Sanford doesn’t technically sit in the Fayetteville metro. But when I’m talking to owners about the greater I-95 corridor in central North Carolina, Sanford comes up constantly. And for good reason — it’s positioned at an intersection of growth corridors that makes it interesting from a commercial real estate perspective.
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I-85 vs. I-95 vs. Highway 1 Access: Properties near I-95 on-ramps command premium positioning. Highway 1 and interior locations are secondary and require more active leasing. -
Tenant Mix and Employment Source: Are your tenants Triangle-based companies expanding south? Local manufacturers? Service providers? Each source of demand has different sustainability. -
Industrial Park Configuration: Properties in true industrial parks with proper access, infrastructure, and zoning outperform scattered properties competing as generic commercial. -
Rate Competitive Analysis vs. Triangle and Coastal Markets: Sanford rents should be 20-40% below Raleigh/Durham levels. Understand your positioning and rent discount. If priced at Triangle levels, you’ll struggle to lease.
Location is the story
Sanford sits at the junction of US-1, US-421, and NC-87. It’s about 40 minutes northwest of Fayetteville, 45 minutes southwest of Raleigh, and an hour east of Greensboro. That puts it within reach of three major metro areas. And the I-95 widening project — the $708.9 million expansion — is going to improve connectivity throughout this region.
What Supports Sanford/Lee County Values
- Proximity to I-95 interchange and on-ramp access
- Industrial park configuration with proper infrastructure
- Existing tenants with Triangle or logistics operations
- Competitive rent positioning (20-40% below Raleigh)
What Creates Valuation Headwinds
- Remote location away from I-95 interchange
- Single tenant or tenant concentration risk
- Scattered or poorly-configured property without park infrastructure
- Pricing at Triangle market rates (creates tenant acquisition friction)
Lee County has been actively recruiting industry for years, and it’s worked. Caterpillar has a significant presence here. Pfizer operated a major facility (though that’s gone through changes). The county has invested in industrial parks and infrastructure that make it easier for manufacturers and logistics companies to set up shop.
What the commercial market looks like
Sanford’s commercial real estate market is small but real. You’re not going to see the deal flow you’d see in Charlotte or Raleigh. But what’s there is often well-positioned and surprisingly affordable.
| Property Type | Typical Profile | Demand Level |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial / warehouse | 10,000-50,000 SF, older stock | Moderate to strong |
| Retail / service | Small strip centers, standalone | Stable |
| Flex / contractor space | Small-bay, 2,000-5,000 SF units | Growing |
| Commercial land | Zoned industrial, highway frontage | Active interest from developers |
I talked to an owner last year who had a 15,000 SF warehouse on Hawkins Avenue. He’d bought it in 2008 when nobody wanted anything in Sanford. Paid something like $35/SF. Today that same building would probably trade at $80-90/SF. He hadn’t done much to it — just maintained it and kept a tenant in there. But the market moved to him.
The Triangle spillover effect
Here’s what’s really driving interest in Lee County. The Triangle is expensive. Land in Wake County for industrial development is getting harder to find and pricier when you do find it. Developers and businesses are looking for alternatives that are close enough to the Triangle workforce but at a fraction of the land cost. Sanford fits that description.
I’ve seen this pattern before in other markets. Rock Hill benefited from Charlotte’s expansion south. Fayetteville’s industrial market grew partly because of overflow from the Raleigh-Durham corridor. Sanford could be the next version of that.
Related: Hold or Sell Your Commercial Property: How to Decide
Related: Hampstead and the US-17 North Corridor
Related: How I Determine My Offer Price
The I-95 corridor connection
One thing that ties Sanford and Lee County into the bigger picture is the I-95 corridor. The $708.9 million widening project is going to improve north-south connectivity through this entire region. Sanford itself doesn’t sit on I-95 — it’s about 30 miles west — but US-421 connects directly, and improved I-95 capacity benefits any market that feeds into it.
For industrial users, the combination of US-1 access, proximity to Raleigh’s workforce, and significantly lower real estate costs than the Triangle creates a solid value proposition. I’ve talked to distribution companies that are looking at Sanford specifically because they can serve both the Triangle and the Fayetteville markets from one location. The geography works.
Who should be paying attention
If you own commercial property in Sanford or Lee County and you’ve been holding for five or more years, you’re probably sitting on meaningful appreciation. The question is whether you want to continue holding or take some chips off the table while values are strong.
The owners I tend to buy from in markets like this are people who got in early, held through the slow years, and are now looking at gains that seemed impossible when they bought. That’s a good problem to have. And selling at today’s values — before the rest of the market fully catches on to what’s happening here — can make a lot of sense.
I’m not going to tell you what to do. But I will give you an honest assessment of what I’d pay for your property. No commission, no listing agreement, no games. Just a number and a conversation.
Seller takeaway
Sanford and Lee County property owners should understand their I-95 corridor advantage. This market is underrated by national investors, which can create opportunity. Call Roth Capital at 704-600-3839 to discuss your property’s I-95 positioning and market potential.
If that sounds useful, call me. Let’s see where the numbers land. 704-600-3839.
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