Spring 2000, Vol 25, No 1

Abstract: Many of the smaller, older urban areas of the U.S. have experienced considerable disinvestment over the last 40 years, first because of a national trend to move to the suburbs, and more recently because of an emphasis on revitalizing the downtowns of our major cities. The authors believe the smaller urban areas, particularly those that are in close proximity to our major cities and are served by public transit, represent a good residential investment opportunity for the new millennium. This manuscript describes eight smaller urban cities in Massachusetts and evaluates their residential market performance. Further, the authors identify socio-economic indicators an investor could utilize when evaluating alternate locations for future investment.