If you are considering relocating, and want information on various housing markets to make your decision, you have a wealth of information literally at your fingertips.
The National Association of Realtors has downloadable 10 page reports detailing home price trends in 135 markets. In these markets, the fear of a bubble is not supported. The reports detail information such as employment growth, price to income ratio, mortgage payment information, and current appreciation. The reports feature graphs and are in clear language free of jargon and hype.
I have found these reports to be very helpful in my personal decisions regarding my own baby boomer downsize relocation, because they not only tell me “how’s the market”, they tell me about the community, the income level, indications for future prosperity and building in the area, and types of loans that tend to be beneficial for purchases in the region.
These reports utilize “stress tests” – that is, they are compared to the possibility of events that could affect the housing market. For example, the effect of a rise in interest rates or a loss of jobs is measured against the gains in housing prices. This is particularly important for those who are considering a move to a different area, but are concerned about buying “just before the bubble bursts”.
If you are thinking about where your next move might be, or want to see statistics on your area, take a look at these reports. You can find them here: http://www.realtor.org/research.nsf/pages/anti-bubblereports