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Top vacation-home sites for cityfolkHere's where urban owners are taking on second properties.
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Not for sale? Not a problemWith a tight inventory, agents are coaxing homeowners to sell.
World's densest megacitiesThese cities have the most people packed into them per square mile.
Mega-homes in the priciest ZIP codesCheck out homes for sale in the most expensive ZIP codes in the country.
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The Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, Calif. (© MWP/ZUMAPRESS.com)
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Cat Rock Park,in Weston Mass. (© John Barnier/Age fotostock/Photolibrary)
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Bridge to Mercer Island, Wash. (© Jamie & Judy Wild / DanitaDelimont.com)
Apple headquarters (© Allstar Picture Library/Alamy)
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Cali955 is correct. Just drove past the Oracle campus this morning and it is in Redwood Shores (actually Redwood City) CA.
10 most expensive housing markets
By Meg Handley of U.S. News & World Report
Healthy home prices still exist
Despite the pain of a still-deflating housing bubble and waves of foreclosures continuing to trickle into the market, some U.S. cities have held on to healthy home values.
California, one of the states hardest hit by the housing bubble and credit crunch, still has six of the 10 most expensive housing markets in the country.
The local economy is a prime indicator of whether a region's home prices held up during the recession or collapsed, experts say. Here's a look at the 10 most expensive housing markets in the United States, based on Coldwell Banker's latest "Home Listing Report."
Note: List prices are for the average four-bedroom home in each area between September 2010 and this past March.
Slide show: 10 cheapest housing markets
Read: Inside the country's most and least expensive housing markets
10 most expensive housing markets
1. Newport Beach, Calif.
- Average list price: $2.53 million
- Median household income: $106,383
- Population:81,680
At almost $1 million more expensive than houses in the next most expensive market, Newport Beach's home prices top the list for the second consecutive year.
A four-bedroom, two-bathroom home will set prospective buyers back by about $2.5 million, on average. Renting isn't much cheaper: The town commands the highest rents in Orange County. The city's proximity to the University of California at Irvine and popularity as a tourist destination helps fuel its robust local economy, which has in turn helped keep real-estate values high in the area.
Find homes for sale in Newport Beach at Realtor.com.
- 'Listed': 10 sickest housing markets?
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10 most expensive housing markets
2. Pacific Palisades, Calif.
- Average list price: $1.6 million
- Median household income: $161,779
- Population: 27,000
Cities such as Pacific Palisades and Newport Beach seemed to have sidestepped the foreclosure epidemic that slammed many other regions in California, which is one reason home values have remained high there.
Home to several celebrities, Pacific Palisades features homes that typically go for upward of $1.6 million, on average.
10 most expensive housing markets
3. Stone Harbor, N.J.
- Average list price: $1.34 million
- Median household income: $66,249
- Population:1,016
A prime vacation spot on the Jersey Shore, Stone Harbor has a tiny population that surges to more than 20,000 in the summer. This growth generates high demand for the more than 1,000 homes, condos and cottages for rent in the area. Demand for rentals also keeps property prices high in this seaside resort town.
Find homes for sale in Stone Harbor at Realtor.com.
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10 most expensive housing markets
4. Ranchos Palos Verdes, Calif.
- Average list price: $1.31 million
- Median household income: $119,939
- Population: 40,964
An affluent suburb of Los Angeles, Ranchos Palos Verdes boasts panoramic — and expensive — views of the Pacific Ocean. The seaside village benefits from its ocean border, which limits construction of new homes, keeping supply lower and prices higher.
Find homes for sale in Ranchos Palos Verdes at Realtor.com.
Slide show: 10 cheapest housing markets
Read: Inside the country's most and least expensive housing markets
10 most expensive housing markets
5. Saratoga, Calif.
- Average list price: $1.28 million
- Median household income: $181,499
- Population: 30,657
Saratoga benefits from its proximity to the Silicon Valley, one element that keeps demand for housing steady and real-estate values high.
Find homes for sale in Saratoga at Realtor.com.
- 'Listed': 10 sickest housing markets?
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10 most expensive housing markets
6. Los Gatos, Calif.
- Average list price: $1.26 million
- Median household income: $147,048
- Population: 29,501
Located in the largest metropolitan area of Northern California, Los Gatos has close ties to Silicon Valley and its fast-paced economy. The town is also about 60 miles south of San Francisco at the foot of the Sierra Azules, making it a popular tourist destination.
10 most expensive housing markets
7. Weston, Mass.
- Average list price: $1.23 million
- Median household income: $193,802
- Population: 11,902
Home to one of the state's most affluent neighborhoods, Weston is on the perimeter of Boston. Aside from having the highest per-capita income in Massachusetts, Weston boasts the state's best-rated school system and metro Boston's lowest crime rates.
Find homes for sale in Weston at Realtor.com.
- 'Listed': 10 sickest housing markets?
- MSN Money: How to impress a mortgage lender
10 most expensive housing markets
8. Greenwich, Conn.
- Average list price: $1.15 million
- Median household income: $105,423
- Population: 62,368
Within commuting distance of New York City, Greenwich boasts the state's highest gross value in real estate at more than $43.3 billion. The town's leading industries are financial services, real estate, retail, home construction and home renovation.
10 most expensive housing markets
9. Mercer Island, Wash.
- Average list price: $1.14 million
- Median household income: $115,910
- Population: 24,530
Mercer Island, spread out over just less than 13 square miles, sits in the middle of Lake Washington near Washington's largest city, Seattle. The average listing price for homes here is $1.14 million.
Find homes for sale in Mercer Island at Realtor.com.
- 'Listed': 10 sickest housing markets?
- MSN Money: How to impress a mortgage lender
10 most expensive housing markets
10. Cupertino, Calif.
- Average list price: $1.14 million
- Median household income: $125,861
- Population: 54,278
In the heart of California's Silicon Valley, Cupertino is home to several high-tech companies, including Apple, the largest employer in the area.
Find homes for sale in Cupertino at Realtor.com.
Slide show: 10 cheapest housing markets
Read: Inside the country's most and least expensive housing markets
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