#not a rent per say just a mid annoyance that it happened four times in a row

[trucbiduleschouettes]

Americans realise there're timezones other than theirs, many hours in the future from them right

[lilacpisces1-blog]

What I Love This Week

This week was a good one. James turned 4 months old, had a healthy 4-month checkup at the pediatrician, and we marked the four year anniversary of It Was Me All Along! Oh and I changed out of my pajamas and into what many would consider to be “normal” clothes on 4 out of the 7 days, which was really something. To celebrate, I’m starting a new series here where I share all of my recent favorites: things I’ve read, watched, listened to, bought, eaten…you get the idea. Here goes nothing:

Read

“The Weight I Carry: What it’s like to be too big in America” by Tommy Tomlinson This piece in The Atlantic is an excerpt from his forthcoming book The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America https://amzn.to/2RlFzRv (you can preorder now; it comes out 1/15/19). It’s sincere and moving and so, so worth the read:

“I’ve never been anything but fat. Is there something in the fat version of me that also makes me likable and creative and a decent human being? Are the best parts of me all knotted up with the worst? Is there some way to untangle it and keep just the good stuff? Most of the time I think of my fat as a husk—something I have to shed so the best part of me can come out. But sometimes I wonder if I’m more like the shells you find on the beach, where the outer part is the attraction, and the animal inside is dull and shapeless.”

Daily Annoyances for Most People Are Catastrophic for Poor People by Linda Tirado My mother has held at least two jobs for as long as I can remember. I cannot say that I know what it’s like to be dirt poor, but I do know what it’s like to struggle, to have your one family car repossessed, and to worry regularly about the lights getting turned off. All this to say, I have a tremendous amount of compassion for anyone who struggles financially. This article is an excerpt from Linda Tirado’s book, Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America and it’s both necessary and devastating.

“It is impossible to be good with money when you don’t have any. Full stop. If I’m saving my spare five bucks a week, in the best-case scenario I will have saved $260 a year. For those of you that think in quarters: $65 per quarter in savings. If you deny yourself even small luxuries, that’s the fortune you’ll amass. Of course you will never manage to actually save it; you’ll get sick at least one day and miss work and dip into it for rent. Gas will spike and you’ll need it to get to work. You’ll get a tear in your work pants that you can’t patch. Something, I guarantee you, will happen in three months.

When I have a few extra dollars to spend, I can’t afford to think about next month—my present day situation is generally too tight to allow me that luxury. I’ve got kids who are interested in their quality of life right now, not 10 years from now.”

Watch

90 Day Fiancé Just before I had James, I got sucked into the madness that is 90 Day Fiancé on TLC. And once I gave birth, I sped through 5 seasons in a blur. The show is fascinating, to say the least. If you’re not familiar, it’s about men and women who fall in love with people who live in other countries (sometimes they meet while on vacation or on a religious mission, but most often they meet on online dating sites) and through a K1 Visa, the fiancé is able to come to the U.S. for 90 days. They must marry within that timeframe or else the fiancé must leave the country. I suppose what’s most consuming about the show is trying to determine how real these relationships really are and what led these people to them in the first place.

Listen

Armchair Expert podcast I’ve been listening to podcasts for 11 years now, which translates loosely to me considering myself a bit of a podcast connoisseur. I’ve listened to thousands of shows and episodes on topics that range from comedy to health to parenting. I discovered the Armchair Expert podcast, hosted by actor/comedian Dax Shepard, at the start of 2018, and have since listened to every episode, falling completely in love in the process. As an interviewer, Dax is a natural. Whether he’s speaking with an actor friend or an expert in a given field (ethics, writing, parenting, etc.), he’s able to create a casual, comfortable conversation. He’s curious, thoughtful, and honest, all of which matter quite a bit to us listeners, especially since he’s not one to shy away from sensitive subjects. What I love most about Dax is that he’s endearingly human, quick to reveal his own flaws and to reconsider his own beliefs.

