The Best States For Business

1. Virginia
2. Utah
3. Washington
4. North Carolina
5. Georgia
6. Colorado
7. Idaho
8. Florida
9. Texas
10. Nebraska

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/30/virginia-georgia-utah-biz-cz_kb_0731beststates.html

Best of the Best Places to Live 2008

1: Plymouth, Minnesota
Population: 70,100
Median home price: $288,950
Average property tax (2006): $4,526
Pros: Reasonable home prices; good schools; quick drive the nation's biggest mall
Cons: Very cold winters

2. Fort Collins, Colorado
Population: 129,400
Median home price: $207,739
Average property tax (2006): $1,675
Pros: Bike lanes; Old Town historic district; brand-new cancer center
Cons: Overcrowded schools

3. Naperville, Illinois
Population: 142,900
Median home price: $369,000
Average property tax (2006): $6,402
Pros: Close to Chicago; public library ranked the best in the nation among small cities; walkable downtown area
Cons: High property taxes

4. Irvine, California
Population: 193,900
Median home price: $650,000
Average property tax (2006): $5,053
Pros: School district has won national recognition; more than 16,000 acres of green space
Cons: Very pricey homes

5. Franklin Township, New Jersey
Population: 59,100
Median home price: $319,000
Average property tax (2006): $7,648
Pros: Plenty of jobs in the area; Princeton and Rutgers Universities nearby
Cons: High property taxes


6. Norman, Oklahoma
Population: 102,800
Median home price: $133,500
Average property tax (2006): $1,095
Pros: University of Oklahoma; affordable housing
Cons: Gotta love that football -- schools close for games against rival University of Texas

7. Round Rock, Texas
Population: 92,300
Median home price: $193,931
Average property tax (2006): $3,854
Pros: Affordable housing; excellent schools; minor league baseball team
Cons: Can you take the heat?

8. Columbia/Ellicott City, Maryland
Population: 97,500
Median home price: $355,000
Average property taxes (2006): $3,208
Pros: Historic Main Street lined with antique shops and teahouses; 950-acre nature preserve; three lakes
Cons: Traffic can be a headache

9. Overland Park, Kansas
Population: 166,700
Median home price: $233,887
Average property taxes (2006): $3,345
Pros: Lots of green space; schools among best in nation
Cons: Flat terrain and grid layout don't provide much visual drama

10. Fishers, Indiana
Population: 61,800
Median home price: $200,830
Average property taxes (2006): $2,218
Pros: Strong economy; low home prices; good schools
Cons: A walkable downtown is still in the planning stages

http://www.walletpop.com/mortgages/best-places-to-live
http://www.walletpop.com/specials/best-of-the-best

Most Visitted Place of American

1. Mexico - 19,659,000 travelers
Certain forms of Mexican travel to the U.S. may be a source of high anxiety these days, but traffic flowed freely the other way: Nearly 20 million Americans headed south in 2006—and spent 9% more than they did the previous year.

2. Canada - 13,855,000 travelers
U.S. residents’ visits to their northern neighbor were down 4% compared with 2005, but Americans spent 15% more than they did in 2005. The strong Canadian dollar (it’s on par with the U.S. dollar) may present a new test for U.S. travel migration northward.

3. U.K. - 3,286,000 travelers
Even with a 14% decline compared to 2005, the U.K. remains the top overseas destination for U.S. travelers. Ten years ago, the U.K. also ranked third, but with 3.57 million visitors—nearly 8% more than 2006. The British government reports nearly inverse figures, with a 13% increase of American travel to the U.K. in 2006. By either measure Americans constitute the lion’s share of the kingdom’s visitors. “The U.S. is our biggest and most important market by far,” said Visit Britain’s Simon Bradley.

4. France - 2,231,000 travelers
American visitation to France was up 1% year to year. The French Government Tourist Office’s Patrice Doyon says “the depressed dollar” has slowed growth. Americans are still visiting, he adds—they’re just spending less. “They might go to a three-star hotel instead of a four-star hotel,” he said. “Or do less shopping.”

5. Italy - 2,201,000 travelers
The 2.2 million Americans who flocked to Italy last year represent an 8% jump over the previous year, while American travel and tourism spending was down 3% during the same period

6. Germany - 1,688,000 travelers (tie)
U.S. travel to Germany was up 1% in 2006 compared with 2005, but in 2000 American travelers to Deutschland numbered 2.3 million, 36% more than in 2006. Travel and tourism spending by Americans in 2006 was down 14%.

