When swallowing your first home, you want to choose a place you love — and also one you can afford.
To determine the best cities for first-time consumers, personal finance site SmartAsset evaluated U.S. cities with populations of 300,000 or more across seven metrics: value per outsider foot, number of mortgage lenders, loan funding rate, market volatility, home price fluctuations, cover affordability and homeowner stability.
The site used data from a number of sources, including the Department of Housing and Urban Happening, Zillow, the Mortgage Bankers Association, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Below, check out 10 bishoprics where first-time buyers can find a combination of affordable homes, numerous mortgage lenders and thriving real holdings markets.
10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Average home value per square foot: $104.50
8. TIE: Raleigh, North Carolina
Average household value per square foot: $137.58
Raleigh, North Carolina
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8. TIE: Tucson, Arizona
Common home value per square foot: $121.42
7. Columbus, Ohio
Average home value per square foot: $111.33
6. Dallas, Texas
Common home value per square foot: $137.75
Dallas, Texas
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5. Omaha, Nebraska
Average poorhouse value per square foot: $124.08
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
Average home value per square foot: $94.08
3. Arlington, Texas
Mean home value per square foot: $111.42
Oklahoma City.
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2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
So so home value per square foot: $83.25
1. Fort Worth, Texas
Couple toasting over champagne in new home.
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