The criteria noted for being included in this list is taken directly from the May 17th, 2009 article written by Liz Pulliam Weston are as follows:
- Proximity to growing urban centers. Vacation towns typically need to be within a two- to three-hour drive of a major city, or at least reasonably close to a big airport.
- Plenty of recreational opportunities. There has to be lots of stuff to do beyond shopping, which is why most thriving resort towns are near ski lifts, beaches or mountains. Some cultural cachet such as a theater or film festival, galleries or museums.
- Decent weather. You have to be able to get outside to enjoy all that recreation.
- Significant commercial investment. The old-timers may grouse about the new hotels or malls, but these are good indicators that others think the community is on the way up.
- The “it” factor. The community gets discovered by movers, shakers and celebrities, or at least enough other folks like you for prices to get bid up.
There was some misinformation quoted however. Within the article, it was stated that the median home price was up 21% over last year. The fact is that when comparing S.T.A.O.R.’s Multiple Listing statistics year over year, the median sold price for a single family residential home is down 7.8% from the previous year. This figure covers the City & County areas of South Lake Tahoe in El Dorado County only and reflects the period of 4/30/08-4/30/09 as compared to sold listing data for the period of 4/30/07-4/30/08. On the positive side, this percentage drop is relatively small compared to other areas in the United States in the current economic climate, which actually highlights a strength and stability in our market.
I don’t know of anyone lately that isn’t feeling on edge, whiny, frustrated and cynical as a result of the daily onslaught of media negativity. And today, along with stock market, I hit a wall. ”Enough all ready!”