Value shoppers

Homeowners looking for long-term value in their abode should imbibe some two-buck Chuck.

That's the cheeky nickname for Charles Shaw Wines, sold at Trader Joe's for $1.99 a bottle. And homeowners who live near a Trader Joe's have seen an average five-year home appreciation of 67%, according to a new report from Attom data, parent of real estate data analytics firm RealtyTrac. That rise in appreciation beats homes near a Whole Foods, where five-year home appreciation is 52%, and homes near an Aldi, where appreciation is 51% appreciation. (Brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht founded Aldi in their native Germany after World War II; Theo Albrecht acquired Trader Joe's in 1979. The grocery chains now operate in the U.S. under separate entities, Aldi Sud owns Aldi stores nationally while Aldi Nord owns Trader's Joes.)

Homeowners near a Trader Joe's also score better on equity, with an average 36% equity in their home, equal to $232,439. Homeowners near Whole Foods had an average 31% equity, equal to $187,925, and homeowners near an Aldi had an average 18% equity, equal to $46,352.

But when it comes to generating top-dollar returns on flipping homes, forget the two-buck Chuck and head for Aldi — land of no-frills grocery shopping. In addition to low prices on meats, eggs and milk, Aldi is the Spirit airlines of grocery chains. The interiors are sparsely decorated; it costs a quarter, refundable after shopping, to rent a shopping cart; and there are no grocery bags. Aldi officials announced in June that the company plans to open nearly 1,000 stores nationwide by 2022, part of a $3.4 billion investment.

That's good news for real estate flippers. Properties near an Aldi have an average gross flipping return on investment of 69%, the Attom report shows. Properties near a Whole Foods had an average gross flipping return on investment of 41%, while Trader Joe's posted a 36% return.

In addition to return, properties near an Aldi had an average gross rental yield of 10%, compared to properties near a Whole Foods with an average gross rental yield of 6% and Trader Joe's at 5%.