Cleveland, OH

Cleveland sits at a median home value of $117,703 as of the latest Zillow read, down 2.1% year-over-year — a meaningful softening that’s putting deal flow back on the table for cash buyers.

The sale-to-list ratio of 0.981 signals a balanced market — neither bid wars nor fire sales dominate. 57.6% of closings land below list, leaving room to negotiate on the right deal but no broad discount across the board.

Rents tell a stronger story. The Zillow Observed Rent Index for Cleveland is $1,425/mo against a $118k median — that’s a 14.53% gross annual rent yield, well above the national 4-5% baseline. BRRRR and long-term rental strategies have real cushion here.

Median days-on-market is running around 14 days against 1,071.333 active listings — that’s a fast-moving market. Speed is the moat; pre-arranged proof of funds and a tight buyers list are the difference between getting under contract and getting outbid.

MDR’s composite investor score for Cleveland is 78/100 based on rent yield, sale-to-list discount, motivated-seller proxies, and DOM. That puts it in our top tier — actively recommended for new capital deployment this cycle.