Manarin On Money » Omaha

Omaha named #1 “bang-for-the-buck” city by Forbes.com

Manarin Investment Counsel — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:26:58 +0000

To find cities that offer the most bang for the buck, we looked at the country’s 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas — geographical entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, for use in collecting statistics across these measures: foreclosures as a percentage of home prices; vacancies; unemployment rates; three-year job growth forecast; a three-year home-price forecast; housing affordability; median real estate taxes; and median travel time to work.

Omaha topped this list in addition to being named the city best surviving the recession.

Omaha’s Economic Recovery

Manarin Investment Counsel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:02:11 +0000

If I were a betting man, I would bet that Omaha will be among the first to emerge [from the recession].

- The Brookings Institute’s Alan Berube in the North Platte Telegraph

Omaha Weathering the Economic Storm

Manarin Investment Counsel — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:12:40 +0000

BusinessWeek – Local residents joke about the real estate market in Omaha. “We didn’t get invited to the party,” they say, “and we don’t have a hangover.” The proof: Prices slipped less than 1% in Nebraska’s biggest city last year, compared with an 18% drop for the U.S.

Now Omaha looks poised to tromp the U.S. on the upside. While responsible lending practices and a dearth of speculation have supported the market in recent years, jobs will make all the difference in the future. Unemployment in Omaha hovers around 4%, less than half the national average. Last year Omaha added 2,700 new jobs as the U.S. lost 3 million. The continued strong prospects for job growth in Omaha means prices should rise faster than the U.S. average.

Meanwhile, high-tech companies are flocking to the Omaha area, which boasts an abundance of land and power, an extensive fiber-optic network, and a favorable tax regime.