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As we all should know by now real estate is local.  Even in the midst of this bubble/crash or whatever they are calling it these days, there are still hot markets around the country.   Thanks to the military, some area markets are drawing tens of thousands of new residents and in turn real estate investments.  Why thanks the military you ask?  Well if you haven’t heard about the defense base realignments and BRAC, I suggest that you look it up.

In Manhattan Kansas the local paper the Manhattan Mercury, reported in 2007, that they are expecting 10,000 troops and 20,000 civilians and workers to be relocated to their town.  Nebraska’s RIM Development, LLC is building a 500 acre community and offering investors turn key rental programs that deliver positive cash flow and low risk according to an article by Andrew Waite in the May/June edition of Personal Real Estate Investor Magazine.  There are several reasons to buy in these areas.   According to Waite,

• The military does not tolerate rent non-payment
• Military personal are much more likely to rent than buy because they are transferred every three to four years
• Deployed soldiers’ families usually remain in the area because soldiers return to the same base from which they were deployed.

In Laurel, Maryland the influx of residents at nearby Fort Meade and the National Security Agency are spurring multi-billion dollar projects and recently contributed to the Prince Georges Counties first ever AAA bond rating.  The 2 billion dollar Konterra project in Laurel has already begun and there are 1000’s of new apartment units and 100’s new homes already built and more already approved by the county.

Military realignments aren’t the only reasons for growth in other areas of the country.  According to Forbes Mobile Alabama will be the nations top economic growth area from 2008 to 2012.  Germany’s ThyssenKrupp is building a $4.1 billion steel mill which is expected to create 2700 jobs and even more spin-off jobs, according to Waite.   Maverick Investments is building a master-planned community called Charmont and selling to investors and home seekers.  According to the article, rental markets are strong in the area and with a 20 percent down payment including tax and accounting credits; positive cash flow is almost guaranteed.