4% | |
| $400k+ | 6 | 19.4% |
Source: third-party property enrichment (100% coverage on Wake County filings). Median $332,000; mean $366,875.
Day-of-week filing pattern
| Day | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Mon | 2 | 6.5% | |
| Tue | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Wed | 1 | 3.2% | |
| Thu | 27 | 87.1% | |
| Fri | 1 | 3.2% | |
| Sat | 0 | 0.0% |
Filings cluster Monday through Friday, with weekend filings essentially absent (court system closed). Computed for 31 filings with a parseable date.
Building characteristics
Per-property details from third-party property enrichment, aggregated across the 31 filings with characteristic data:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Owner-occupied (at time of enrichment) | 0.0% |
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 481999 Wake County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | Wake County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 7.5% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 74.3% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 1.9% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 58.5% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 12.5% | 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. Wake County sits within the Raleigh-Cary, NC (FY 2026). 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 | $1,524 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,596 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,750 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,196 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,936 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (2026). 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 Wake 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) | 13,806 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | -9.5% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 60.8% |
| Single-family units permitted | 8,392 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 5,414 |
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.
Post-filing sale outcomes in Wake County
What happens to distressed properties after a court filing? By cross-referencing each filing's property with county assessor and deed-transfer records, we track which properties sold, how long the process took, and at what price. This analysis covers 1767 filings (68.0% of all 2599 filings) where parcel-level tracking is available.
Time from filing to sale
How quickly do distressed properties sell after a court filing is recorded? This distribution shows where post-filing sales cluster.
| Timeframe | Sales | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 days | 2 | 25.0% | |
| 31–90 days | 5 | 62.5% | |
| 91–180 days | 1 | 12.5% | |
| 181–365 days | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Over 1 year | 0 | 0.0% |
Sale rates by filing type
Not all distress types lead to property sales at the same rate. Foreclosures tend to result in eventual sales more often than probate or divorce filings.
| Filing type | Tracked | Sold | Sale rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardianship | 106 | 1 | 0.9% |
| Probate | 1194 | 6 | 0.5% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 456 | 1 | 0.2% |
| Partition | 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: county assessor and deed-transfer records cross-referenced with court filings by parcel ID. Sale outcomes tracked for 1767 of 2599 filings (68.0% parcel coverage). Timing based on 8 sales with valid filing and sale dates.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Foreclosure | 26 | 83.9% | -- |
Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress shows moderate geographic concentration — the top 5 ZIP codes represent 45.3% of filings.
| ZIP | Area | Filings | Share | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27616 | Raleigh | 4 | 12.9% | $314,500 |
| 27603 | Raleigh | 3 | 9.7% | $340,000 |
| 27610 | Raleigh | 3 | 9.7% | $311,000 |
| 27545 | Knightdale | 2 | 6.5% | $336,500 |
| 27604 | Raleigh | 2 | 6.5% | $291,000 |
| 27597 | Zebulon | 2 | 6.5% | $273,500 |
| 27529 | Garner | 2 | 6.5% | $300,500 |
| 27615 | Raleigh | 2 | 6.5% | $348,500 |
| 27501 | Angier | 1 | 3.2% | $417,000 |
| 27519 | Cary | 1 | 3.2% | $366,000 |
Top 10 of 17 ZIP codes with filings.
Non-resident owner analysis
32.3% of distressed properties have non-resident owners (the owner's mailing address differs from the property address). These are often rental or investment properties — landlords in distress tend to be more motivated sellers.
| Case type | Total filings | Non-resident % |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Foreclosure | 26 | 23.1% |
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.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $332,000. The largest segment (87.1%) falls in the $250K - $500K range.
| Value range | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $100K - $250K | 1 | 3.2% |
| $250K - $500K | 27 | 87.1% |
| $500K - $1M | 3 | 9.7% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Foreclosure | $338,000 | $373,351 | 26 |
Based on county assessor records for 31 properties with court filings (100.0% 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 27616 (Raleigh) ranks highest with an investment opportunity score of 68/100, driven by high filing volume (4 cases).
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area | Score | Filings | Avg Value | Absentee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 27616 | Raleigh |
68
|
4 | — | 0% |
| #2 | 27603 | Raleigh |
32
|
3 | — | 0% |
| #3 | 27610 | Raleigh |
32
|
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 31 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
$11,373,120 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 31 court-filed properties. Pre-Foreclosure filings represent the largest capital pool ($9,707,120 across 26 properties).
Capital at Risk by Filing Type
| Filing Type | Total Value | Properties | Avg Value | High Equity % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Foreclosure | $9,707,120 | 26 | $373,351 | -- |
| Partition | $1,096,000 | 3 | $365,333 | -- |
Based on 31 properties with assessor valuations (100.0% of 31 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.
Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis
2,599 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 2,599 active cases.
| Month | New Filings | Resolved | Net | Inflow | Absorption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2024 | 28 | 0 | +28 | 0.0% | |
| Jan 2026 | 2448 | 0 | +2448 | 0.0% | |
| Apr 2026 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 0.0% | |
| May 2026 | 114 | 0 | +114 | 0.0% | |
| Jun 2026 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 0.0% |
Resolution by Case Type
| Case Type | Filed | Resolved | Absorption | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probate | 1867 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 499 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Guardianship | 220 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
| Partition | 12 | 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 2599 total filings.
Methodology and data sources
- Court filings are collected directly from Wake 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 (100% 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 2026-07-02 from the live database. Numbers reflect the dataset at that moment.
Top cities for filings within Wake County
Where filings concentrate inside Wake County, by parsed property city or township.
| City / Township | Filings | Share (of city-parsed filings) |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 16 | 55.2% |
| Knightdale | 2 | 6.9% |
| Apex | 2 | 6.9% |
| Zebulon | 2 | 6.9% |
| Garner | 2 | 6.9% |
Share is computed against filings with a parsed property city (not against total Wake County filings — addresses missing the city portion are excluded from the denominator). Top 5 shown; smaller cities aggregate into the long tail.
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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Wake County North Carolina Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-07-02, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/wake-nc-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)