For Real Estate, Akron Ranked No. 1 In This College Poll

Football fans awaiting President-elect Barack Obama's call for a college football playoff have another poll they can focus on in the meantime, thanks to Coldwell Banker Real Estate.

Since the Akron Zips are ranked No. 1, rather than the Alabama Crimson Tide, this poll, at first glance, could cause football followers more grief than the various ballot- and computer-based rankings that determine the teams for the Bowl Championship Series title game.

The real estate company released its rankings of the most affordable and expensive college towns based on a four-bedroom home with a family room.

The five most affordable college markets for home prices fitting that criteria range from $135,780 to $155,000 at the University of Akron (Ohio), Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.), Texas Christian University (Fort Worth), the University of Tulsa (Okl.) and University of Toledo (Ohio).

The five most-expensive college markets: Stanford University (Calif.); Boston College; the University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; and the University of Southern California (Los Angeles); with average prices from $1.7 million to $1.1 million.

The University of South Florida in Tampa ranked fifth most expensive among markets in the Big East Conference, with an average house price of $285,000, trailing West Virginia University (Morgantown), the University of Connecticut (Storrs) and Rutgers University (Piscataway, N.J.).

The University of Florida ranked eighth most expensive among Southeastern Conference markets, with Gainesville homes averaging $303,375. Florida State University ranked eighth among Atlantic Coast Conference markets, with Tallahassee homes averaging $333.250.

Although the idea of the College Home Price Comparison Index poll is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, there's increasing consumer interest as retirees have begun looking toward college towns as a good place to relocate.

In addition to baby boomers buying second homes in their favorite college towns, parents interested in buying homes for college-age sons and daughters, another emerging trend, can be a smart investment, said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive of Coldwell Banker Real Estate.