Looking to make some moves in 2016? Good, because these stellar U.S. cities are ripe for the picking (or home purchasing, at least).
Real estate site Trulia recently ranked the top 10 housing markets to watch for 2016. The winners range from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where homes are especially affordable, to Tacoma, Washington, where more people are searching for homes within the city than outside of it. We kind of want to live in them ALL:
- Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Charleston, S.C.
- Austin, Texas
- Baton Rouge, La.
- San Antonio, Texas
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Columbia, S.C.
- Riverside, Calif.
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- Tacoma, Wash.
Trulia based their picks on five factors: strong job growth, low vacancy rates, high affordability, more inbound home searches than outbound and a large share of millennials in the area.
Low vacancy rates mean there's likely high demand for housing in an area, and therefore it's more probable that developers will build there, Trulia economist Ralph McLaughlin told The Huffington Post. When the amount of inbound housing searches is higher than outbound ones, it means that people are looking for homes within the metro, rather than looking to move out. These factors produce markets that certainly won't shrink, but rather will likely grow in both housing options and value.
"'Potential growth' means that homebuyers can expect at a stable or expanding housing market in the years ahead, and also solid job growth," he said. "Both are good for maintaining housing values, but also there is potential for appreciation."
Of course, these are just Trulia's picks: Other experts might prioritize safety and public schools or nightlife and culture in their rankings of the best cities to buy a home. But this is a place to start if you're on the hunt for 2016. We're more than ready.
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