*Favorite episode: Jonathan Haidt

Wear

Nordstrom Moonlight Pajamas Up until this year, I spent every night of my life in pajamas that I can only describe as mortifying (Exhibit A (my favorite): an oversized t-shirt my parents got me on a trip to Canada in the mid-2000’s that read, “Somebody who loves me very much went to Calgary, Canada and got me this shirt,” and bumblebee-print pants). And while this feels very deeply ‘me,’ I’ve always wished I were someone who wore, I don’t know, nice pajamas I guess? The trouble was, every time I went to buy some, I pulled back, thinking of half a dozen other things I’d rather spend the money on. Then I had a baby, and started spending my entire life in pajamas, so I bought two pairs and I’ve never looked back. These pajamas are soft and comfortable while still being pretty darn good looking.

Find

Sunbeam Heated Throw Daniel has gotten me a lot of special gifts over the past 15-ish years, but I don’t know if I’ve ever liked any of them quite as much as the heated blanket he got me this year. Before your eyes roll all the way back in your head, wait! This could change your life.

For some reason (likely genetic poor circulation that’s been handed down to me), I get really cold as I fall asleep. Or at least I used to. But not anymore. I put this soft fleece blanket on top of the covers on my side of the bed and turn it on the “preheat” setting 10 or 15 minutes before bed. By the time I crawl in, it’s toasty. The blanket itself isn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it has 10 heat settings and automatic shut-off after 10 hours. I use it every night!

Make

12 Healthyish Winter Recipes Sweet Potato Toast Superfood Green Smmothie Bowl 3 Ways to Cook Trader Joe’s Frozen Cauliflower Gnocchi (No Thawing Required) Chicken Cobb Lettuce Wraps

Note: This post contains a few affiliate links.

Source: http://www.andiemitchell.com/what-i-love-this-week/

[mikebrackett]

Hottest Housing Markets to Start 2019

As we enter 2019, we thought we would look at some of the hottest housing markets around. Where are people having to put out the most cash in order to get into a home? What makes demand in these areas so high?

Read on if you’re looking to buy or refinance a home, or see which cities around the country are particularly hot at the moment.

The housing statistics in this article come from the National Association of REALTORS® median home price data for the third quarter of 2018.

West

Many of the top markets, in terms of price at the beginning of this year, are out West. Let’s look at some of them.

San Jose/Santa Clara, California

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $1.3 million

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 11.6%

Fed by a proliferation of high-paying jobs courtesy of Silicon Valley and exacerbated by a shortage of available housing, this area is the one on the list where median prices crack seven  figures.

Unemployment is under 3%, and the area is # 5 on the Forbes list of best places for education. The median income in the area is $114,411.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $818,600

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.7%

I would imagine living in Honolulu every day is a little slice of paradise, with the year-round warmth and access to some of the world’s best beaches, but it’s also incredibly expensive, mostly because it costs so much to ship goods from the mainland.

Here are some cool random facts about Honolulu.  Although I couldn’t find confirmation that this law is actually enforced, it’s technically illegal in Honolulu not to own a boat. There’s also a public parks ordinance on the island that says you can’t annoy any animal. It strikes me that the definition of “annoyance” might vary, depending on whom you ask. Still, if people in Honolulu are feeling peeved, they can just chill on one of the beaches in the area – there are more than 100.

Boulder, Colorado

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $604,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.2%

While Boulder may not be cheap, it was named the happiest place in the U.S. by National Geographic as recently as 2017. Move over, Disney World!

Per capita, more people walked worked in the city than anywhere else in the U.S. If you’re a beer enthusiast, Boulder boasts 24 breweries.

Northeast

It may be the nation’s smallest region in terms of new home sales on a consistent basis, but that’s because the Northeast is already a region that’s very built-up. The lack of availability for new developments makes the houses that are available more expensive.

Some of the areas here are a case in point.

Boston

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,400

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.9%

Boston is consistently near the top of our list of undervalued housing markets, based on the fact that appraisal values are coming in at nearly 3% higher than homeowner estimates.

