Looking for a hot U.S. real estate market? Everyone is – especially those living through a cold and stormy winter. Buyers in a wintry climate might be looking literally for 'hot' U.S. real estate.
Hot Market
Of course, realtors in sunny climates recognize the plight of winter-weary potential buyers. Savvy real estate agents rev up their advertising campaigns to attract homeowners tired of shovelling snow. So, the 'hot' markets like Florida are popular with U.S. home buyers.
Manhattan Market
Manhattan is a historically-sound and hot real estate market. Even hotel properties are flying off the shelves in New York City. According to a February 16 report by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, the Big Apple will see double the volume of hotel deals in 2011. This report does not include the expected volume of residential transactions.
Probably, most people are not surprised about tropical climates and dynamic centers like New York City rating as hot real estate. Yet more than a few buyers are surprised by the Bloomberg News announcement about a very hot U.S. real estate market. After all, not all U.S. regions are in their peak period. One specific sector, however, is doing better than expected as the country comes out of a recession.
Growing Market
According to Bloomberg News, farmland in the middle of the country's agricultural belt is a hot real estate market. On February 15, the Federal Bank Reserve of Kansas City said that fourth quarter farmland prices in the US are up the most in two years. Keep in mind that potential buyers must be interested in these properties considering the effort they make to arrive at auctions.
Bidders will not be flying first-class to a tropical paradise to view this type of real estate. Interested parties will be travelling over snowy and icy roads to look at the properties. Recently, bidders took that trip to bid on one of the most coveted properties in the U.S. Midwest - 120 acres of farmland in Greene County, Iowa.
Winning Bid
The winner of a January auction in Jefferson offered $8,200 an acre (about $1 million) for land in Scranton Township. According to Iowa State University data, that price is 44% higher than the $5,701 per acre estimate for average values in the county. Residential and commercial properties in these areas sell for low prices.
Reason to Bid
Losses of manufacturing jobs have caused economic stress in this region and resulted in a drop in housing prices. Yet farmland is a different story. As commodity prices increase, farmers and investors are bidding at farmland auctions. Farmers are buying for the long term and investors recognize a potential profit.
Rising Values
During 2010, values in Iowa rose 16 per cent. Iowa is the largest corn-and-soybean-growing U.S. state. If commodities stay at current levels, values in Iowa might increase an additional 10 per cent. It looks like more investors might be travelling over icy roads to farmland auctions.
Would You Be Interested In Buying Farmland In Central USA?
Image couretsy of bloomberg.com