From The Tribune staff reports
GRAYSON VALLEY — SmartAsset, a financial advising website, ranked housing markets based on several topics and Grayson Valley was in the top two in one category.
The study found the overall healthiest markets and looked specifically at four healthy-housing indicators: stability, risk, ease of sale and affordability.
By using information from a 2018 U.S. Census Bureau survey, SmartAsset measured stability by analyzing the number of years people remain in their homes and the percentage of homeowners with negative equity. Risk was measured by using the percentage of homes that decreased in value and market fluidity, was determined by looking at data on the average time a ‘for-sale’ home in each area spent on the market – the longer homes take to sell, the less fluid the market. Finally, affordability was calculated by determining the monthly cost of owning a home as a percentage of household income in each city.
You can view the results of the study below and see more results by clicking here.
EASE OF SALE RANKING
| Rank | City | Average Years Living in Home | Avg. Homes with Negative Equity | Homes Decreasing in Value | Avg. Days on Market | Home Costs as % of Income | Ease of Sale Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forestdale, AL | 18.3 | 21.4% | 12.0% | 31.4 | 18.6% | 93.72 |
| 2 | Grayson Valley, AL | 16.4 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 37.1 | 19.3% | 92.58 |
| 3 | Hueytown, AL | 17.9 | 18.8% | 13.2% | 49.3 | 18.2% | 90.12 |
| 4 | Leeds, AL | 12.6 | 12.6% | 15.2% | 59.9 | 18.1% | 87.98 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | 13.8 | 12.8% | 8.8% | 61.1 | 17.2% | 87.74 |
| 6 | Alabaster, AL | 11.3 | 7.1% | 11.1% | 61.6 | 18.0% | 87.64 |
| 7 | Fairfield, AL | 28.8 | 19.7% | 0.0% | 62.0 | 22.0% | 87.56 |
| 8 | Millbrook, AL | 11.3 | 15.5% | 13.0% | 63.0 | 17.3% | 87.37 |
| 9 | Birmingham, AL | 14.9 | 20.7% | 12.4% | 63.7 | 21.6% | 87.21 |
| 10 | Pelham, AL | 10.7 | 9.1% | 10.7% | 64.7 | 17.7% | 87.02 |
| AL | 14.5 | 13.8% | 30.9% | 174.9 | 19.8% |
OVERALL HEALTHIEST HOUSING MARKETS
| Rank | City | Average Years Living in Home | Avg. Homes with Negative Equity | Homes Decreasing in Value | Avg. Days on Market | Home Costs as % of Income | Healthiest Markets Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntsville, AL | 13.8 | 12.8% | 8.8% | 61.1 | 17.2% | 88.41 |
| 2 | Harvest, AL | 23.1 | 12.6% | 14.3% | 83.0 | 16.6% | 85.57 |
| 3 | Attalla, AL | 7.5 | 13.3% | 8.5% | 80.0 | 15.2% | 84.64 |
| 4 | Jacksonville, AL | 12.9 | 13.7% | 8.2% | 115.0 | 16.9% | 82.12 |
| 5 | Madison, AL | 13.8 | 11.9% | 13.6% | 69.1 | 15.5% | 80.98 |
| 6 | Meridianville, AL | 13.3 | 9.8% | 10.6% | 95.4 | 17.2% | 80.81 |
| 7 | Alabaster, AL | 11.3 | 7.1% | 11.1% | 61.6 | 18.0% | 80.51 |
| 8 | Helena, AL | 13.5 | 8.7% | 9.6% | 117.0 | 17.9% | 79.94 |
| 9 | Pelham, AL | 10.7 | 9.1% | 10.7% | 64.7 | 17.7% | 79.85 |
| 10 | Moody, AL | 13.0 | 9.3% | 12.0% | 68.2 | 17.8% | 78.54 |
| AL | 14.5 | 13.8% | 30.9% | 174.9 | 19.8% |
