The Sweetest of the Sweet Spot Housing Markets Is …

Another day, another Top 10 housing list: This time, the number crunchers at Zillow are using their quarterly Breakeven Horizon report to identify the leading “sweet spot” homeownership markets. In this data go-round, a “sweet spot” is identified as a market where aspiring homeowners can enjoy vibrant income growth and a healthy job market while being able to break even on a home purchase in just over a year.

And the sweetest of the sweet spots can be found (clap, clap, clap, clap) deep in the heart of Texas: San Antonio was cited by Zillow as the prime location where “homeowners can expect to break even on a home purchase in one year and four months.” San Antonio was also praised for higher than average levels of income appreciation (four percent over the past year) and employment growth (three percent over the same period).

Rounding out the list of the top sweet spot markets is Nashville; Tampa; Jacksonville, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta; Seattle; and Memphis.

"All places on this list are great for those looking to buy a home and settle down," said Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell. "Not only do they have a strong labor market, but a home purchase in these markets makes a lot of financial sense. Be careful, though, because this assumes you can qualify for a mortgage, have a down-payment saved up and, most importantly, can find a home for sale in your price range. Simply put, buying a home in many of these markets is not for the faint of heart."