Best Small Towns in America

Eden Prairie beats out suburbs of Washington, Boston, Seattle

(USER SUBMITTED) - If you follow the advice of Money magazine, you'll want to live in a non-diverse suburb of a not-too-gritty city. The top five places to live are Eden Prairie, Minn.; Columbia, Md.; Newton, Mass.; Bellevue, Wash.; and McKinney, Texas. The rest of the list is dominated by more suburbs and lots of towns in rural areas. The largest place on the list is Scottsdale, population 235,000, at No. 71. According to Money, the list spotlights places with "plenty of jobs, great schools, safe streets, low crime, lots to do, charm, other features that make a town great for raising a family." Read the full article . More»

Best spots to raise kids boast good schools, low crime

(NEWSER) - BusinessWeek has combed the US for the best places to raise a family and has come up with a Chicago suburb to top the rankings again. The rest of the list, based on factors that include education, crime rate, cultural vitality, and air quality, is broken down by state. A sampling:

• Tinley Park, Ill.: Takes the top spot for its "top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, relatively affordable houses, and easy access to jobs."
• Arcadia, Calif.: The Los Angeles suburb is a back-to-back winner for its "low crime and excellent schools" as well as "a number of peacocks that hang out in the neighborhood near the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanical Garden."

Forget the market and climb inside the seller's head

(NEWSER) - It's not always the economy, stupid. Even in a weak market, buyers should consider a homeowner's situation before hurling a lowball bid, writes Daniel McGinn in Newsweek. One real estate broker offers five sure signs that a seller is ready to deal:

1. Nobody's home. Sellers who have moved on, or will soon, probably want to unload the property fast.

Where to look to make sure your next home is a solid asset—and where not to

(NEWSER) - Taking into account current affordability, projected growth, and employment opportunities, BusinessWeek pick the best and worst prospects for bargains in the US housing market. The best, in alphabetical order:

1. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
2. Baton Rouge, La.
3. Birmingham-Hoover, Ala.

Forbes publishes list of most expensive US city blocks

(NEWSER) - Forbes has compiled a list of the most expensive real estate blocks in 10 major cities. It teamed up with date provider Reply! to compile an index of the 'billionaire rows' of the US. In New York, the block between Fifth Avenue, Madison, 69th and 70th Sts. takes the crown. In Boston, it's a private square on Beacon Hill, and in L.A. it's a block just above Sunset Blvd. More»