Washington, D.C., was one of only two markets to see year-over-year gains in the most recent Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home-price index report, which tracks 20 U.S. metro areas nationally. While 11 of the 20 markets tracked posted new index lows in December, home prices in Washington, D.C., rose 4.1 percent year-over-year.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons the DC Metro-Alexandria-Arlington area topped the list of Top 10 Real Estate Markets to Watch in 2011 by Inman News. Here’s how they scored the area:
1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.
Total population (2009): 5,476,241
Median sales price (Q4 2010): $331,100
Median sales price % change (Q4 ’09-Q4 ’10): 8.1%
Sales volume (# units sold in 2010): 97,860
Sales volume % change (2009-10): -3.5%
Unemployment rate (Dec. 2010): 5.7%
Foreclosure activity rate (2010): 1 in 49 units
Walk Score: 68
DC also ranked #13 in the Country for cities where it’s cheaper to BUY than Rent. See the complete list here, according to Trulia.