I would have like to have seen comparable housing data from more states - Ames, Iowa's largest employer by far is a university, so there is probably little employment opportunity outside of that. Are we to believe none of those relatively highly compensated university staff took 2nd mortgages against their homes? But I'm prepared to believe Ames represented fewer opportunities for investors than did Arizona, Florida, or other states with big retirement/2nd home communities.

I would certainly like to see Jersey City on the Forbes list of best small places for business, though! I only saw Vineland, NJ on that list (wherever that is...).

http://www.delanceyplace.com/view_archives.php?2408

I found this article interesting and thought some of you might also.