The 10 Most Affordable Housing Markets

To identify America’s most affordable housing markets, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed affordability rates by county calculated by RealtyTrac for May 2014. The affordability rate is the percentage of the county’s estimated median household income needed to make monthly payments–on mortgages, property taxes, and homeowner’s insurance–on a median-priced residential property. Pulse’s take: Relative affordability and payment power–especially in light of mixed signals on interest rates–become more important benchmarks than typical household income to median-house-price affordability measures. Builders’ focus on monthly payments, and bringing buyers across the finish line with a qualified loan are going to be the key competences for market challenges ahead.

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