10- Netherlands
9- Austria
8- Canada
7- Denmark
6- Australia
5- Switzerland
4- Germany
3- Fineland
2- Sweden
1- Iceland
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WatchMojo Newsletter10- Cork Floors - Cork is quickly becoming an alternative to pricier tile and wood-plank flooring.
9- Bamboo Countertops - Compressed to the thickness needed for a countertop, bamboo is significantly harder and more dense than woods such as maple–often used for cutting boards–which makes it last.
8- LED Lighting - Short for light-emitting diode, LED lighting systems use less energy than standard bulbs, which translates into a lower electric bill.
7- Garage Doors - No one does garages like Vault, which can be best thought of as the Williams-Sonoma of garage design.
6- EnergyStar Windows
5- Water-Saving Toilets - Based on the American Institute of Architects’ 2008 research, homeowner demand for water-saving toilets has grown.
4- Water Heater - Conventional heaters warm water continuously.
3- Radiant Heat - The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that radiant heating is 20% more efficient than conventional heating systems.
2- Landscaping - Besides the aesthetic and health benefits of a garden and yard, it’s often the first thing buyers see when they’re looking at a home.
1- Doorless Showers - Also called walk-in showers, this is a design trend that likely isn’t the function of a down economy, but is mentioned again and again by builders and architects as something consumers want.
10- Seattle, Wash.
Though Seattle doesn’t suffer from oversupply, inventory last year doubled to 1.8%, from 0.9%, which would be more problematic if 1.8% wasn’t the eighth lowest rate in the country.
9- Charlotte, N.C
While prices here continue to climb both on a square foot and median price level, there was a slight increase in unsold inventory last year.
8- Providence, R.I.
Though prices here are falling, vacancy rates are extremely low and falling further (dropping to 1.6% at the end of 2007, the sixth lowest rate in the nation, from 1.8% at the end of 2006).
7- Denver, Colo.
Overbuilding and a high foreclosure rate stymie Denver’s housing market, which last year saw a 6.3% drop in prices.
6- San Antonio, Texas.
Prices here rose 7.9% last quarter, based on National Association of Realtor estimates, and its foreclosure rate was only 1% (problem markets like Atlanta have a rate of 2.5% and crashing markets like Detroit are over 4%).
5- Kansas City, Mo.
Prices in Kansas City reached highs in the second and third quarters of 2007, before dipping in Q4.
4- Austin, Texas.
In this affordable Lone Star State market, construction rates are in line with job growth and population increases, and as a result vacancies have remained steady at a healthy 1.5%.
3- Salt Lake City, Utah.
Through the housing boom, Las Vegas and Phoenix lead the nation in job growth, largely as the result of a flood of construction-related jobs.
2- San Francisco, Calif.
The city by the bay’s conforming loan limit recently jumped from $417,000 to the maximum $729,750, which makes credit a simpler affair for many of the city’s home buyers.
1- San Jose, Calif.
In what is largely one of the least affordable markets in the country, sellers continue to see high returns from real estate as tech money and venture capital money lift that economy.
