This week, Inman News releases the results of an analysis of markets that appear well-suited to investors based on a range of data.
The "10 Best Markets for Real Estate Investors" report, by Inman News reporter Andrea V. Brambila, is based on an examination of housing, demographic and economic data for hundreds of metropolitan areas nationwide, and interviews with real estate professionals. The online report will include detailed charts for each of the 10 selected market areas, and a PDF version of the full report will be available for download.
Seven out of the 10 markets featured in this report are in the South, two are in the West, and one is in the Midwest. None of the markets are in the Northeast.
The results of the analysis mirror two major economic trends: population growth and improving employment. In the past decade, the South has seen the biggest jump in population, up 14.3 percent to about 114 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The nation’s second most populated region, the West, saw its population jump 13.8 percent to nearly 72 million.
The Midwest and the Northeast registered much smaller population increases — up 3.9 percent and 3.2 percent to about 67 million and 55 million, respectively. Those smaller growth rates eliminated many of the markets in those regions from consideration in this report.
Nationally, unemployment stood at 9.2 percent (not seasonally adjusted) in March. The Midwest and the Northeast had the lowest unemployment rates among the four regions: 8.7 and 8.3 percent, respectively. The South was not far behind, however, at a rate of 8.9 percent.
The West was the only region to see an unemployment rate higher than the national rate: 10.9 percent. The two markets on the list from this region had considerably lower unemployment rates compared to major metro areas nearby.
Four of the chosen markets are state capitals and at least three others benefit from proximity to either a state capital or the nation’s capital.
Find out which markets made the list: Watch www.inman.com for the full report, to be released this week.
