Lee (MS) Investor Pulse Report (2025-Q4)

Landlords in Lee County, MS, collectively own a substantial portfolio of 3,804 Single Family Residential (SFR) properties, representing 14.7% of the total SFR market of 25,951 properties.

Individual investors lead in property ownership, controlling 2,162 SFR properties (56.8%) of the landlord-held stock, significantly outweighing company ownership at 1,651 properties (43.4%).

The vast majority of investor-owned properties in Lee County, MS, are rental-focused, with 3,680 properties (96.7%) being rented, underscoring the market's strong orientation towards the rental segment.

Cash acquisitions dominate the market, accounting for 3,403 (89.5%) of landlord-owned properties, while only 401 properties (10.5%) are financed, indicating a preference for debt-free investments.

Out of 3,070 distinct landlord entities, individual landlords make up the overwhelming majority with 2,351 entities (76.6%), compared to 719 company landlords (23.4%), reflecting a market driven by numerous smaller-scale investors.

The ratio of individual to company landlords stands at approximately 3.27 to 1 (2,351 individuals vs. 719 companies), further emphasizing the prevalence of individual ownership within the Lee County, MS investor landscape.

Lee County, MS experienced no landlord acquisition activity in Q4 2025, with a reported 0 distinct SFR properties purchased by landlords, making direct price comparisons for the quarter impossible.

Despite the lack of recent purchases, historical data indicates average landlord acquisition prices of $192,241 for 2024 and $130,888 for the 2020-2023 period, though these periods also reported zero distinct properties acquired by landlords.

The absence of landlord purchases in recent periods (2024, Q4 2025) suggests a pause in investor market entry or acquisition strategies within Lee County, MS.

Given the reported zero properties acquired in 2024 and 2020-2023, the provided average acquisition prices ($192,241 and $130,888 respectively) cannot be used to infer recent price appreciation or market trends.

Crucially, without any transactional data for Q4 2025, it is impossible to assess how landlord acquisition prices compare to traditional homeowners, or if any price gaps are present or trending.

In Q4 2025, Lee County, MS registered a complete absence of SFR purchase activity, with 0 total SFR purchases and 0 landlord purchases, translating to 0.0% landlord market share.

This unprecedented lack of activity extends across all investor segments, as both mom-and-pop landlords (Tier 01-04) and institutional investors (Tier 09) reported 0 distinct SFR properties purchased during the quarter.

The data clearly indicates no new landlord entities entered the Lee County, MS market in Q4 2025, nor were there any recorded purchases by existing investors across any tier.

Without any recorded purchases, it is impossible to identify which investor tiers, if any, demonstrated higher activity or concentration during Q4 2025.

The zero transaction volume in Q4 2025 suggests a significant halt or pause in real estate investment activity for SFR properties in Lee County, MS.

The ownership landscape in Lee County, MS is overwhelmingly characterized by small-scale investors, with mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04, 1-10 properties) controlling a dominant 81.5% of all investor-owned SFR properties.

Specifically, single-property landlords (Tier 01) form the backbone of the market, holding 1,998 properties, accounting for a significant 50.4% share of the total investor-owned portfolio.

In stark contrast to media narratives, institutional investors (Tier 09, 1000+ properties) hold a minimal footprint in Lee County, MS, owning only 12 properties, which translates to a mere 0.3% of the total investor-owned SFR market.

The distribution beyond mom-and-pop reveals a gradual tapering, with small-medium landlords (Tiers 11-50) holding 14.6% (579 properties) and medium-large (51-100 properties) representing 3.5% (138 properties).

The granular tier data showcases a high concentration at the lowest tier, with Tier 01, Tier 02, and Tier 03-05 collectively accounting for 73.5% of all investor-owned properties, underscoring the localized nature of SFR investment in this county.

Data on acquisition prices by tier and the number of entities within each tier were not provided, preventing an analysis of pricing strategies or average portfolio sizes across different investor segments.

