Neighborhood
Waterstone Estates
Hillsborough, North Carolina US
Waterstone Estates in Hillsborough, North Carolina has an investment profile defined by a 3.4 gross yield, price movement down 11.8% over the past year, and a Red Flag score of 65. Pricing is in line with Hillsborough and about 3% above North Carolina, while walkability of 26 is limited. Education is in the 76th percentile, which is a relatively strong school-district test-score result.
AI Summary•Updated May 2026
Area
0.09 mi²
ZIP Code
27278
County
Orange County
State
North Carolina
Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5US Census ACS / TIGER 2024
Verified Price · Median Sale
$519,846
YoY-11.8%
Gross Rental Yield
3.4%
Listed rent · ZORI annualized
Red Flag Index
High
65 / 100
Walkability Score
26
OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile
Education Score
76 / 100
Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy
AI Score
35
DistrictScore attractiveness · national model
Waterstone Estates Property Prices & Rental Yield
Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Waterstone Estates, Hillsborough.
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Sign in to view — freeMarket Economics Snapshot
May 2026| Metric | Value | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Median Sale Price | $519,846 | -11.8% |
| Price / Sq Ft (Verified) | $240/sqft | -3.1% |
| Asking Rent (Median) | $1,458/mo | -2.5% |
| Gross Rental Yield | 3.4% | — |
| Liquidity Score | 33 / 100 | Moderate |
| Homes Sold (Period) | 106 | +3.9% |
Is Waterstone Estates Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk
FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited North Carolina crime context.
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Sign in to view — free What Stands Out AI Insight
Active transaction volume — 106 homes sold last period
Hurricane risk is Very High (80/100)
Heat risk is Very High (80/100)
Insights are generated from Waterstone Estates's live DistrictScore metrics.
Waterstone Estates Environment & Safety
Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (North Carolina-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.
Air Quality — PM2.5
2015–20246.1 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-12.4% since 2015
EPA 9WHO 5
20152024
Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Waterstone Estates centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 54% of U.S. neighborhoods.
North Carolina Crime Trend
FBI UCR20132024
All crimes / 1k
Violent / 1k
| Year | Crimes / 1k | Violent / 1k | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 23.4 | 3.8 | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 24.6 | 3.9 | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 24.8 | 4.0 | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 25.1 | 4.2 | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 26.5 | 4.2 | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 27.7 | 3.8 | — |
Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Waterstone Estates inherits the North Carolina figures.
Radon Potential
EPAZone 3
Zone 3 — Lowest potential · Waterstone Estates
EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.
Walkability & Amenities in Waterstone Estates
Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.
Walkability & Amenities
OpenStreetMap POI26
Car-Dependent
Walkability Score
0
Grocery
0
Dining
1
Schools
0
Universities
0
Hospitals
0
Pharmacies
1
Parks
0
Rail Transit
0
Coworking
POI counts are amenities within Waterstone Estates's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.
Waterstone Estates vs Hillsborough vs North Carolina
How Waterstone Estates benchmarks against its city and state medians.
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Sign in to view — freeBuying Property in the US as a Foreigner
Federal & North Carolina tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.
Buying as a Foreigner
US Tax & OwnershipApplies to everyone7
Capital Gains (Federal)
Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).
Property Tax
Property tax: ~0.62% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).
State Income Tax
State income tax up to 4.25%; rental income is taxed at these rates.
State Capital Gains
Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.
Transfer Tax
Real estate transfer tax: $1 per $500.
Assessment Cap
No Proposition 13-style assessment cap; property is reassessed at market value.
Mansion Tax / Rent Control
No statewide mansion tax or statewide rent control.
US citizens & tax residents7
Primary-Home Exclusion
Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.
1031 Like-Kind Exchange
A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.
Depreciation Recapture
Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).
Mortgage Interest Deduction
Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).
Opportunity Zones
Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.
Rental Income (Resident)
Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.
1031 State Conformity
The state conforms to the federal 1031 like-kind exchange rules.
Foreign buyers (non-residents)5
FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)
FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.
Non-Resident Capital Gains
Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.
Non-Resident Rental Tax
Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).
Estate Tax (Non-Resident)
Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.
ITIN Requirement
Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.
Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor
FIRPTA, ITIN & North Carolina property-tax guidance for foreign buyers
Waterstone Estates Real Estate FAQ
Waterstone Estates in Hillsborough, North Carolina has a 3.4 gross yield and prices about 3% above North Carolina, while remaining in line with Hillsborough. The Red Flag score is 65, walkability is 26, and education is in the 76th percentile. Over the past year, prices are down 11.8%.
Neighborhoods near Waterstone Estates
Compare Waterstone Estates with nearby neighborhoods in Hillsborough.
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