WalletPop, a consumer finance Web site, offers its unscientific list of the best places to purchase a home in 2011. (The following cities are listed in no special order.)

Pocono Mountains, Pa.: An attractive vacation-home spot that comes with affordable prices; median home price: $78,000 for Pocono Lake.

Deerfield Beach, Fla: An affordable town that offers beach front properties and year-round warm weather; median home price: $89,400.

Austin, Texas: WalletPop calls Austin the top "all-around city" with its growing population, affordable housing, and strong employment outlook; median home price: $122,921.

Warner Robins, Ga.: Dubbed as the “best military town for the buck,” median home price: $124,900.

Durham, N.C.: Named one of the best cities to retire, offering plenty of activities for seniors; median home price: $174,900.

Madison, Wis.: A strong college town that boasts affordable housing and a never-ending supply of renters that keeps real estate investments strong; median home price: $199,900.

Broomfield County, Colo.: A county with an explosive job growth of 50 percent in the last decade with high-tech giants nearby; median home price: $239,000.

Woodbury, Minn.: Considered one of the top places to raise kids with strong schools and acres of parkland; median home price: $245,000.

See WalletPop’s complete list of top 10 picks.

Source: “10 Places to Buy a Home in 2011,” MSNBC.com (Jan. 7, 2011)