MSN’s Most Affordable Housing Markets
July 3, 2008
MSN has published it’s list of the what it’s calling the nine most affordable housing markets and has San Antonio at No. 5.
1. Wichita, Kan.
2. Omaha, Neb. — Council Bluffs, Iowa
3. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa.
4. Madison, Wis.
5. San Antonio
6. Indianapolis
7. Pittsburgh
8. Dallas-Fort Worth
9. Tulsa, Okla.
To develop the 2008 MSN Real Estate Most-Livable Bargain Markets list, we asked Bert Sperling of Sperling’s Best Places to evaluate the most affordable housing markets from the 100 largest U.S. metro areas and pinpoint the nine most livable areas: places where unemployment is low, commute times are short and there’s enough interesting entertainment or recreation to keep most people busy. We defined affordability by the ratio of median income to median home price.
Forbes Rates The Best And Worst Cities For Unemployment Pay
June 27, 2008
Forbes just released a list which ranked the best and worst cities for unemployment pay in the nation. San Antonio came in the 8th best city with a maxed unemployment benefit of $378, low cost of living and a 3.6% unemployment rate.
Texas cities overall ranked very well due to an unemployment rate of 4.5%, which is well below the national average of 5.5% and lower cost of living compared to other states. The process of how Forbes ranked the cities is below.
San Antonio Remains One Of The Healthiest Markets In The Country
May 27, 2008
Quoting from The ShowCase USA article, “San Antonio Housing Market On Leading Edge of Recovery.”
There is a general consensus that the United States is in the midst of a mild recession that will be documented by the end of the summer,” said Jack Inselmann, Vice President of the U.S. Central Division of Metrostudy, a national housing tracking and consulting company. “By the time it is documented, it may already be over. The homebuilding industry is working determinedly to rid itself of any excess inventory, and in many markets that process will be completed this year giving rise to some moderate optimism for 2009.
2008 Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Begins Saturday May 24th
May 19, 2008
Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday
Memorial Day Weekend
May 24 – 26, 2008
During Memorial Day weekend, San Antonio shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products. The 2008 Energy Star sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day).
The products qualifying for the exemption are:
- air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)
- clothes washers (but not clothes dryers*)
- ceiling fans
- dehumidifiers
- dishwashers
- light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
Forbes Ranks The Best Cities For The Outdoors
May 12, 2008
Forbes Methodology
To determine which of the 40 largest cities were best for the outdoors, we used research from the nonprofit organization Trust for Public Land, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We included the following data: spending per resident, park land as a percentage of city land, number of recreation facilities, precipitation, sunshine, temperature extremes and air quality.
For spending, park land and recreation, we used fiscal year 2006 data collected by the Trust for Public Land, which gathered information from city municipalities. To measure recreation opportunities, we looked at the number of ball diamonds, tennis courts and pools and created a Forbes.com recreation index.
San Antonio Is The 5th Most Popular City For Relocating Families
May 8, 2008
Worldwide ERC, and Primacy Relocation announced that the top ranked metropolitan areas with populations of 1.3 million and above are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Austin, Fort Worth and San Antonio for the 2008’s Best Cities for Relocating Families. The two organizations worked with Bert Sperling of Sperling’s BestPlaces to rate cities based on those factors – short-term and long-term – that determine the likelihood of a successful relocation.
“This study is a great indicator for our two most important customers – our clients and their transferees,” said Michelle Vallejo, SCRP, GMS, President of Primacy, The Americas. “We have seen a lot of movement within the list through the years, and applaud those cities that have moved to the top in 2008.”
Top 10 U.S. Metro Areas With The Highest Population Growth
March 28, 2008
Dallas-Fort Worth had the largest numeric gain of any metro area between 2006 and 2007, increasing by 162,250, according to July 1, 2007, estimates of metro area population size and growth released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Atlanta (151,063), Phoenix (132,513) and Houston (120,544) rounded out the metro areas with a gain of at least 100,000.
The Midwest metro area with the greatest numeric change between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, was Chicago (seventh overall nationally), while the Northeast metro area with the greatest numeric change over the same period was New York (21st overall nationally).Eight of the 10 fastest-growing metro areas between 2006 and 2007 were located in the South.
San Antonio Ranks 34th Best Place To Live and Launch by CNN
March 27, 2008
CNNMoney.com ranked the top 100 cities to live and launch your own company based on the best mix of business advantages and lifestyle appeal. San Antonio came in at 34th out of 100 with the only con being the “Hot Summers.” Stats are below along with the link to the article.
