Which Markets Will Boom in 2019?

Realtor.com predicts 10 surprising markets that will see booming home sales and prices in 2019.

The site’s economic team found areas where both the number of sales and home prices were predicted to jump in the new year, defying the national market’s overall slowdown. To predict the growth, the team also looked at metro’s levels of new home construction, local economies, median income, and more.

The top cities are geographically spread out, from Lakeland, Fla., in the number one spot to Grand Rapids, Mich., and El Paso, Texas following. All the cities on the list are currently affordable, especially when compared to coastal metros where prices have skyrocketed over the past few years. The median home price in Lakeland is $224,950, and in El Paso it’s just $175,050.

"The diversity of these top markets suggests that real estate can thrive anywhere there is a strong local economy," says Danielle Hale, chief economist of realtor.com. "While attracting younger individuals and families who are likely to be first-time buyers can be important, real estate can also thrive in sunny retirement communities."

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