I came across an article recently on walletpop.com that gave “Top Tens.” Of course they had the top 10 locations to buy a home in 2011. These are not order-specific and I believe them to be somewhat biased. This all depends on the buyers point of view. I will let you decide for yourself.
1. Best All Around City Winner: Austin, Texas
Average Home Price: $119, 788. This city is the capital of Texas as well as home to many good colleges, making it a great college town with a lot of diversity. Their unemployment rate is about 2% lower than the national average. It is a beautiful city (I know, I have been there) and the job growth over the last decade has increased by roughly 14%. The riverwalk is a beautiful place to stroll with your family and friends, and the food is to die for.
2. Best Job Winner: Broomfield County, Colorado
Average Home Price: $239,000. I actually used to live near this area so am pretty familiar with it. It is close to Boulder and Denver so you get the best of both worlds. Not to mention the slopes aren’t too far away either for those of you who appreciate a good powder day. If you thought the job growth in Austin was good, Broomfield’s job growth is on steroids. They had a 50% increase over the last decade! There are many parks dotted throughout the county. There are also still functional farms within the county that hold festivals and things like farmer’s markets and pumpkin picking!
3. Best Place To Raise A Family Winner: Woodbury, Minnesota
Average Home Price: $240, 100. My homestate is Minnesota and, in my opinion, you will never meet a friendlier bunch of people. This town is a short drive from St. Paul, Minnesota’s capital city. St. Paul boasts theaters, 3 world class museums, many family fun festivals, and an active grass roots community. In the town of Woodbury, there are many hiking and biking trails. The school systems are also highly spoken of, which is a big factor when you have school age children.
4. Best City, No Contest Winner: San Francisco, California
Average Home Price: $628,000 (OMG!). I had the fortune of being able to visit this city several years ago. Even back then the place had a certain city charisma. The coffee is amazing, The ocean is amazing. The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz are amazing. Tai Chi in the local parks is amazing. Fisherman’s Wharf is amazing. There is also a neat little mechanical museum where they have super old arcade games and a mechanical fortune teller who gives out real fortunes on cards!
5. Best College Town Winner: Madison, Wisconsin
Average Home Price: $209, 400. Being a college town that boasts a Big 10 school, the chances of having an intelligent conversation with a total stranger are high. There are a myriad of choices in eateries so your taste buds will never be bored, as well as local farmer’s markets with the sweetest corn on the cob. I know, I got some on a road trip through here and didn’t even use butter or salt on it. Absolutely perfect. Cave of the Mounds National Landscape is another outdoor attraction close to this city located between 2 lakes. A fun place for all seasons.
This is only the first half of the Top 10 Places to Buy A Home for this year. Stay tuned for next week’s blog to discover what other great cities the US has to offer buyers.
Don’t forget, if you are considering buying a home make sure to use a buyers agent. They can provide 100% buyer representation and are highly skilled at negotiating for the best price and terms for the buyer.
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