6. Raleigh, North Carolina
Nestled between Washington D.C. and Atlanta, Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and a number of major companies such as IBM, Cisco Systems, Fidelity Investments, Credit Suisse Group and SAS Institute Inc. This robust economy is a big factor in making Raleigh one of 2013’s hottest real estate markets. According to National Association of Realtors statistics, homeownership costs averaged $245 per square foot in 2012 – about 20 percent lower than for homes nationwide.