Anything about Amazon (and Apple) always sparks our imaginations so its no wonder that ATTOM Data Solutions ranked Amazon’s 19 HQ2 finalists through the lens of real estate.
With only three of the finalists (Los Angeles, New York City and Boston) having median home prices, as of Q4 2017, above Seattle’s $585,000 median, Daren Blomquist, senior vice president of ATTOM, concluded, “ At the end of the day, two of the most important factors for Amazon’s decision will be finding a market with an ample supply of workers with the skills Amazon’s looking for along with an ample supple of relatively affordable housing for workers to live in.”
ATTOM looked at median home prices, 5-year home price appreciation, affordability, price to income ratios, average school test scores, crime rates and effective property tax rates.
Here are ATTOM’s ranking of Amazon’s HQ2 finalists.
Raleigh, according to ATTOM anyway, obviously has Blomquist’s two most important factors, ample affordable housing AND ample skilled workers thanks to its multiple, in the neighborhood top universities, colleges and training institutions.
Hmmm. We ought to find out fairly soon whether or not ATTOM’s eye on real estate nailed Amazon’s top choice.
