Just two days ago, I wrote that Zillow.com had ranked Boulder as the #4 Best Place to Sell a Home in the Country. Now, BusinessWeek Magazine, using Zillow’s stats, drew their own conclusion and ranked Boulder the #1 Strongest U.S. Housing Market. They cite the fact that 59.9% of homes here appreciated since last year and the median price rose 2.12%. Their ranking also looks favorably on towns with universities and government jobs, two things Boulder has in spades. They also mention the growth measures that have limited building, our 50,000 acres of open space surrounding the city and the strong demand for rental housing.

Fort Collins also made the BusinessWeek list at #19. But perhaps a surprise entry is New Orleans which came in at #3 because of government subsidies and the resulting construction boom.

The top 10 cities on the BusinessWeek list of strongest housing markets: 

• 1. Boulder
• 2. Spartanburg, S.C.
• 3. New Orleans
• 4. Binghamton, N.Y.
• 5. Fayetteville, N.C.
• 6. Pittsburgh
• 7. Little Rock, Ark.
• 8. Gainesville, Ga.
• 9. Burlington, N.C.
• 10. Oklahoma City

Read the full Business Week article at http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/aug2009/bw20090810_741278.htm

blog by elephant’s Realtor Liz Benson