If you’ve been keeping an eye on the real estate market over the last year or so, you probably know that places like Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami have gone through some tough times with regards to home values dropping. Like, a lot. Like, hundreds of thousands of dollars down. Not cool.
The good news is that Harrisonburg has not experienced such losses! Home values have held relatively steady, and there are good reasons why that is. I spied an article entitled “How to Find Your Best Place to Live” by CNNMoney.com and realized that Harrisonburg really is a great place to live. Here’s why:
Residential neighborhoods in and around Harrisonburg are close in proximity to city conveniences. No matter where you are located, you are likely within 15 minutes of a grocery store, gas station, and some sort of shopping center. This is a great asset because commute times are short, which means less gas guzzling. Home values are generally better the closer they are to these amenities.
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Harrisonburg and Rockingham County is chock full of great school districts. In fact, schools in this area have low student-to-teacher ratios (more personalized learning), high reading and math proficiencies (96% average), and a wide variety of extra-curricular activities available. It is amazing what parents will do to get their kids into the best schools. As long as that school district remains great, home values will remain great!
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New construction has soared throughout the country in the past several years, which provides a huge amount of homes, but once the housing bubble burst, those homes sat empty. Harrisonburg had some new construction, but not a lot in relation to many other towns across the U.S. Most of the new homes that were built recently have been filled, which adds value to each of those homes.
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Harrisonburg — especially the Downtown area — has been undergoing a beautification project, which means we care about our city and want it to keep growing and thriving. The parks are well maintained, and things aren’t overgrown. Road construction continues, water and sewer lines continue to be improved, and large corporations and universities are still renovating and building in the area. This is great for home values because the more our city grows, the more folks will want to move in. Beautiful homes and areas generally mean better value!
So if you are thinking of moving to “The Friendly City,” you can relax in knowing that home values have remained steady, and we continue to grow and thrive, even in this economy. Find out more about Harrisonburg and Rockingham County by viewing our Relocation Guide online.