Market Madness

These Texas cities boast the best real estate markets in the U.S.

5201 Promise Land Drive Frisco house for sale

Frisco has the No. 1 market in the nation.

Photo courtesy of Keller Williams Realty

While global buyers are saturating the Texas real estate market, North Texas is busy dominating another list: the most attractive real estate markets in the U.S.

Analysts at personal finance website WalletHub compared 300 cities across 21 key metrics to determine not only tangible assets, such as an area's common square footage and home style, but also historical market trends and the economic health of a city's residents. Those metrics make up two rankings — "real estate market" and "affordability and economic environment" — that look at everything from median home-price appreciation and foreclosure rates to the population growth rate and median credit score. The real estate market rank makes up a whopping 80 percent of the score.

Who's far and away the winner? Frisco places No. 1 in both categories and earns a total score of 83 points out of 100. Hot on its heels are McKinney (No. 2) and Allen (No. 3), with Richardson coming in at No. 5 and Carrollton making a showing at No. 8.

Dallas, meanwhile, hovers at No. 57. Perhaps the biggest shift comes from Austin, which in 2016 basked in the No. 5 ranking and this year doesn't show up until No. 68. Fort Worth is similar, dropping from No. 23 to No. 87.

And where's San Antonio? Near the bottom, at No. 215. Alamo City ranks No. 249 for its real estate market and No. 93 for affordability and economic development. Houston comes in just ahead of San Antonio at No. 206.

You might want to avoid sinking your real-estate dollars into the Northeast, as Connecticut's Hartford and Bridgeport and New Jersey's Elizabeth, Paterson, and Newark all land at the bottom of the list, with Newark ranking dead last in each category.

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Take A Walk

New multifamily community opens near Stone Oak restaurants and shopping

Rendering courtesy of Greyson Luxury Living

The new community offers 291 units.

A new multifamily community is now open to prospective residents in San Antonio. Greyson Luxury Living comprises 291 units at 1734 N. Loop 1604 West, with a focus on lifestyle amenities. But the location will be the main draw for many.

Apartment floor plans range from one to three bedrooms, starting at $1,317 for one bedroom and one bathroom, and working up to a base price of $2,611 for three bedrooms and two baths. The community's pet policy according to the website is: "We welcome all your furry friends at Greyson."

Residents will get reserved parking and a garage with EV charging stations, but it might not always be necessary to hop in the car. The apartments are directly adjacent to restaurants like Cover 3, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, and Blü Prime Steakhouse — not exactly everyday eats, but there's tons more at the Vineyard Shopping Center and the Stone Oak neighborhood's Blanco Market Shopping Center across the highway.

In addition to restaurants, the community is less than a five-minute drive from H-E-B Plus, Whole Foods Market, Target, fashion and furniture stores, and multiple fitness studios like StretchLab and LA Fitness.

A press release promises wood-style flooring, quartz and granite countertops, and ceramic tile backsplash. On the more utilitarian side, it offers single-basin sinks, kitchen islands, "spacious" pantries, a stainless-steel Energy Star appliance package, and washer and dryer connections. (Images shared by the complex so far appear to be more illustrative of the desired vibe than the actual space.)

Every floor plan also shows a private patio or balcony. The most expensive floor plan — the three-by-two — has a wraparound outdoor space.

For shared spaces, a resort-style pool with a tanning shelf (a very shallow area for placing lounge chairs) and bike storage encourage residents to get outside, and a dog wash station makes it easy to leave dirt and hair outside of apartments. There's also a fitness center, a clubhouse with wi-fi, elevators, and concierge services.

“We developed Greyson as a luxury multifamily community aimed to fit any type of lifestyle, and we are grateful for all of our partners that helped bring this project to life,” says Ed Garahan, partner and CEO at Carbon Companies, the development firm heading the project.

Carbon Companies also sold the Addison Medical Center Apartments, Ventura Ridge, Triomphe Apartments, and Pecan Springs Luxury Apartment Homes, with more in the works in San Antonio.

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