In a January 2009 article in Forbes magazine, Washington DC was named as the number one location for real estate investors, coming out ahead of New York and even London, which is traditionally at the top of the list.The source data for Forbes' rankings comes from the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, which surveys 200 members who together account for some $700 billion in international real estate holdings.

The primary factors in favoring Washington DC primarily have to do with the current worldwide economic situation, whereby the US capital stand to benefit from growth of government activity and overall asset values compared with other countries. 

• Washington has the lowest unemployment rate in the country
• New government stimulus proposals approaching budgets of $1 trillion indicate that employment levels will not be reduced, and job growth will likely occur
• Investors forecast a greater degree of long-term stability in the US as a whole, compared with markets like China where severe deflation of real estate is predicted for the coming decade