Did you know that the Red Sox have a patent for the shade of green that’s on the Green Monster: Fenway Green? Who knew you could patent a color?

If you’re more into sweets than baseball, the city is also home to the first chocolate factory ever built in the U.S.

Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,100

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.4%

These counties are on Long Island, and much like other real estate in and around New York City, homes here  can be in short supply and pricey.

Long Island counts poet Walt Whitman and former  first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis among its famous residents. A great white shark captured off the coast served as inspiration for Peter Benchley when he penned his  best-selling novel “Jaws.” Think of Long Island next time you’re humming John Williams’ theme from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster.

Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $476,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.2%

Bridgeport happens to be the founding location of the Subway sandwich shop, then known as Pete’s Subway. Meanwhile, Norwalk is known for its beaches.

Fans of “The Office” will recognize Stamford as the place Karen Filippelli and Andy Bernard called home when viewers first met them on the show.

South

The South is widely cited as the nation’s fastest-growing housing region. Let’s look at a couple of areas where price growth matches the pace of building.

Washington, D.C.

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $426,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.3%

Some would argue Washington, D.C. is more in the Mid-Atlantic, but for simplicity, I’ve split the nation into four regions, much like the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The nation’s capital constantly has a lot of people associated with the day-to-day operations of government and politics  moving in and out. As a result, places to live in and around the city can be in short supply.

Since Washington is probably one of the most watched cities in history, it’s hard to find things not everyone knows, but I’m going to give it a shot. There’s an empty crypt under the Capitol. Former President George Washington was to be buried there, but he chose to be buried on his estate at Mount Vernon in Virginia instead.

Naples, Florida

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $425,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Decrease: 1.1%

Naples purports to have some of the top beaches in the country. It’s also home to a couple of major wildlife refuges.

It’s also a good place to hit the links, as there are more than 80 championship golf courses in the area.

Austin, Texas

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $318,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.4%

Austin has a burgeoning tech and cultural scene that serves as one of the main reasons it’s so attractive. Many tech companies have Austin-based offices, and the influx of people has driven real estate prices up in the last decade.

It also doesn’t hurt the mood to realize that Austin gets 300 days of sunshine. It’s enough to make a Michigander jealous.

Midwest

While property values have gone up across the country, they’re moving up a little slower in America’s heartland. That’s not to say there aren’t some areas that are a little more high-rent than others, though.

Madison, Wisconsin

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,700

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.8%

Madison is the home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Being a college town, it can have a short supply of housing when the students come back each fall.

Speaking of UW Madison, that’s where The Onion got its start in 1988 (not in 1756 as the site claims) under the leadership of Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson. And unlike The Onion, I’m not kidding about that.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.7% 

You won’t get very far in this city without hearing someone say, “Go blue!” The University of Michigan’s fight song talks about its students being the leaders and best. An influx of those leaders brings up housing prices every fall, but on the plus side, you could rent to students.

My brother went to the University of Michigan, and Quicken Loans is based in Detroit, so I’m extremely familiar with U of M. It does a ton of great research around Ann Arbor. One of the big initiatives the public might see is the autonomous car testing. Companies have taken advantage of the urban environment and talent pool of smart people to set up shop working on the cars of the future.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $274,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.5%

Minneapolis is home to the Mall of America, and the area  really caters to shopping there. There is no sales tax on clothing or shoes, so it’s a shopper’s paradise.

It’s no secret that it gets cold in Minnesota. For this reason, there are 7 miles of connected skyway spanning 69 blocks, so you won’t have to step out into the cold as much in the downtown area.

We hope you had fun on this little journey with us. Now that you know little more about property values, if you’re ready to buy or refinance a home, you can get your application started online or give us a call at (800) 785-4788.

The post Hottest Housing Markets to Start 2019 appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/hottest-housing-markets-start-2019

[aaltjebarisca]

Hottest Housing Markets to Start 2019

As we enter 2019, we thought we would look at some of the hottest housing markets around. Where are people having to put out the most cash in order to get into a home? What makes demand in these areas so high?

