Bob Vila is a reknowned home improvement expert, who has books, tv shows, and a huge internet presence. 

Homeowners listen to Bob Vila when they want to know about the most recent trends.   They go to BobVila.com when they want information about their homes, and when they want to know what everyone is talking about.  So it was a pleasant surprise to see Raleigh, NC pop up, yet again, as one of the best places to buy a home. 

This housing article by Greg Vazzana on BobVila.com has some great advice for homeowners on what to look for in their next home - in a big way.

The big point:

Move to where populations are growing, and are likely to continue to grow.

When more people are moving into an area than are moving out, the demand for housing is strong.  Home values continue to rise - maybe more slowly than in past years, but they do rise.

Real estate appreciation is carefully monitored.  In Raleigh, appreciation was still 3.6% in 2007, even amidst tough news from real estate markets elsewhere.  

And Raleigh, NC is unlike areas like Seattle, San Francisco, and New York.  Sure, they're very popular places to live.  But land is VERY limited - each is surrounded by water.  Which means it's also VERY expensive.

Raleigh doesn't have these kinds of geographical limitations.  There are communities surrounding the three cities that make up the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill).   Generally, a longer commute means cheaper homes.  But there can be plenty of job options inside the towns of Apex, Garner, Clayton, and Pittsboro as well. 

And it's not just Triangle jobs and opportunities that are drawing people to the area.  Fort Bragg is just 50 miles away from downtown Raleigh.  Many military families have one spouse that works on the base, and one that works in the Triangle.  There are several popular areas to buy a home for these families, including Willow Spring, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and, slightly farther out, Sanford, Lillington, and Angier.   And as Fort Bragg is anticipated to continue expanding for the next several years, this is just another reason why housing remains a good investment in the Triangle. 

Raleigh was also just rated #1, again, by Forbes as the "Best Place for Businesses and Careers".   Whether you're a teacher, a nurse, a computer programmer, a recruiter, a chef, a retirement specialist, or just about anything else, Raleigh, NC is worth checking out.  

Even BobVila.com thinks so.