This article is reprinted with permission from Evacuation house, a newsletter for second home owners and those who want to be. Subscribe Here. © 2021. All rights reserved.
Large residents of cities in the US trying to escape the pandemic have moved their search for vacation homes away from the bright fashionable locations in remote areas. Call it social distance in the extreme.
The move – in small and rural towns – is mainly due to the price and because more middle-class families, not just the rich, are eager to participate in the movement, said Monica Neubauer, a real estate agent and host of a podcast for the National Association of Realtors.
In established holiday markets, such as Jackson Hole, Wyoming or Nantucket, Mass., prices have moved “beyond what normal people can afford,” Ms. Neubauer said. As an alternative, she said, more people are looking at small towns near state parks or national parks that are accessible and still offer a retreat from city life.
Evacuation house I wanted to know which specific locations are the most popular among buyers and potential buyers. So I asked Redfin RDFN,
technology-based real estate brokerage to help us find out. The results are somewhat surprising.
Redfin analyzed the micropolitan areas, which the government defines as a county that has at least one city with a population between 10,000 and 50,000, which are often surrounded by towns or even smaller cities.
Redfin also considered rural areas. The company’s economists then compiled a list of the domains that recorded the highest percentage increase in searches on the Redfin.com site in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the same quarter in 2019.
The top location on the list turned out to be Marshall County, Alabama, which includes Lake Guntersville, Alabama’s largest lake, with over 69,000 acres and hosting a booming vacation home market, fueled by the booming city. Huntsville. The area includes Lake Guntersville Resort State Park, which is located along the banks of the Tennessee River and is considered a resort-style retreat.
The second most surprising find on the list is the number of occurrences of locations in New Hampshire. In fact, it seems that the state of “Live Free or Die” captures the hearts, minds and wallets of a growing number of families seeking change. Of the top 20 locations, six were in New Hampshire, more than any other state.
Redfin also compiled a list of the micro-metropolitan areas with the highest total number of searches in the fourth quarter. Of the top 20 locations on this list, Washington predominated with seven locations, but New Hampshire ranked second with four locations.
|
Small towns and counties with the most changes to page views |
Percentage change 2019-2020 |
|
Mashall, Ala. |
2817% |
|
Dodge, Neb. |
707% |
|
Douglas, Minn. |
637% |
|
Otter Tail, Minn. |
583% |
|
Klamath, Ore. |
567% |
|
Jasper, Iowa |
400% |
|
Cherokee, Okla. |
379% |
|
Cheshire, NH |
372% |
|
Becker, Minn. |
368% |
|
Essex, Vt. |
362% |
|
Harlan, Ky. |
360% |
|
Grafton, NH |
348% |
|
Sullivan, NH |
339% |
|
Belknap, NH |
336% |
|
Franklin, Kan. |
330% |
|
Wayne, Ind. |
322% |
|
Beltrami, Minn. |
316% |
|
Merrimack, NH |
311% |
|
Carroll, NH |
311% |
* Percentage change of page views in the fourth quarter of 2019
Source: Redfin
Why New Hampshire?
Buyers go to New Hampshire for several reasons. The state is one of the least taxed states in the nation. It has no state tax or sales tax. It also has favorable property laws, a key issue for wealthy retirees. According to FBI crime statistics, New Hampshire has one of the lowest rates of violent crime. Only two other states, both in New England – Vermont and Maine – had lower crime rates than New Hampshire last year.
Housing prices, of course, are also a consideration. In Cheshire County, home to several colleges and located on the southern border with Massachusetts, the average house price was $ 272,000 in December, up nearly 24 percent from December 2019, according to the New Realtors Association. Hampshire. Sales volume increased by 30%.
Redfin data show that the number of page views for Cheshire has increased by 372%, most of any smaller location in the state.
The new Colorado?
Buyers are also drawn to New Hampshire’s reputation as a place where you can balance work and play and where recreational activities include boating, skiing, hiking and biking, said Christopher Masiello, CEO of the Masiello Group in Bedford, NH His brokerage firm real estate closed 7,500 home sales transactions last year; about half were holiday homes.
Mr Masiello says many shoppers moving to New Hampshire are looking to replicate the outdoor lifestyle often associated with western states, but want to stay on the east coast. This explains why he and others refer to New Hampshire as the “New Colorado” on the east coast.
“New Hampshire and the whole of northern New England – New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont – have similar life characteristics to Colorado,” which “is generally considered a popular place to relocate and is usually mentioned in the best places.” to live ”.
That may be, but keep in mind that cold air in humid places like the Northeast sense colder than cold air in dry places in western states like Colorado. So you may not spend as much time outdoors in the Great North as you think. Unless you apply these tax savings to a new hot tub.
This article is reprinted with permission from The Escape Home, a newsletter for second home owners and those who want to be. Subscribe Here. © 2021. All rights reserved.