While reading through Gary North's "question and answer series," I discovered a great little book that calculates emerging real estate markets (and real estate trends) based on population and business data. The book is called Your County–Boom or Bust? Predicting Growth or Decline of 3017 Counties by Jack Lessinger. Click on the "Books" link on Lessinger's website. Lessinger's book can help you analyze different real estate markets and spot emerging trends in different geographical areas.
Q & A excerpt from Gary North is included below…
GEOGRAPHY
Occupation: (1) federal government, (2) dental assistant; residence: Massachusetts. We are considering moving, due to the high cost of living here. We thought Florida would be a good place. Any suggestions?
The cost of buying a home in coastal Florida is high. Four years ago, it wasn't, except in Naples. If you move inland, you might find cheaper housing. The state has no income tax. This is a plus. It is the destination for lots of retirees. This is a good sign. There will be money coming into the state for decades.
If you move there, read everything that Floridian John Schaub has written. Take his annual seminar on Florida real estate.
There are better places than Florida. Let me recommend a new book. Actually, it's the third incarnation of a 20-year-old book. Each one is better than the last. It is by Dr. Jack Lessinger. He is the premier specialist on where people are moving and why. His latest book is "Your County–Boom or Bust?" It is subtitled, "Predicting Growth or Decline of 3017 Counties." (ISBN 0-9625182-3-9) It will cost you $40 retail, but it is worth every penny if you are planning a move.
Print out the home page, grab a yellow marker, and read it. You will learn a lot very fast. This is one of the best brief surveys of American history that I have ever read. It shows you why we are headed where we're headed, based on where our forefathers headed, and why. The first half of his book is a terrific history book. I would not teach a U.S. history class without it.
I don't like Florida. It's too crowded, has too many bugs, and has few roots. They don't call the state "God's waiting room" for nothing. Golf, sun (skin cancer), and bugs — not what I want for my golden years.
But it is the best state in the union to start a profitable day care.
If I were you, I would look at the "Paradise Corridor": from Knoxville, Tennessee to the Virginia border. Tennessee has no state income tax on wages. The Paradise Corridor offers beautiful country, low crime, and great regional music. It's Carter Family country.