Read on if you’re looking to buy or refinance a home, or see which cities around the country are particularly hot at the moment.

The housing statistics in this article come from the National Association of REALTORS® median home price data for the third quarter of 2018.

West

Many of the top markets, in terms of price at the beginning of this year, are out West. Let’s look at some of them.

San Jose/Santa Clara, California

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $1.3 million

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 11.6%

Fed by a proliferation of high-paying jobs courtesy of Silicon Valley and exacerbated by a shortage of available housing, this area is the one on the list where median prices crack seven  figures.

Unemployment is under 3%, and the area is # 5 on the Forbes list of best places for education. The median income in the area is $114,411.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $818,600

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.7%

I would imagine living in Honolulu every day is a little slice of paradise, with the year-round warmth and access to some of the world’s best beaches, but it’s also incredibly expensive, mostly because it costs so much to ship goods from the mainland.

Here are some cool random facts about Honolulu.  Although I couldn’t find confirmation that this law is actually enforced, it’s technically illegal in Honolulu not to own a boat. There’s also a public parks ordinance on the island that says you can’t annoy any animal. It strikes me that the definition of “annoyance” might vary, depending on whom you ask. Still, if people in Honolulu are feeling peeved, they can just chill on one of the beaches in the area – there are more than 100.

Boulder, Colorado

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $604,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.2%

While Boulder may not be cheap, it was named the happiest place in the U.S. by National Geographic as recently as 2017. Move over, Disney World!

Per capita, more people walked worked in the city than anywhere else in the U.S. If you’re a beer enthusiast, Boulder boasts 24 breweries.

Northeast

It may be the nation’s smallest region in terms of new home sales on a consistent basis, but that’s because the Northeast is already a region that’s very built-up. The lack of availability for new developments makes the houses that are available more expensive.

Some of the areas here are a case in point.

Boston

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,400

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.9%

Boston is consistently near the top of our list of undervalued housing markets, based on the fact that appraisal values are coming in at nearly 3% higher than homeowner estimates.

Did you know that the Red Sox have a patent for the shade of green that’s on the Green Monster: Fenway Green? Who knew you could patent a color?

If you’re more into sweets than baseball, the city is also home to the first chocolate factory ever built in the U.S.

Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,100

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.4%

These counties are on Long Island, and much like other real estate in and around New York City, homes here  can be in short supply and pricey.

Long Island counts poet Walt Whitman and former  first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis among its famous residents. A great white shark captured off the coast served as inspiration for Peter Benchley when he penned his  best-selling novel “Jaws.” Think of Long Island next time you’re humming John Williams’ theme from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster.

Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $476,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.2%

Bridgeport happens to be the founding location of the Subway sandwich shop, then known as Pete’s Subway. Meanwhile, Norwalk is known for its beaches.

Fans of “The Office” will recognize Stamford as the place Karen Filippelli and Andy Bernard called home when viewers first met them on the show.

South

The South is widely cited as the nation’s fastest-growing housing region. Let’s look at a couple of areas where price growth matches the pace of building.

Washington, D.C.

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $426,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.3%

Some would argue Washington, D.C. is more in the Mid-Atlantic, but for simplicity, I’ve split the nation into four regions, much like the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The nation’s capital constantly has a lot of people associated with the day-to-day operations of government and politics  moving in and out. As a result, places to live in and around the city can be in short supply.

Since Washington is probably one of the most watched cities in history, it’s hard to find things not everyone knows, but I’m going to give it a shot. There’s an empty crypt under the Capitol. Former President George Washington was to be buried there, but he chose to be buried on his estate at Mount Vernon in Virginia instead.

Naples, Florida

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $425,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Decrease: 1.1%

Naples purports to have some of the top beaches in the country. It’s also home to a couple of major wildlife refuges.

It’s also a good place to hit the links, as there are more than 80 championship golf courses in the area.