Individual investors overwhelmingly dominate the smaller end of the spectrum in Lee County, MS, comprising 79.6% of single-property (Tier 01) owners and a significant 58.7% of two-property (Tier 02) owners.

A distinct crossover point occurs at the 'Small landlord (6-10 properties)' tier, where company ownership surpasses individual ownership for the first time, with companies holding 74.4% of properties compared to individuals at 25.6%.

As portfolio size increases, company concentration escalates significantly; for example, in the 'Small-medium (21-50 properties)' tier, companies own 85.0% of properties, while individuals hold only 15.0%.

The 'Small-medium (11-20 properties)' tier also shows strong company dominance, with companies owning 80.3% of properties, signaling their preference for mid-sized portfolios over smaller ones.

This clear pattern indicates that while individuals are the primary force in the initial stages of property investment, companies rapidly become the dominant owner type as portfolio sizes expand beyond the mom-and-pop threshold of 5 properties.

Data on acquisition prices split by owner type within each tier was not provided, precluding an analysis of potential pricing differences between individual and company investors for comparable portfolio sizes.

Within Lee County, MS, specific zip codes emerge as hotspots for investor activity, with MS-Lee-38801 leading by volume with 1,529 investor-owned properties, and MS-Lee-38804 closely behind with 958 properties.

These two zip codes not only lead in sheer property count but also exhibit high investor ownership rates, with MS-Lee-38804 at 17.5% and MS-Lee-38801 at 17.3%, suggesting a concentration of investment within these dense areas.

While not a leader in raw property count, MS-Lee-38879 demonstrates the highest investor ownership penetration in Lee County, MS, with an impressive 21.1% of its SFR properties held by investors, closely followed by MS-Lee-38860 at 20.0%.

The top 5 regions by investor-owned count (MS-Lee-38801, 38804, 38866, 38849) broadly overlap with the top 5 by percentage (MS-Lee-38879, 38860, 38804, 38801, 38849), indicating that higher volumes often correlate with higher market penetration in Lee County, MS.

The lowest investor ownership rates are not discernable from the provided data, preventing a full analysis of the least concentrated investment areas.

Acquisition pricing data by geographic region was not provided, limiting the ability to analyze if investors are paying more or less in these high-activity areas.

Landlords in Lee County, MS demonstrated a strong net buyer position in 2024, with 7 buy transactions significantly outpacing 2 sell transactions, resulting in a net acquisition of 5 properties.

This activity translates into a buy-to-sell ratio of 3.5x for all landlords in 2024, indicating a clear pattern of portfolio expansion rather than divestment within the county.

However, the provided data does not include historical transaction trends for Q4 or Q3, limiting a comprehensive understanding of changes in the buy/sell ratio over shorter timeframes.

Information regarding the percentage of transactions occurring between landlords (inter-landlord trading) is not available, which prevents an analysis of market liquidity and internal investor-to-investor dynamics.

Crucially, there is no transactional data provided for institutional investors (1000+ tier), making it impossible to ascertain their net position or compare their behavior to the overall landlord market.

Average buy and sell prices for 2024 were not included in the data, preventing an assessment of implied profit margins or pricing strategies from these transactions.

Lee County, MS experienced a complete absence of SFR transaction activity in Q4 2025, with 0 total transactions recorded, leading to 0 landlord transactions and a 0.0% landlord share of the market.

This indicates a freeze in market dynamics for the quarter, as no distinct SFR properties were bought or sold by any landlord entity across all tiers, including both mom-and-pop (Tier 01-04) and institutional (Tier 09) investors.

The lack of Q4 transaction data precludes any analysis of average purchase prices by tier, inter-landlord trading activity, or specific tier-based pricing strategies for the current quarter.

Without any recorded transactions, it is impossible to determine which investor tiers were most active or how their Q4 activity compares to their overall ownership distribution in Lee County, MS.

The reported $0 average purchase prices for Tier 01 and Tier 09 investors directly reflect the absence of any buying activity in Q4 2025.