Investors are expected to outnumber traditional home buyers three-to-one in the next two years, according to a recent national survey by Move Inc. But major markets aren’t the only places they’ll be targeting.

SmartZip Analytics Inc. recently released its picks for top mid-size investor markets--metros with between 75,000 to 250,000 homes. The list is based on cities with the highest SmartZip InvestorScore, which is a rating based on properties’ investment potential that takes into account projected cash flow and annual investment yield over a 10-year holding period. The scores use a scale of 1-100; properties with a score above 50 are expected to outperform in the market while those below are expected to underperform.

Here are the top 8 cities, as well as each area's SmartZip InvestorScore.

  • Bloomington, Ind.: 75
  • Utica-Rome, N.Y.: 71
  • Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas: 69
  • Evansville, Ind.: 69
  • Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss.: 69
  • Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Fla.: 66
  • Corpus Christi, Texas: 65
  • McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas: 65


Source: “SmartZip: 20 High-Ranked Real Estate Investor Markets,” Inman News (June 13, 2011)

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