Austin, Texas

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $318,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.4%

Austin has a burgeoning tech and cultural scene that serves as one of the main reasons it’s so attractive. Many tech companies have Austin-based offices, and the influx of people has driven real estate prices up in the last decade.

It also doesn’t hurt the mood to realize that Austin gets 300 days of sunshine. It’s enough to make a Michigander jealous.

Midwest

While property values have gone up across the country, they’re moving up a little slower in America’s heartland. That’s not to say there aren’t some areas that are a little more high-rent than others, though.

Madison, Wisconsin

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,700

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.8%

Madison is the home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Being a college town, it can have a short supply of housing when the students come back each fall.

Speaking of UW Madison, that’s where The Onion got its start in 1988 (not in 1756 as the site claims) under the leadership of Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson. And unlike The Onion, I’m not kidding about that.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.7% 

You won’t get very far in this city without hearing someone say, “Go blue!” The University of Michigan’s fight song talks about its students being the leaders and best. An influx of those leaders brings up housing prices every fall, but on the plus side, you could rent to students.

My brother went to the University of Michigan, and Quicken Loans is based in Detroit, so I’m extremely familiar with U of M. It does a ton of great research around Ann Arbor. One of the big initiatives the public might see is the autonomous car testing. Companies have taken advantage of the urban environment and talent pool of smart people to set up shop working on the cars of the future.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $274,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.5%

Minneapolis is home to the Mall of America, and the area  really caters to shopping there. There is no sales tax on clothing or shoes, so it’s a shopper’s paradise.

It’s no secret that it gets cold in Minnesota. For this reason, there are 7 miles of connected skyway spanning 69 blocks, so you won’t have to step out into the cold as much in the downtown area.

We hope you had fun on this little journey with us. Now that you know little more about property values, if you’re ready to buy or refinance a home, you can get your application started online or give us a call at (800) 785-4788.

The post Hottest Housing Markets to Start 2019 appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/hottest-housing-markets-start-2019

[aaronsniderus]

Hottest Housing Markets to Start 2019

As we enter 2019, we thought we would look at some of the hottest housing markets around. Where are people having to put out the most cash in order to get into a home? What makes demand in these areas so high?

Read on if you’re looking to buy or refinance a home, or see which cities around the country are particularly hot at the moment.

The housing statistics in this article come from the National Association of REALTORS® median home price data for the third quarter of 2018.

West

Many of the top markets, in terms of price at the beginning of this year, are out West. Let’s look at some of them.

San Jose/Santa Clara, California

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $1.3 million

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 11.6%

Fed by a proliferation of high-paying jobs courtesy of Silicon Valley and exacerbated by a shortage of available housing, this area is the one on the list where median prices crack seven  figures.

Unemployment is under 3%, and the area is # 5 on the Forbes list of best places for education. The median income in the area is $114,411.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $818,600

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.7%

I would imagine living in Honolulu every day is a little slice of paradise, with the year-round warmth and access to some of the world’s best beaches, but it’s also incredibly expensive, mostly because it costs so much to ship goods from the mainland.

Here are some cool random facts about Honolulu.  Although I couldn’t find confirmation that this law is actually enforced, it’s technically illegal in Honolulu not to own a boat. There’s also a public parks ordinance on the island that says you can’t annoy any animal. It strikes me that the definition of “annoyance” might vary, depending on whom you ask. Still, if people in Honolulu are feeling peeved, they can just chill on one of the beaches in the area – there are more than 100.

Boulder, Colorado

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $604,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.2%

While Boulder may not be cheap, it was named the happiest place in the U.S. by National Geographic as recently as 2017. Move over, Disney World!

Per capita, more people walked worked in the city than anywhere else in the U.S. If you’re a beer enthusiast, Boulder boasts 24 breweries.

Northeast

It may be the nation’s smallest region in terms of new home sales on a consistent basis, but that’s because the Northeast is already a region that’s very built-up. The lack of availability for new developments makes the houses that are available more expensive.

Some of the areas here are a case in point.

Boston

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,400

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.9%

Boston is consistently near the top of our list of undervalued housing markets, based on the fact that appraisal values are coming in at nearly 3% higher than homeowner estimates.

