Atlanta was named one of the top 10 housing markets to watch in 2015 by both Realtor.com and CNN Money. 2014 ended the best year for the housing market since the 2008 recession, and things are continuing to look up for 2015.

Realtor.com’s Chief Economist, Jonathan Smoke, named his top 10 picks for the housing markets expected to see robust growth, affordable home prices and fast-paced sales. At the top of his list is the city of Atlanta.

“The markets on this list range from big cities with older housing stock to big and mid-size cities with substantial levels of new construction to up-and-coming markets appealing to young professionals for their job growth and high affordability,” Smoke said.

Smoke says that Atlanta is the favorite city for household growth and home sales growth in 2015. Atlanta was one of the hardest hit cities in the country during the recession, and the market started to recover and grow at a slower pace. Now, the recovery is well underway in Atlanta, and Realtor.com predicts a seven percent growth in total households over the next five years. Atlanta’s strong job growth and its affordability compared to other large cities are two additional factors that will make Atlanta a housing market to watch in 2015.

CNN Money also listed Atlanta as one of its top 10 housing markets. Once again, CNN Money cites Atlanta’s low home prices as a contributing factor, as well as an expected surge of new homeowners as Millennials finally enter the market.

For more information on Atlanta’s housing marketing, visit www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com.