Our hot, but fairly calm weather, is one reason Phoenix scores high in a new report on homeowner affordability. The list released Wednesday by Bankrate.com ranks Phoenix only behind Portland.
We may spend more on air conditioning than most cities, but Claes Bell, an analyst with Bankrate.com, says we save when it comes to homeowners insurance.
“For a point of comparison, in Florida the costs are three times higher than in Arizona,” he said. “Property tax also was fairly low in Phoenix compared to other places.”
While Bell reviewed eight factors in the top metro areas, he zeroed in on two— whether housing is generally affordable and whether values are rising. In Phoenix, he says the answer is yes, at least for those who bought in the last five years.
“We’ve basically seen double digit appreciation on average on an annual basis,” he said.
Here are the five best metro areas according to the report:
- Portland
- Phoenix
- Atlanta
- Las Vegas
- Minneapolis/St. Paul
Here are the five worst areas:
- Hartford
- New York City
- Providence
- Los Angeles
- Buffalo
