Location: Rule #1 of Real Estate

With the alarming news we continue to read and hear about regarding real estate values, in conjunction with the swelling rate of mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, it is important to note that some areas of the country are actually experiencing good news.  While the over all trend on a national level may be weak to declining values, what is happening in your own backyard, your city and state are far more important factors. In many areas of the country, it is a buyers market and the good times have continued to roll for buyers.  Incomes are generally on the rise and with home prices now declining, affordability levels are up.   The key components to those areas nationally which are still experiencing gains in real estate values are an expanding job market along with rapid population growth in areas of the country which were unlikely to have experienced the hyper-speculation of recent years.  Of course it is high real estate prices in some areas that are leading to the migration of jobs and the resulting shift in home buying activity into new areas.  The following characteristics define a good real estate location today:

• A Solid Job Market – businesses are moving into an area because of reasonable real estate prices, lower operating costs (compared to those areas they are relocating from) as well as an educated work force to tap into.  Typically these are areas of close proximity to major universities.

• Population Growth – good demographics result from an area that has amenities and attractions appealing to a population that is varied in age and socioeconomic makeup.   

• Great Schools – whether you have kids or not, having good schools, those with strong national and state test scores, benefits everyone and parents are typically  interested in living only in areas which have good public schools.  This is one of the most important considerations for both renters as well as buyers with school age children.  

• Convenience – you want to be close to major amenities and attractions in the area as well as close to where the jobs are.  It is usually property furthest away from a city’s main arteries that have the most difficulty selling in a market downturn.  Proximity to freeways and public transportation is also of crucial importance.

• Local Tax Rates – smaller towns and cities have a smaller populace to spread the fixed costs of financing schools, police and fire services.  Know what you are getting into when you buy, if you are purchasing in a small, rapidly growing area then you should count on rapidly increasing property taxes as well.  You can avoid rapidly escalating taxes by searching for property in those areas that already have experienced some population growth and have a well developed infrastructure in place.

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