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Old Town Ranked Most Popular Neighborhood in America

By Paul Biasco | December 18, 2012 1:56pm | Updated on December 18, 2012 3:55pm

OLD TOWN — Old Town was the most popular neighborhood in America this year, according to Realtor.com.

The neighborhood with its quaint cobblestone streets, pricey homes and vibrant nightlife was the most-searched ZIP code on the website in 2012.

Local real estate agents agree, and said the market in Old Town has been booming this year, especially among young families in their late 20s and early 30s who are scooping up multimillion dollar homes.

"There's definitely a huge rise of interest," said Sohail Salahuddin, a Realtor with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty. "In the heart of Old Town it's hard to find a property. Everything's selling so fast."

The second most-searched neighborhood in the country was Willow Bend Country in Plano, Texas, and the third-hottest American neighborhood in 2012 was Keller in Fort Worth, Texas.

The story was first reported by Huffington Post Chicago.

Old Town's main stretch on Wells Street features a number of high-end restaurants and varied nightlife, as well as the country's top comedy club, The Second City.

"Surprisingly, the trend is younger people are definitely spending more money on houses," Salahuddin said. "Old Town specific, everything is selling. As long as it's priced right, it's going to sell."

The median home value in Old Town, according to Zillow, is $848,200, while the median value of a two-bedroom condo in the neighborhood is $340,000.

"There are so many different types of people, we love it here in the neighborhood," said Raquel Hansen, a Missouri resident who was visiting her daughter in Old Town Tuesday. "There are so many options."