Since late-2011, home values have climbed in many U.S. markets. The government's Home Price index puts the increase at +3.7% an annual basis and the National Association of REALTORS® shows home sale prices up 11% since last year. The price at which a home sells is determined by the economic force of supply-and-demand but location and amenities matter, too; establishing a baseline from which supply-and-demand can work. Using data compiled by real estate market data firm Altos Research, Forbes Magazine recently presented America's 10 most expensive ZIP codes for 2012. California … [Read more...]
Carmel, Indiana Rated Top Mid-Sized U.S. City For 2012
CNNMoney has released its Best Places To Live 2012 list. The annual survey is based on data from Onboard Informatics. Using Quality of Life factors such as education, crime and "town spirit", and focusing on towns with between 50,000 and 300,000 residents, this year's survey ranks the country's best mid-sozed cities. To be eligible for ranking, towns mus have a median household income greater than 85 percent, and less than 200 percent, of the state median income; must not be a categorized as a "retirement community" or a town with "major job loss"; and must be racially-diverse. From … [Read more...]
How Does Your Real Estate Tax Bill Compare To Other Parts Of The Country?
Mortgage rates may be a function of free markets, but real estate taxes are a function of government. And, depending on where you live, your annual real estate tax bill could be high, low, or practically non-existent. Compiling data from the 2009 American Community Survey, the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan educational organization in Washington D.C., published property taxes paid by owner-occupied households, county-by-county. The report shows huge disparity in annual property taxes by region, and by state. As a percentage of home valuation, Southeast homeowners tend to pay the fewest … [Read more...]
How Does Your Work Commute Compare To Other Cities?
As part of the Census Bureau's data collection activities from 2005-2009, a number of interesting charts have been published at http://census.gov. The data should not be confused with Census 2010 -- a separate survey conducted every 10 years. This is the first-ever, 5-year American Community Survey. Based on data from 3 million households, it details social, economic, housing, and demographic data "for every community in the nation". Among the surveys: Median Household Income, Inflation-Adjusted To 2009 Dollars (Chart) Median Housing Value Of Owner-Occupied Housing Units (Chart) Percent Of … [Read more...]
