Albany one of top 10 places to buy a home

Albany has been ranked by Zillow.com as one of the top ten places in the country to buy a home.

The real estate website looked for communities with good job markets and stable housing values rather than simply cheap home prices. Cities with military bases, college towns and capitals ranked well because they usually fare better during economic downturns. 

The median home value in the capital city is almost $200,000, which is only down one percent since last year. Buyers tend to pay two percent less than the listing prices for homes, and property values are up seven percent from 2004.

Joining Albany in the top ten are Virginia Beach, Va.; San Diego, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Madison, Wis.; Greenville, S.C.; Gainesville, Fla.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; and Flagstaff, Ariz.