10 Markets Called ‘Hidden Gems’ for Real Estate in 2022

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Many of the housing markets to watch in the new year are located in the South, says the National Association of REALTORS®, which released its top picks for the markets that likely will see some of the strongest price appreciation in 2022—the “hidden gems,” as the association says.

NAR released its top 10 list during its third annual year-end Real Estate Forecast Summit on Wednesday, where economists weighed in on the trajectory for the 2022 housing market.

“The housing sector performed spectacularly in 2021 in many markets, with huge gains achieved in places like Austin, Boise, and Naples,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “Several markets did reasonably well in 2021, but not as strong as the underlying fundamentals suggested. Therefore, in 2022, these ‘hidden gem’ markets have more room for growth.”

The top 10 markets topping NAR’s “hidden gem” list for 2022 are:

• Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
• Daphne-Fairhope-Farley, Ala.
• Huntsville, Ala.
• Knoxville, Tenn.
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.
• Pensacola-Ferry Bass-Brent, Fla.
• San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
• Spartanburg, S.C.
• Tucson, Ariz.