By Louis Jones, Kiplinger's Personal Finance May 2009
TEN CITIES WITH RISING HOME VALUES
Think that no real estate market is safe? Believe it or not, there are cities where home values have held their own. Their economies are well diversified, and their population growth has been slow, keeping unemployment low and speculative building to a minimum.
Check out Monroe LA, one of 10 cities that have seen an increase in median home value. Change in median home price is from the fourth quarter 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008, which is the most recent data from Fiserv Lending Solutions, a home-price research company.
3. MONROE, LOUISIANA
Metro area population: 169,586
Median home price: $125,450
12-month change in home value: +6.3%
Home value vs. national average: -30%
Top employer: St. Francis Medical Center
Unemployment: 6.1%
Midsize manufacturing companies such as Angus Chemical Company and Bancroft Bag make up a big chunk of the infrastructure in Monroe, located about 30 miles south of the Arkansas border. Local schools such as the University of Louisiana at Monroe and Louisiana Delta Community College also give the city a boost. And despite minimal population growth, the area continues to attract new jobs, including 300 service-sector jobs in March.
Other cities included in this report:
1. Midland, TX
2. Decatur, AL
4. Kingsport-Bristol, TN/VA
5. Victoria, TX
6. Bryan-College Station, TX
7. Tuscaloosa, AL
8. State College, PA
9. Laredo, TX
10. Lubbock, TX
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Good news is spreading--northeast Louisiana is a good place to live! People are moving in and moving up. If you plan to move in 2009--across town or across the country--allow me to tell you how I can make it easier. I have been successfully bringing buyers and sellers together for more than 14 years.
Gayle Causey, 318-614-5615
http://GayleCausey.com or http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com
Keller Williams Realty, Monroe, LA
