Rankings Archives - George L. Duarte

Most expensive ZIP codes in the U.S. Since late-2011, home values have climbed in many U.S. markets.

The government’s Home Price index puts the increase at +3.7% an annual basis and the National Association of REALTORS® shows home sale prices up 11% since last year.

The price at which a home sells is determined by the economic force of supply-and-demand but location and amenities matter, too; establishing a baseline from which supply-and-demand can work.

Using data compiled by real estate market data firm Altos Research, Forbes Magazine recently presented America’s 10 most expensive ZIP codes for 2012. California and the New York Metro area dominate the list.

New York, NY (10065) : $6,534,430
Alpine, NJ (07620) : $5,745,038
Atherton, CA (94027) : $4,897,864
Sagaponack, NY (11962) : $4,180,385
Hillsborough, CA (94010) : $4,127,250
New York, NY (10014) : $4,116,506
Los Altos Hills, CA (94022) : $4,016,050
New York, NY (10021) : $3,980,829
Rolling Hills, CA (90274) : $3,972,500
New York, NY (10075) : $3,885,409

As an illustration of how home prices have climbed since Forbes publishes last year’s Most Expensive ZIP code list, this year’s #10 — Upper East Side, New York City, New York — would have ranked third in 2011.

The Forbes list may be interesting but, to home buyers or sellers in Chicago , it’s far from the final word in home values. Real estate remains a local market which means that — even within a given ZIP code — prices can vary based on street and neighborhood, and home characteristics.

Look past the general data and get to the specifics. Talk to your real estate agent for local market pricing.

Top Places To Live 2012 Edition CNNMoney has released its Best Places To Live 2012 list.

The annual survey is based on data from Onboard Informatics. Using Quality of Life factors such as education, crime and “town spirit”, and focusing on towns with between 50,000 and 300,000 residents, this year’s survey ranks the country’s best mid-sozed cities.

To be eligible for ranking, towns mus have a median household income greater than 85 percent, and less than 200 percent, of the state median income; must not be a categorized as a “retirement community” or a town with “major job loss”; and must be racially-diverse.

From a list of 744 eligible towns nationwide, Carmel, Indiana ranked first.

The complete Top 10 Best Places to Live as cited by CNNMoney, and average local home listing price as of July 2012 follows :

Carmel, Indiana ($304,340 average listing price)
McKinney, Texas ($245,917 average listing price)
Eden Prairie, Minnesota ($413,566 average listing price)
Newton, Massachusetts ($850,117 average listing price)
Redmond, Washington ($518,982 average listing price)
Irvine, California ($904,753 average listing price)
Reston, Virginia ($467,934 average listing price)
Columbia, Maryland ($406,943 average listing price)
Overland Park, Kansas ($278,204 average listing price)
Chapel Hill, NC ($376,660 average listing price)

In addition to ranking its Top 10 Best Places To Live, CNNMoney also offers a host of data on the top-ranked 100 cities at its website. See whether your hometown ranks, and what the data says about your town.

As you review the rankings, however, remember that while lists like these can be helpful to a home buyer in Chicago , all “Best Place To Live”-like surveys are subjective. A bottom-ranked town may have no less appeal to you as an individual than a top-ranked one.

Every city has something to offer to its residents.

Therefore, before making a decision to buy a home, make sure to connect with a real estate agent with local market knowledge. That’s the best, most reliable way to make sure you’re getting the data on the market that matters most to you.

The Most Expensive U.S. ZIP Codes (2012 Edition)

Carmel, Indiana Rated Top Mid-Sized U.S. City For 2012

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