Housing prices slumping?
Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 7:33 amCharlotte, Raleigh, Portland, Ore., Boise, Idaho, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Houston and Austin, Texas, are among the cities bucking the national trend. Home appreciation there between the fourth quarters of 2005 and 2006 far exceeded the national average of 5.9 percent, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. In some markets, like Boise and Seattle, the appreciation jumped well into the double digits.
Most of the cities also have one or more strong industries to drive their economies -- colleges and technology in Raleigh, banks in Charlotte, energy in Houston and aerospace in Seattle. And all have education levels above the national average.