November 15, 2010 - Families hoping their new homes will appreciate in value may want to consider calling up a long distance moving company and heading to Alaska.

The state was the only one in the nation predicted to experience rising home values over the next 12 months, according to Fiserv. The company reported that 70 percent of 384 metropolitan areas around the country experienced lower home prices in this year's second quarter compared to a year earlier. Though average home prices rose 3.6 percent across the country during that quarter, the company predicts national values will drop 7.1 percent over the next year.

Yet the state of Alaska bucked the national trend. Home prices there were actually up 12.1 percent from 2005, and the company predicted that local home prices will rise 1 percent from this year's second quarter to next year's and another 3.1 percent during the year after that. Montana was the only other state that was not predicted to see falling home prices - values there will remain flat through 2011, said the report.

Alaska's relative housing stability could be another reason for many Americans to consider packing their moving boxes and heading north. The state also imposes a light tax burden on retirees and even provides dividends for residents who have lived there for more than a year, according to Kiplinger.
 

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