Did you know that the Red Sox have a patent for the shade of green that’s on the Green Monster: Fenway Green? Who knew you could patent a color?

If you’re more into sweets than baseball, the city is also home to the first chocolate factory ever built in the U.S.

Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $491,100

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.4%

These counties are on Long Island, and much like other real estate in and around New York City, homes here  can be in short supply and pricey.

Long Island counts poet Walt Whitman and former  first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis among its famous residents. A great white shark captured off the coast served as inspiration for Peter Benchley when he penned his  best-selling novel “Jaws.” Think of Long Island next time you’re humming John Williams’ theme from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster.

Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Connecticut

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $476,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 5.2%

Bridgeport happens to be the founding location of the Subway sandwich shop, then known as Pete’s Subway. Meanwhile, Norwalk is known for its beaches.

Fans of “The Office” will recognize Stamford as the place Karen Filippelli and Andy Bernard called home when viewers first met them on the show.

South

The South is widely cited as the nation’s fastest-growing housing region. Let’s look at a couple of areas where price growth matches the pace of building.

Washington, D.C.

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $426,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.3%

Some would argue Washington, D.C. is more in the Mid-Atlantic, but for simplicity, I’ve split the nation into four regions, much like the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The nation’s capital constantly has a lot of people associated with the day-to-day operations of government and politics  moving in and out. As a result, places to live in and around the city can be in short supply.

Since Washington is probably one of the most watched cities in history, it’s hard to find things not everyone knows, but I’m going to give it a shot. There’s an empty crypt under the Capitol. Former President George Washington was to be buried there, but he chose to be buried on his estate at Mount Vernon in Virginia instead.

Naples, Florida

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $425,000

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Decrease: 1.1%

Naples purports to have some of the top beaches in the country. It’s also home to a couple of major wildlife refuges.

It’s also a good place to hit the links, as there are more than 80 championship golf courses in the area.

Austin, Texas

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $318,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.4%

Austin has a burgeoning tech and cultural scene that serves as one of the main reasons it’s so attractive. Many tech companies have Austin-based offices, and the influx of people has driven real estate prices up in the last decade.

It also doesn’t hurt the mood to realize that Austin gets 300 days of sunshine. It’s enough to make a Michigander jealous.

Midwest

While property values have gone up across the country, they’re moving up a little slower in America’s heartland. That’s not to say there aren’t some areas that are a little more high-rent than others, though.

Madison, Wisconsin

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,700

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 4.8%

Madison is the home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. Being a college town, it can have a short supply of housing when the students come back each fall.

Speaking of UW Madison, that’s where The Onion got its start in 1988 (not in 1756 as the site claims) under the leadership of Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson. And unlike The Onion, I’m not kidding about that.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $286,200

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.7% 

You won’t get very far in this city without hearing someone say, “Go blue!” The University of Michigan’s fight song talks about its students being the leaders and best. An influx of those leaders brings up housing prices every fall, but on the plus side, you could rent to students.

My brother went to the University of Michigan, and Quicken Loans is based in Detroit, so I’m extremely familiar with U of M. It does a ton of great research around Ann Arbor. One of the big initiatives the public might see is the autonomous car testing. Companies have taken advantage of the urban environment and talent pool of smart people to set up shop working on the cars of the future.

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota

Median Home Value in Q3 2018: $274,500

Median Home Value Year-Over-Year Increase: 6.5%

Minneapolis is home to the Mall of America, and the area  really caters to shopping there. There is no sales tax on clothing or shoes, so it’s a shopper’s paradise.

It’s no secret that it gets cold in Minnesota. For this reason, there are 7 miles of connected skyway spanning 69 blocks, so you won’t have to step out into the cold as much in the downtown area.

We hope you had fun on this little journey with us. Now that you know little more about property values, if you’re ready to buy or refinance a home, you can get your application started online or give us a call at (800) 785-4788.

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from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/hottest-housing-markets-start-2019