7. Jamaica - 1,688,000 travelers (tie)
“Jamaica keeps on trucking” said the Jamaica Tourist Board’s Basil Smith. With nearly 1.7 million U.S. visitors, Jamaica tied with Germany as a Top 10 American traveler destination in 2006. Compared with 2000, Jamaica’s U.S. visits increased a whopping 90%.

8. Bahamas - 1,538,000 travelers (tie)
OTTI records no data for 2005, but compared with 2000, the Bahamas visitation by American travelers is up 68%. An agreement between the governments of the U.S. and the Bahamas, which went into effect in January, 2006, may be partly responsible for the boom in group travel: It allows U.S. corporations a tax deduction for conventions and meetings held in the Bahamas.

9. Japan - 1,538,000 travelers (tie)
U.S. travel to Japan increased 3% in 2006 compared with the previous year, and 22% compared with 2000. Americans’ travel and tourism spending in Japan was down 12% in 2006 year to year.

10. People’s Republic of China - 1,327,000 travelers
“Asia is where the growth is,” said the OTTI’s Erdmann. The number of American travelers to the PRC increased 2% in 2006, year over year, and their travel and tourism spending in China jumped 35% during the same period. U.S. visitation to China increased more than 100% compared with 2000, when only 644,000 Americans paid a call to the Sleeping Dragon.

11. Spain - 995,000 travelers
Almost a million Americans—2% more than the previous year—flocked to Spain, where cities like Barcelona, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s president Jean-Claude Baumgarten, have “over the past 10 years developed a reputation as a place that’s fun to go to.”

12. Netherlands - 904,000 travelers (tie)
The land of storied art, windmills, and tulips drew 5% more U.S. travelers in 2006 than 2005. Compared with 2000, though, American travel to the Netherlands was down 18%.

13. Hong Kong - 904,000 travelers (tie)
Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Symphony of Lights (the world’s largest permanent light and sound show), among other attractions, drew 25.25 million total visitors to the island, according the Hong Kong Tourism Commission. Nearly 1 million of those were Americans, a 2% decrease compared with 2005.

14. India - 904,000 travelers (tie)
U.S. Tourism to India was up 8% in 2006 year to year, but compared with 2000, American visitation nearly doubled, from 457,000.

15. Ireland - 844,000 travelers
Americans visited the Emerald Isle in far greater numbers in 2006 than the previous year—a 22% increase compared with 2005. American travel to Ireland was up 16% in 2006 compared with 2000.

16. Republic of China (Taiwan) - 693,000 travelers
This 36,000 square kilometer island welcomed 693,000 U.S. travelers last year, a 5% increase from the year before and a 3% increase from 2000.

17. Switzerland - 633, 000 Travelers
The Swiss were anything but neutral when it came to welcoming Americans in 2006. U.S. visitation was up 22% compared with the previous year. However, 2006 compared with 2000 showed U.S. travel down 36%.

18. Republic of Korea - 633,000 travelers
Korea attracted as many American voyagers as Switzerland but, like Switzerland, showed a marked year-to-year decrease—nearly 19%—in 2006 visitation by Americans.

19. Australia - 603,000 travelers
In 2000, Australia placed 12th on the OTTI’s list of international destinations for U.S. travelers. In 2006, this land went way down under—to number 19—and the 600,000 Americans represented flat growth compared with the previous year.

20. Greece / Thailand - 482,000 Travelers Each
Both Greece and Thailand welcomed 482,000 Americans in 2006, which represented a 1% year-to-year decline for both countries.

http://www.forbestraveler.com/best-lists/countries-americans-visit-story.html

World's Most Expensive Homes

$165 million - Beverly Hills, Calif.
Once owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, this expansive villa sits on six and a half acres in Beverly Hills.

A massive 75,000 square feet of living space is spread across three stories. The home boasts 29 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms.

The home was built in 1926 in the style of a Mediterranean villa and was featured in the 1972 film The Godfather. The compound comprises six buildings, three swimming pools and a movie theater.

$140 million - Bran Castle, Brasov, Romania
Once inhabited by Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Count Dracula, this castle, built in 1212, sits on 20 acres.

The 17-bedroom castle rests on the top of a cliff and offers views across the countryside and surrounding mountains.

The current owner, Dominic von Hapsburg, is running the home as a museum.

$138 million - Updown Court Windlesham, Surrey
Larger than either Buckingham or Hampton Court palace, this 103-room home has 58 acres of gardens and woodlands, making it the idyllic English country home for those flush with cash.

