A money-green swath ran dab down the middle of the map in The New York Times Sunday Business section indicating a shift in jobs from the two coasts to the center of our country: “In the five years since the US began its slow climb out of the deepest recession since the 1930’s, the job market has undergone a substantial makeover. The middle class lost ground (2.5 million jobs) to the top and bottom of the pay scales. One in five homeowners with mortgages owes more than their homes are worth. The housing industry has shrunk, while healthcare, technology, and energy have led the recovery.” SelectLeaders Real Estate Job Network has seen a 43% increase in jobs outside the East and West Coast metro areas compared to pre-recession 2008. Opportunities are being posted in cities that before the recession would have been considered second, or even third, tier markets. Possibly because these markets were more resilient to the recession, our industry is giving them a second look. Oh Geez, ya ya you betcha, Fargo and a lot of other smaller markets are neither second tier nor second fiddle anymore.
June 18, 2014