To: Jim McMannis who wrote (35208 ) 8/16/2011 12:08:57 AM From: Pogeu Mahone Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 119360 8. Salinas, CA > Expected price drop: -11.8% > Median family income: $62,100 (145th highest) > Unemployment rate: 12.8% > Median home price: $240,000 (34th highest) > Projected to hit lowest level: Q2 2012 Salinas, California, is a small coastal city located 25 miles south of San Jose. Since 2006, the median value of the of the 125,000 houses there decreased in value by more than 61%. This is the fourth biggest decline from peak home value among all major American cities. More than 40% of this drop occurred in 2009, the year after the housing bubble burst. Unemployment in the city is at 12.8%, well above the national average of 9.2%. Several companies in the area, including food processing company Romco, expect to continue to lay off workers in the coming months, which should serve to further depress home values. See listings in Salinas, CA 9. Bethesda, MD > Expected price drop: -11.5% > Median family income: $114,100 (the highest) > Unemployment rate: 5.1% > Median home price: $417,000 (5th highest) > Projected to hit lowest level: Q3 2012 Bethesda, the extremely wealthy D.C. suburb, has the highest median family income in the country — $114,100. It also has the fifth highest median home price, at $417,000. That position may change, however, as Case-Shiller projects home values will drop by more than $60,000 by next year. See listings in Bethesda, MD 10. Fort Lauderdale, FL > Expected price drop: -11.1% > Median family income: $58,800 (194th highest) > Unemployment rate: 11.8% > Median home price: $196,000 (55th highest) > Projected to hit lowest level: Q2 2013 Since 2006, home prices in Fort Lauderdale have dropped by nearly 50%. A full 28% of that drop occurred in 2009 alone. As was the case throughout most of Florida, the collapse of the housing bubble decimated the construction-based economy. The unemployment rate of nearly 12% is evident of the construction sector’s disastrous decline. The value of the 686,000 homes in the Fort Lauderdale area is expected to get even worse through at least the second quarter of 2013. Between Q1 2011 and Q1 2012, the median home price is projected to decline an additional 11.1%. Between 2012 and 2013, that number will further decrease by 8.7%. See listings in Fort Lauderdale, FL realestate.aol.com