We just finished up a study for Gene Smith, a councilman for the city of Hoover, Alabama. Hoover is currently considering the elimination of public school bus service in the city, and Zanola was asked by Gene Smith, as a private citizen, to conduct a study on how this decision would affect home sales and home prices, as well as jobs and retail sales through 2020.

The study has received some attention from local media, as the topic seems to have the city abuzz. Our study predicted that, by 2016, with the disruption of public school bus service, the average price of a home, number of total home sales, and number of new home sales would decrease compared to current projections in the city of Hoover. The trends are forecast to continue through 2020 to impact housing, employment, and retail sales. Public school bus service seems to be a valuable asset for the city of Hoover.

The two-part study digs deep into the following two perspectives:

School Transportation and Real Estate Impact Overview - Focus on school transportation relevance to home values
School Transportation Broader Economic and Socioeconomic Impacts Overview - Focus on school transportation to broader community focus

We appreciate Gene Smith engaging Zanola for this study. Keep an eye on Hoover, Alabama.

By Denise Kruse