Realtor Insider
Where to Live
Considering a move? Check out our story first — to see what you’ll pay.
In this issue, we chose six places with the country’s top median house prices. 35 minutes to Grand Central Station,
to compare areas in which to live, Bert Sperling, the author of Cities Ranked & Rated which is an easy commute.” Home to the
and owner of www.bestplaces.net, gives us some advice: “Avoid places that have had a prestigious Westchester Country Club,
lot of growth quickly,” he says, “things get overbuilt and then they crash. It’s like hav- where tiger Woods has golfed, Harrison
ing a really great party and then, the next day you’re stuck with a big cleanup and a is a beautiful town with a lot to offer.
hangover.” Check for good employment rates and job growth to determine if an area is
economically stable. Another tip from Sperling: Cities with colleges (such as Wellesley
listed below) generally offer a lot to do, such as sporting events, lectures, and art series.
Below we offer six cities for you to contemplate and compare.
Palm Beach, FL
Los Altos, CA
“The great thing about
Palm Beach,” says Doug-
las rill, the owner of
Century 21 America’s
Spanish for “the heights,”
Los Altos offers a scenic
setting at the southern end
of San Francisco. Steven
area (as of June 2008) is Bethesda Lane, a
pedestrian-only mecca of shops, restaurants,
and apartments.
Lake Forest, IL
Jobs, the founder of Apple, is one of its most
famous residents. Some of the highlights
of this location include the Downtown
Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival, the Fall
Festival and the holiday Festival of Lights
Parade. The city also features some interest-
ing public art — 15 sculptures are on per-
manent display and there are 5 pieces that
are on loan and are rotated.
Set on a bluff with stunning
views of Lake Michigan,
the Chicago suburb offers
a laid-back lifestyle. In lieu
Choice, “is that it’s a safe place, a beauti-
ful place; it has a very appealing climate;
there are phenomenal places to eat, drink,
and entertain. I can’t think of a better
place to live in the world.”
Wellesley, MA
of the typical gridiron plan of many other
cities, the picturesque Lake Forest’s streets
have an organic flow and reflect the natural
landscape of the area. For more information
on the area, visit Century 21’s local office
website: www.kreuserandseiler.com.
Home to Babson and
Wellesley colleges, there’s
plenty to do in this
Boston suburb. With the
Bethesda, MD
Just northwest of Wash-
ington, D.C., Bethesda has
one of the best public high
schools in the country. The
verdant city boasts lively restaurants, chic
boutiques, and fun coffee shops. new to the
Harrison, NY
According to nick Wolff,
the owner of the local
Century 21 fran-
chise, “About 90 percent
of Harrison is residential. Also, it’s about
summertime concerts, a variety of restaurants, the Hunnewell Arboretum, and
the entertaining Wellesley Players, who
could resist this new england town? And
from a practical standpoint as Mitra Far-zani, the Vice President, Sales Manager
of Century 21 Commonwealth, tells us
Wellesley also has a commuter rail, giving
easy access to Boston, and this “nice, family
town” has a desirable school system.
By the Numbers
View our listings of properties in these areas: pages 39 and 25
Location
Los Altos
Bethesda
palm Beach
Wellesley
Lake Forest
Harrison
Median
House price*
$3,468,100
$1,326,900
$3,995,000
$1,221,800
$1,447,000
$1,875,000
Sales
tax*
8.25%
5.00%
6.50%
5.00%
7.00%
7.50%
income
tax*
6.00%
9.50%
0.00%
5.95%
3.00%
10.53%
Dinner at
your local
steakhouse
$57
$65
$75
$63
$52
$63
Theater
tickets,
orchestra
seats
$24
$25
$25
$22
$20
$45
LOS ALTOS, CA: JOE HU; LAKE FORES T, IL: CRAIG UGLINICA; PALM BEACH, FL: GLOWIMAGES/GE T T Y IMAGES; WELLESLE Y, MA: ELIOT COHEN
56 Spring 2009 CENTURY 21 Fine Homes & Estates
Amount
spent per Unemployment Job
student* rate* growth*
$5,935 2.20% 2.32%
$8,521 2.70% 0.65%
$5,484 3.30% 2.61%
$9,250 3.70% 0.99%
$10,284 4.10% 1.21%
$12,080 3.10% - 0.46%
*Information is from Sperling’s Best Places, www.bestplaces.net