Several ballrooms and grand entrance ways punctuate this house, which has a panic room, an indoor squash court, bowling alley, 50-seat cinema, helipads, space for eight limousines and a heated marble driveway.

Marble bathrooms are nice, but some would say indoor spas, jacuzzis and pools with views of the grounds are better. For more information contact Savills, Beauchamp Estates or Hamptons International.

$135 million - Hala RanchAspen, Colo.
Until Tim Blixseth finishes constructing his $155 million Montana ski lodge, this 95-acre ranch owned by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S., is the most expensive in the country.

The Starwood Ranch estate boasts a 56,000-square-foot mansion with 15 bedrooms and 16 baths.

The estate features several smaller buildings, stables, a tennis court and an indoor swimming pool.

$125 million - Maison de L'AmitiePalm Beach, Fla.
In 2004, Donald Trump bought former health care executive Abe Gosman's palace, Maison de L'Amitie, center, at a bankruptcy auction for $41.25 million.

With the refurbished version--complete with ballroom, conservatory and 475 feet of oceanfront--Trump is confident the property will move. If the water is too rough on the beach, the property has a 100-foot swimming pool surrounded by gardens.

http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/21/homes-expensive-world-forbeslife-cx_mw_0222mostexpensivehomes_slide1_2.html

Fastest-Growing Metros in USA

No. 1: Austin, Texas
Why It's Booming: The self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World" is booming, thanks in large part to Austin's high-tech industry (key employers include Dell, IBM and Apple) and the University of Texas, which provides the area with a steady stream of engineering talent. Its' population is expected to grow nearly 15% by 2012.

No. 2: Cape Coral - Ft. Myers, Fla.
Why It's Booming: According to the most recent U.S. Census information, Cape Coral was the fourth fastest growing U.S. city with a population of more than 100,000. By 2012, average personal income of its residents is expected to grow by 6.9% annually.

No. 3: Atlanta, Ga.
Why It's Booming: The Atlanta metro area is a job magnet that epitomizes the economic boom of the Southeast. Companies with headquarters there include Coca-Cola, CNN and UPS. It's also got the country's busiest airport for passenger traffic. Atlanta's population has doubled in the last 20 years; by 2012, it's expected to grow another 11%.

No. 4: Seattle, Wash.
Why It's Booming: Two words: Boeing and Microsoft. With employers like these in the metro area, it's difficult not to grow. The area also has the fifth largest concentration of biotech companies in the U.S.

No.5: San Francisco, Calif.
Why It's Booming: San Francisco's growth factors are obvious: It's the financial capital of the West, it's a major U.S. tourist destination, it has a thriving downtown area and its proximity to major universities ensures that it has a steady stream of sharp young minds.

http://money.aol.com/forbes/realestate/fastest-growing-metros

Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities

Where will the next Silicon Valley spring up? Philip Auerswald, professor of public policy at George Mason University, knows where to look. He surveyed regional innovation trends across the U.S. and cobbled a list of up-and-coming tech centers. Auerswald concentrated on specific pockets of science--including advanced materials, nano-crystals and quantum dots, polymers and plastics, micro-systems and cell microbiology--that most experts consider today's most promising frontiers of innovation.

He then looked for important relationships among patents within each one. The most important patents are generally referenced by other inventors in the field when they file for their own patents; lesser patents garner fewer citations. The greater the increase in the number of important patents in a given city, the higher it ranked on Auerswald's list. The results may surprise you.

No. 1 - Columbus, Ohio
In 1997, the Battelle Memorial Institute, Ohio's largest research center, based in Columbus, managed a single lab for the U.S. Department of Energy with an annual budget of $1 billion. A decade later, Battelle oversees seven major laboratories for different federal agencies; budget: $4 billion in research funds annually. The institute has become a force in almost every area of emerging technology, especially life sciences and energy research. One of its children, Velocys, is working on a way to cut the cost of capturing the 3 trillion cubic feet of the world's stranded natural gas by converting it into easily transportable liquid.

No. 2 - Santa Fe, N.M.
Santa Fe has plenty of dirt roads. It also has major federal laboratoriesmore within a 100 mile radius than any other city on this list, including Los Alamos Laboratory, the birthplace of nuclear fission and the atomic bomb, and Sandia National Laboratories, a leading solar-energy research center. A growing number of wind and solar energy start-ups have popped up in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M. Blue Energy USA, for example, has created a 6-foot-tall wind turbine in the shape of a spiral helix. The turbines use solar energy cells that allow them to convert both solar and wind energy simultaneously and can be used for residential use.

