When it comes to raising families these days it may not take a literal village but there are many communities that offer a little more to attract the average family than others. Below you will read about some of these communities and what they have to offer. You may even find one that is ideally suited for your needs and those of your family.

Nashville, TN

Far more than Music City, Nashville has much to offer families looking for a great place to call home. Not only is there plenty to offer music lovers with free concerts offered regularly there are also plenty of cultural offerings such as museums and festivals to keep the family busy with some wholesome fun and entertainment year round. Education in and around Nashville is top-notch and housing costs are quite reasonable. One thing that Nashville has to offer that seems to be missing in other similarly sized cities is a strong sense of community. If you are looking for a place where your family will feel at home you might want to give Nashville more than a passing glance.

Farmington, MI

Located in closes proximity to the cultural offerings of Detroit and Ann Arbor you will find that Farmington, MI has much to offer the average family. From small town values to a serious community commitment to art, music, and theater, Farmington offers a wholesome and well-rounded upbringing for your children. Perhaps more importantly is that fact that Farmington offers very reasonable property values so that you can afford to live in this fascinating city and still manage to enjoy some of the great entertainment that is at your disposal. It doesn’t hurt that there are often free concerts in the city for families.

Mooresville, NC

Dubbed as “Race City USA,” Mooresville, NC is another great city to raise families. In addition to affordable housing and taxes, there are plenty of modern conveniences that bring in businesses and a prevailing ’small town’ atmosphere that makes this city appealing to families. Don’t think for one second that this means the schools in Mooresville get left behind. There is a major commitment to education in Mooresville. The “Race City USA” nickname came about because so many racing teams are headquartered in Moorseville.

Kansas City, MO

In addition to great schools and community pools Kansas City, MO has a lot to offer the average family. Affordable prices cannot be overlooked in a real estate marketing that seems to be skyrocketing out of control. When you couple that with walking trails, museums, and Midwestern values this is one great city you and your family can call home.

There are many great cities throughout the United States large and small that are great locations for raising a family. Those cities that top the list are generally the very cities that offer affordable housing options, commitment to education, a focus on culture and the arts, as well as plenty of activities to get kids away from their televisions and computers and moving around. Ultimately it is up to you to make the final choice as to which city is best for you and your family. Finances should be a prime consideration, especially the cost of housing. It makes no sense to move somewhere for a better life if you can’t afford to live that life because you are too busy trying to pay your house notes each month.

Most experts expect the housing market to slow further in 2008. Having dropped 3.1% during the first quarter of 2008, the housing slow down is showing no sign of stopping.

On the bright side, there are local markets which are doing well.  These markets are mostly costal 24-hour cities with excellent infrastructure. Their downtown office space in these cities should be a good investment. These cities have invested in fixing previously run down areas and have seen prices rocket. Though the market may be soft, the weak dollar keeps the market strong by making these locations affordable to international investors.

Here are some local markets that are doing well.

Seattle – A diverse economy and the presence of corporate heavy weights has lead to this city being a prize area for investment and new building.

Boston – Recovering from the millennium dip, new business has boosted interest in this city. However questions remain about the cities residential rental market.

Washington DC – Government doesn’t stop and this has lead to stability in the Washington market protecting from sharp downturns.

LA – Although Orange County has suffered a downturn as businesses move to cheaper areas, the LA market is still very strong with the nation’s top port.

San Francisco – Resurgence in technology business has lead to prices increasing even as supply increases.

San Diego – With businesses moving out San Diego’s downtown is ripe for new growth opportunities.

Denver - the only non costal city in this list, Denver has managed to extend their prime locations by linking the suburbs to them with a high speed rail link.

Smaller markets include San Jose, Honolulu, Austin, Sacramento, Portland, Salt Lake City, Orlando and Tampa and Nashville.

With recession expected this year and to last at least the next 1 to 2 years and house prices to fall significantly further recovery is not expected anytime soon yet wise investments can still be profitable.

Selling your house?  If so, here are 3 home-selling tips that should still be able to sell better.

1. Think of your home as a resource ready to be sold.  Distance yourself from your house. Think of it as an asset ready to be sold. This will help with the psychological issues of selling your home. There is a lot of psychology when it comes to selling your house: you have a lot of memories and emotions that are tied to it, and it sometimes will become hard to sell your house. By distancing yourself, you will have an easier time selling your house.

2. Do maintenance on your house. This includes painting, repairing, and generally upgrading your house. There is a reason for this. A shabby house will not sell for any reason in any market. If it does, it will take longer than usual, and at a cheaper price. A well kept home shouts to the seller “Buy Me”.

If the outside is well kept and maintained, it will get potential buyers to come in. However, the same must be done to the inside as well. Take up any ripped carpet, fix anything that needs to be repaired and paint the inside walls and ceiling. This will give it a fresh attitude and make it more attractive to potential buyers. You only get one chance to make a first impression and that first impression will either help you or harm you.

3. Be careful of identity theft.  It is suggested that you remove all diplomas and wedding pictures off your walls and keep all mail out of sight. The less personal stuff left lying around, the better your identity will be protected. It is also suggested to take all your personal items out of your home while it is up for sale.

People are nosy when in a home for sale and sometimes snoop around. This is a good way to get your identity stolen. By taking these tips into consideration, you will actually lessen your chances of getting your identity stolen by someone else.

The tips are by no means all covering. But by taking them into consideration (along with your other ideas), you will have a much better chance and experience of selling a house.

The Zip Code Guy has a zip code database that gives you a list of US states, counties, zip codes, abbreviations, etc.  It pretty useful for real estate research or marketing.  You can get it for free by posting about it (like what we are doing) or paying $25 for it.