And, you might ask, how did we make the cut?
The healthy markets that made the list have 1) strong job growth (Bureau of Labor Statistics) which bodes well for housing demand; 2) low vacancy rates (U.S. Postal Service)–low enough to encourage new construction, but not so low that inventory and sales are restrained; 3) and, low foreclosure inventory (RealtyTrac), since foreclosures tend to hold back recovery.
Why aren’t price gains a criteria?
Big price gains are not necessarily a sign of a healthy housing market… that is, if they’re being driven by a post-crash rebound, rather than solid fundamentals. That’s why Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Detroit are not on the healthiest-markets list for 2013.
