Champaign (OH) Investor Pulse Report (2025-Q4)

In Champaign (OH), 1,150 SFR properties are owned by landlords, making up 10.4% of the county's 11,026 total SFR properties. This investor portfolio is predominantly held by individual landlords, who own 986 properties (85.7%), significantly outweighing the 173 properties (15.0%) held by companies.

The vast majority of these landlord-owned properties are designated for rental purposes, with 1,109 properties (96.4%) classified as rented. This high proportion indicates a strong focus on generating rental income from the investor-owned housing stock in the county.

A substantial 699 properties (60.8%) within the landlord portfolio were acquired with cash, while 451 properties (39.2%) were financed. This preference for cash purchases suggests a significant capital base among investors or a strategy to avoid debt.

Looking at the entities themselves, individual landlords number 1,340, comprising 91.3% of the total 1,468 landlords, further reinforcing the mom-and-pop nature of the local market. Company landlords are a much smaller segment, with only 128 entities (8.7%).

While the overall distribution of rented, financed, and cash properties is clear for the entire landlord portfolio, the provided data does not allow for a detailed breakdown of how these property types are individually distributed between individual and company ownership, limiting granular insights into their specific portfolio compositions.

In Q4 2025, landlords in Champaign (OH) paid an average of $206,821 for SFR properties, a notable $47,469 discount (18.7%) compared to the $254,290 paid by traditional homeowners. This demonstrates a consistent ability for investors to acquire properties below the market average for owner-occupants.

The price differential between landlords and homeowners has fluctuated across recent quarters. While Q4 saw a significant 18.7% discount, Q3 2025 recorded an even larger 22.9% discount ($191,936 vs $249,072). Conversely, landlords paid a slight premium of 1.5% ($3,625) in Q2 2025 ($245,648 vs $242,023), before returning to a 16.1% discount in Q1 ($199,012 vs $237,117).

Property values for landlords have seen substantial appreciation since the pandemic era. The average acquisition price for landlords increased from $140,628 during 2020-2023 to $198,882 in 2024, further rising to $212,486 in 2025. This represents a 51.1% increase from the 2020-2023 period to 2025, signaling a robust growth in property values for investors.

A significant finding is the reported zero properties acquired by landlords across all detailed timeframes (Q1-Q4 2025, Year 2025, Year 2024, 2020-2023) in the 'Landlord Acquisitions by Timeframe' data. While this suggests a pause in new landlord acquisition activity, the 'Landlord vs Homeowner Price Comparison' still provides relevant average prices for landlords in these periods, indicating market valuation trends for investor-held properties.

The sustained price appreciation underscores a favorable environment for existing investors, even in periods of low acquisition volume. The fluctuating discount/premium relative to homeowners highlights a dynamic market where investor buying strategies adapt to changing conditions.

In Q4 2025, landlords in Champaign (OH) were significant players in the SFR market, securing 21 properties which represented 21.6% of the total 97 SFR purchases. This indicates a substantial portion of the market activity driven by investors, despite the overall low volume of new landlord acquisitions reported in Section 6.

The market continues to be fueled by smaller investors, with mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04) accounting for an overwhelming 81.0% (17 properties) of all landlord acquisitions this quarter. In stark contrast, institutional investors (Tier 09) made no purchases, reflecting their minimal presence in this local market's buying activity.

Single-property landlords (Tier 01) were the most active segment, purchasing 12 properties, which constitutes 57.1% of all landlord acquisitions. This tier also saw 19 new landlord entities entering the market, signaling a robust inflow of individual investors.

Across all purchasing tiers, 28 entities were active in Q4 2025, acquiring 21 distinct SFR properties. The Tier 01 segment alone contributed 19 entities, highlighting its role as the primary entry point for new investors.

The small-medium landlord segment (Tiers 11-50) showed some activity, with 3 entities acquiring 4 properties. Specifically, a single entity in Tier 21-50 acquired 2 properties, demonstrating some concentrated buying even within the larger-end of the small-to-mid-size investor spectrum.

The investor-owned SFR market in Champaign (OH) is overwhelmingly dominated by smaller, independent landlords, with mom-and-pop investors (Tiers 01-04) controlling a staggering 95.0% of all properties. This concentration highlights the localized and individual-driven nature of the rental housing supply.

The backbone of this market is the single-property landlord (Tier 01), who collectively own 900 properties, representing 76.9% of the total investor-owned housing stock. Even Tiers 02 and 03-05 contribute significantly, holding 6.5% (76 properties) and 9.7% (114 properties) respectively, reinforcing the prevalence of small-scale investments.

In stark contrast to public perception, institutional investors (Tier 09, 1000+ properties) hold a minimal share, accounting for just 7 properties (0.6%) of the total investor-owned portfolio in Champaign (OH). This data strongly refutes any narrative of large corporations monopolizing the local rental market.

Analysis of Q4 average purchase prices by tier reveals varied strategies. Single-property landlords (Tier 01) paid the highest average price at $257,053. Mid-sized landlords in Tier 03-05, however, had the lowest average purchase price at $63,333, indicating potential for finding distressed assets or unique deal structures.

The considerable difference in average purchase prices across tiers, from $257,053 for Tier 01 to $63,333 for Tier 03-05 in Q4, suggests that investor size may correlate with differing acquisition strategies, with smaller portfolios potentially focusing on lower-priced entry points or specific market niches.

