TR_December_2021

MARKETS & TRENDS

PRICE SURGE

Mid-Market Stars WHERE ARE YOUR ODDS FOR BETTER RETURNS?

by Ingo Winzer

nvestors (and analysts) most often focus on the big

I

CURRENT JOB GROWTH

3-Year Population Growth

Avg. Home Price thousands

markets. That’s partly because they’re easier to understand, partly because they’re more reassuring. A lot of other inves- tors also own property there. But their very size limits the opportunity for superior returns; you might get lucky with a loca- tion, but otherwise the value of your property is limited by the rate at which the market grows. With an occasional exception, that’s not much. In a smaller market with strong growth, a property can quickly become more valuable because land fills up more quick - ly and builders can’t keep up with the demand. You’ll generally find lower prices there—and less competition. As we emerge from the pan- demic, jobs in business ser- vices are an early indicator for which markets will do well in the future. Here are 10 mid-sized markets that look like good pros- pects for investors. You’ll need to do more homework to invest there, but your odds for better returns are pretty good. •

Business Services

Total Jobs

2% 21% 1.5% $300

Savannah, GA

7% 20% 5.0% $385

Provo, UT

6% 14% -0.9% $310

Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, FL

4% 13% -1.9% $353

Durham, NC

4% 12% 0.3% $372

Wilmington, NC

6% 8% 0.7% $397

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL

3% 4% -0.4% $305

Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL

6% 4% 1.4% $258

Fayetteville, AR

5% 3% 2.2% $247

Sioux Falls, SD

1% 3% -0.7% $221

Green Bay, WI

LOCAL MARKET MONITOR, CARY NC

Our Investors Metro Analysis shows the opportunity and risk in 200 local real estate markets at www.LocalMarketMonitor.com. With best rent range in zip codes and job sector analysis.

Ingo Winzer is president of Local Market Monitor, which analyzes conditions in 300 U.S. markets, using such economic data as home values and growth in employment and population. Winzer, who has analyzed real estate markets for more than 20 years, was a founder and executive vice president of First Research, an industry research company that was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet in March 2007. He is a graduate of MIT and holds an MBA in finance from Boston University. Winzer resides in Cambridge, Mass. www.localmarketmonitor.com

74 | think realty magazine :: december 2021

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