I know that this is just one list, one company/research opinion. But CC’ers like real estate talk and so do I so…
And my city tops the list! Who’d of thought?!!
We bought and sold a house here in 2023. Nicely over asking, cash offer, no inspections/appraisal for the house we sold - had several offers quickly for our midwest middle class older nice home in an established neighborhood. Had to act FAST and with a clever realtor to get the house we bought by being the first ones in the door and a bid that would shut down the open houses for the weekend.
I was surprised to see my city high on the list since it’s considered one of the most unaffordable areas to buy. Then I looked up the specific locations of the house and condo they listed and thought, nope, there are reasons those places are “affordable.” They would be more last than first resort.
It is strange to see San Diego on there as we are not an affordable city. Riverside, California is where my parents live and where I grew up. It is more affordable than other locations in Southern California, but it is 100 plus degrees for months on end and the commute to Orange County or LA is terrible.
The article seems to indicate that the rankings are not just based on affordability but other factors such as inventory, where falling interest rates are likely to create more buyers AND sellers, desirability, etc.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure that no one on this list wants to live in Riverside or Bakersfield. Just shows how ridiculous housing prices have gotten that these places look attractive. In addition to being HOT 6 months of the year, they both have horrible air quality and high crime. So the idea is this is a list where prices will continue to go up and there will be high demand. Yeah, okay, maybe. Because they are starting from a low place.
But wait, I thought everyone was leaving California for Texas and Florida? Why aren’t cities there on this list? How can cities in CA have demand if everyone is leaving? /s
My S wanted to move to Grand Rapids, since he has friends there & it’s a good location because it’s a convenient drive to a lot of his clients (he’s a service engineer). But the market really shot up - it’s pricing out a lot of people who would have moved there in the past.
Glad to see Worcester, MA on the list. Great college city with lots of restaurants and eateries for the students and new hotels to meet the demand of parents. We love visiting and can see why the cheaper real estate, improving business climate, infrastructure and city planning is drawing young professionals away from Boston. Plus, the WooSox are great!
I would take Riverside over Bakersfield. But I would take most places in CA above either one. Price is the only reason they are on this list. At least they didn’t include Stockton.
Uh, San Diego. S lives there with an expanding family and interest rates, much less prices make it impossible to upsize. The good news is that he did buy property before the start of the pandemic. It is time for families to squeeze in to existing housing and make do as in previous generations. On the other hand, I just spent three weeks there doing childcare for them, and it is a glorious place to live.
My post above was about San Diego. I laughed at the locations of the house and condo they described. There are reasons why I spent 10 years getting us moved here from Chicagoland! Where were you staying?
I looked at the condo location and know it fairly well as S lived in Hillcrest while in school. Not exactly a neighborhood around that condo, as far as I know! I don’t know much about the area of the house. I was in Golden Hill/South Park. Lovely place to walk.
Colorado-mom, I was filling in for the other grandparents, who have been living with them doing childcare, originally due to a complicated set of circumstances involving Covid restrictions in their country of origin. Other grandparents have returned and new baby is due before long. They’ll make it work somehow.
I live in northern New Jersey. Inventory is low and properties are selling fast and for above asking price. I was looking at a townhouse that went under contact in 3 days. Good for selling, not so good for buying.
That’s exactly where my D lives (Golden Hill a block below the park). Just married and no kids, but a very energetic dog. I stayed 10 days last time I visited her (her H/then fiancee was on deployment). I took her dog on 4 mile walks every day. H, who lived in San Diego/PB for three years 30+ years ago, was unfamiliar with that neighborhood until she moved there. We both said we would love living there - so close to downtown, easy access to several freeways, loads of restaurants in walking distance, and of course, the park!
