S.A. called one of top housing markets

By Aïssatou Sidimé - Express-News "The Mortgage Bankers Association proclaimed San Antonio one of the top markets in the U.S. for home buyers, citing its high employment rate, population growth and better-than-average price appreciation as key factors.
San Antonio’s median home prices continued to perform better than all U.S. regions, dipping 1 percent in October from October last year, versus an 11.3 percent drop nationwide, according to data released Monday by the National Association of Realtors.

San Antonio is in the Southern region, which showed a 5.8 percent decline in median prices during the same period — the best regional performance in the nation.

“With 95 percent employment and people moving in, your glass is more than half full,” said David Kittle, chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association, which tracks mortgages made by nonbank lenders. “You are the benchmark for the rest of the country in lending and building.”

Kittle also praised Bexar County’s low tax rate, saying it continues to attract businesses that hire new employees who are looking for homes.

Population growth in Texas is expected to remain above 2 percent next year compared with a negative projected growth rate for the United States."