No. 3 - Palm Beach County, Fla.
The playground of the rich is also becoming a haven for cutting edge biotech and life-science research. Both the Scripps Research Institute (the world's largest private biomedical research center, headquartered in Southern California) and the Max Planck Institute (Germany's leading life sciences center) are building facilities there. In 2006, BioCatalyst International, a major investor in biotechnology start-ups led by Genzyme co-founder Sheridan Snyder, opened a new office in West Palm Beach to get the first shot at the hottest new prospects.

No. 4 - Houston, Texas
If you want a 10-gallon disruptive technology, smash different discoveries together. To wit: Houston's itRobotics, founded in 2002, has developed new cost-cutting robots that inspect a variety of boilers and energy pipelines for structural flaws. Other Houston start-ups are commercializing technologies originally developed at local research institutions. Nanospectra Biosciences, a local drug delivery company, is working on a nano-scale particle (pioneered at Rice University) that destroys cancerous tumors. The particles are injected in the bloodstream and accumulate inside cancerous tumors. When the tumor is exposed to a laser, the particles absorb the near-infrared light and convert it into thermal energy, destroying the tumor.

No. 5 - Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wis.
Globalization and poor training may have gutted America's manufacturing base, but stalwart metal-bender Milwaukee is not backing down. Rather than just crank out widgets, local companies are attacking bottlenecks in the manufacturing process itself. For example, Rockwell Automation makes snazzy sensors and controls that boost assembly-line productivity. Johnson Controls, inventor of the thermostat in 1885, has produced energy-efficient heating, air-conditioning and lighting systems running throughout 1 billion square feet of commercial real estate. Chief Executive Stephen Roell plans to expand Johnson's workforce 35%, to 190,000 employees, in the next three to four years.

No. 6 - Pittsburgh, Pa.
Resuscitated after decades of economic malaise, the old steel town has become an innovative force in such areas as health care, biomedical technology, nuclear energy and robotics. A big help: Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute is making great strides in robot development. The school's Collaborative Innovation Center, funded by Pittsburgh and the state government, has also helped entice stalwarts like Intel and Apple to build labs in the area.

No. 7 - Boise City, Idaho
Since the 1970s, chip maker Micron Technology and computer giant Hewlett-Packard, along with the Idaho National Laboratory, had buoyed Boise's technology sector. But now there are new faces. In 2006, Idaho ranked seventh nationally in the percentage increase in venture capital investments and 11th in concentration of high-tech workers. One home-grown start-up, Quantum Point Technologies, provides a suite of information-technology management services to agencies at the U.S. Department of the Interior and regional businesses like Washington Trust Bank.

No. 8 - Iowa City, Iowa
There's more than corn in Iowa. Like Asoyia. Founded in 2004 by group of 25 farmers, this biotechnology company commercialized a new strain of soybean developed at Iowa State University. Asoyia's soybean is genetically designed to produce trans-fat-free oils. Iowa City is also a hotbed of new technologies in health care and renewable energy. BFC Gas & Electric can generate enough electricity from solid waste in nearby Cedar Rapids to light up 4,000 homes. Fueling the effort: new venture capital and private equity firms that target renewable energy start-ups. Likewise, the government-backed Grow Iowa Values Fund puts up $2 million a year to support the University of Iowa's Centers for Enterprise.

No. 9 - Lake Charles, La.
Soaring oil profits in recent years have pumped life into Lake Charles' economy. The city's port is the 12th largest in the U.S. and a leading center for offshore drilling and extraction technologies used on platforms around the world. CITGO, ConocoPhillips and other players in the energy industry have expanded operations in Lake Charles, rapidly making the port city a key choke point in America's energy distribution network. The region already boasts one liquefied natural gas facility, and three more are under construction. When those come online in a few years, as much as a quarter of all natural gas used in the U.S. will flow through Lake Charles, estimates the Southwestern Louisiana Chamber of Commerce.

No. 10 - Yuma, Ariz.
This small desert town in southern Arizona has more prisons than patent lawyers. The local chamber of commerce fishes for new business by hyping the tourist flow from Mexico and heavy highway traffic. So what's Yuma got? The U.S. armed forces. The Department of Defense runs a testing facility, U.S. Yuma Proving Ground, near the city of Yuma that spans over 1,300 square miles of desert terrain. As the primary U.S. site for desert warfare research, Yuma is now the third-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country, according to its Web site.And where the military goes, so does tomorrow's top technology.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/03/10/columbus-milwaukee-houston-ent-tech-cx_wp_0310smallbizoutlooktechcity_slide.html?thisSpeed=20000