Individual investors consistently dominate the smaller segments of the Champaign (OH) real estate market, holding 91.8% of single-property portfolios (Tier 01) and 84.2% of two-property portfolios (Tier 02). This strong presence underscores the continued influence of individual, local landlords in the area.

A clear crossover point emerges in the small-medium landlord category: while individuals still hold the majority in the 3-5 property tier (68.4%) and even the 6-10 property tier (82.6%), companies take a definitive majority in the 11-20 property tier, owning 71.4% of properties (30 properties vs. 12 for individuals).

The data reveals a pattern where company ownership steadily increases with portfolio size, from just 8.2% in Tier 01 to a commanding 71.4% in Tier 11-20. This indicates that as portfolios grow, investors increasingly adopt corporate structures for their holdings, likely for operational or tax benefits.

Tier 01, representing single-property landlords, exhibits the highest concentration of individual ownership at 91.8% (831 properties). Conversely, Tier 11-20 shows the highest company concentration at 71.4% (30 properties), highlighting a structural shift in ownership type as portfolios scale up.

Despite the dominance of individual owners in smaller tiers, the significant company presence in Tier 11-20 signals a segment of the market where professional management and corporate strategies become more prevalent. This stratification by owner type suggests differing investment objectives and operational approaches across portfolio sizes.

Within Champaign County (OH), investor-owned properties are most concentrated in Zip Code 43078, which accounts for 571 properties. This is followed by Zip Code 43072 with 162 properties and Zip Code 43044 with 147 properties, collectively highlighting the primary geographic hubs for real estate investment by volume.

While Zip Code 43078 leads in raw count, Zip Code 43070 exhibits the highest intensity of investor ownership, with a remarkable 42.9% of its SFR properties being investor-owned. This significantly outpaces the 10.0% rate seen in 43078, indicating a much higher proportion of investment activity relative to the total housing stock in this smaller sub-market.

There's a clear distinction between regions with the highest count of investor properties and those with the highest percentage of investor ownership. The top five regions by count (43078, 43072, 43044, 43060, 43009) all have investor ownership rates ranging from 9.2% to 11.3%. In contrast, the top five regions by percentage (43070, 43045, 45317, 43047, 43083) show much higher penetration rates, from 13.3% to 42.9%.

The total SFR inventory in these top count-driven zip codes varies considerably, with 43078 having an estimated 5,710 SFR properties and 43009 having 522 SFR properties. This range suggests that investors are active both in larger sub-markets with substantial housing stock and smaller ones with higher penetration.

This divergence between high-count and high-percentage regions suggests that investors are pursuing different strategies across Champaign County (OH), targeting either markets with large absolute opportunities or smaller, highly-rented sub-markets with a higher concentration of investment properties.

Landlords in Champaign (OH) are consistently robust net buyers, significantly expanding their portfolios. In Q4 2025, they purchased 28 properties while selling only 3, resulting in a strong buy-to-sell ratio of 9.33x and a net gain of 25 properties.

This net buying trend has been consistent throughout 2025, with landlords acquiring a total of 126 properties and selling 30, leading to a net increase of 96 properties for the year. The annual buy-to-sell ratio for 2025 stands at a healthy 4.2x, indicating sustained portfolio growth.

The overall landlord activity in 2025 shows an increased appetite for acquisition compared to 2024, where 143 properties were bought and 49 sold, for a net gain of 94 properties and a 2.92x buy/sell ratio. This suggests that the market remains attractive for investors to add to their holdings.

A notable contrast emerges when examining institutional investor activity. While overall landlords are net accumulators, institutional investors (1000+ tier) were net sellers in 2024, divesting 2 properties against a single acquisition, resulting in a net decrease of 1 property. This pattern suggests larger investors may be re-evaluating or exiting portions of their local portfolios.

The divergence in transaction patterns between all landlords and institutional players indicates a bifurcated market. Smaller, individual landlords appear to be actively growing their portfolios, while larger entities are either on hold or strategically divesting, contributing to a fluid and dynamic investment landscape.

Landlords played a significant role in the Q4 2025 SFR market in Champaign (OH), participating in 28 out of 150 total transactions, which accounts for 18.7% of the activity. This indicates a consistent presence of investors in the local housing market.

Transaction volume was heavily concentrated in the single-property landlord tier (Tier 01), which accounted for 19 transactions. This tier also recorded the highest average purchase price at $257,053, suggesting that entry-level investors are acquiring properties at competitive market values.

A notable price spread exists across investor tiers, with the highest average purchase price of $257,053 for Tier 01 contrasting sharply with the lowest average price of $63,333 for the small landlord Tier 03-05. This $193,720 difference suggests diverse investment strategies and property types being acquired across different investor sizes.

Inter-landlord trading was relatively low across most tiers. However, the small-medium landlord Tier 21-50 showed 50.0% of its transactions (1 out of 2) were sourced from other landlords, indicating a specific niche for portfolio adjustments within this segment.

Mom-and-pop landlords (Tiers 01-04) collectively accounted for 24 transactions, reinforcing their dominance in market activity mirroring their overall ownership. Institutional investors (Tier 09) had no recorded transactions in Q4, aligning with their minimal direct acquisition activity observed in this period.