The Most Expensive Housing Markets In The United States: Coldwell Banker (PHOTOS)

Today, Coldwell Banker released its list of the most expensive housing markets in the United States. If you're lucky enough to own property in one of these markets, you're probably very well insulated from the historic downturn in home values of the last few years. (At least, we hope you are.)

While many of the top markets -- we're looking at you Beverly Hills and Greenwich -- won't come as a surprise, there were a handful of curveballs in this year's list. Interestingly, despite the decimated state of its state budget and the ruined real estate of towns like Irvine, California dominates the list. One note: because of its lack of comparable housing units, New York City was left off this list.

To see the top ten most expensive cities in America, see our photos below and see the average home price in each of the top markets (or check out Coldwell Banker's full data here.)

	1 / 10		#10 San Mateo, California Average home price: $1,090,000

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Comments

[senorlou]

California has some insane housing prices. It's not a place to go to start over anymore. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but it sure has gotten a lot rougher out here in a really short amount of time - and it wasn't ever easy.

[GreenN10]

Goldman and Bank of Amerika run the markets along with Geithner, and beagle boy Ben. There is no free markets, only welfare capitalism and socialism for capitalism.

good articles: http://www.iamned.com

[ElkoJohn]

With all those rich people in CA
why is the state broke??

[justadood]

thank Prop 13 (which limited property tax revenue) and a series of Repug governors who kept trying to run the government like a business, and, failing, started flinging money like monkeys fling poo.

Keep this in mind, too....the­re may be rich people in CA, but that's not where their money is....just their home(s)

[senorlou]

We were cleaned out in 2001 of about $30 - 80 billion in that old energy "crisis." We've been a zombie state ever since. Arnold just kept kicking it down the road. He dropped the lawsuits and we won't be getting any of it back.

[qxav949]

California's answer for its budgetary woes - sell itself.
I was saying California so much, i actually said Greenwich, California. Sorry Connecticut.

[VivaZapata]

This is like a list of places for revolutionaries to attack when the big squeeze becomes a bit more unbearable. Mighty nice of caldwell bunker to provide that info for said revolutionaries.

[2centsplain]

Ridiculous. Not including New York City or many of the towns in the Silicon Valley or how about Montecito, CA where a tear down, if you could find one, starts at 1.5, is like saying that Ford makes the best sports cars in the world if you don't count anybody else.

[WA-violins]

I bailed out of CA in '05 and relocated to a saner, simpler life in WA. You couldn't pay me to go back to that rats nest. So much pollution, too much traffic, too much crime, next door neighbors who rarely ever say hello (let alone welcome you to their neighborhood). All those beautiful places are spoiled by way too many "me-me-me" people and way too much development. "CA Dreaming" turned into a total "CA Nightmare.­"

[sammy cole]

Washington culture and environment is definitely different than in California­....but lets tell it like it is ..........­.....South­ern California is ALL ABOUT nearly PERFECT weather all year and of course....­.it IS for the Entertainment Industry. Both States have their UP SIDES.

[JamieNYC]

Reading an article based on stats from a real-estate broker should always bring skepticism to the front of a discussion. In other words - I doubt there's more truth than marketing in their report.

A great example: as my wife and I spent last year searching for an apartment to buy in New York City, we watched with amusement every month during the real-estate freefall as brokers would call us and send emails swearing that "now" is as good as its ever going to get. And yet more than a year later, we're still not quite at the bottom.

To make a second point, [excluding the very well-heeled], if you're shopping for a home: the smart buys today are short-sales and foreclosures. The real indicator of a good location is to review its property taxes, public schools and other municipal services.

[Cheapthrills]

Shouldn't Palin's casa be on this list because she can see Russia from her front porch?

[tempest624]

8 out of 10 places from a state that is bankrupt.

[Marco Agosti]

Only for very lucky people.

[Marco Agosti]

Wow!

[mmaza]

I'm not impressed.

[evgolightly]

What about Palm Beach? Please, I know many of the other areas and Palm B is off the charts.

[joebaggadonuts]

You are probably right. But El Rushbo lives there.

[joebiz]

I don't live too far from La Jolla, it's way over-rated, not to mention a lot of car thefts. For the money, one's better off in Del Mar, Coronado, or Rancho Santa Fe.