LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland has been ranked as the number one metropolitan area in the country to buy a home by Realtor.com.
The website says their economic team found the top ten, "superstar metropolitan areas" where sales and prices are expected to jump in this new year.
"Lakeland's allure is its location—and not just because it's a 45-minute drive from Walt Disney World," the website says. "Many cost-conscious commuters work in the larger cities of Tampa, a 40-minute drive to the west, and Orlando, an hour northeast, but live in Lakeland. And why not? Home prices are way cheaper than Tampa's median $261,362 or Orlando's $299,950."
The median home price in Lakeland is $161,757 according to the website. They expect sales to grow 5 percent, and prices to grow 7.4 percent.
