Warm weather and low taxes continue to have a big pull on where retirees choose to settle down in their golden years. Those pulls are prompting many older Americans to continue to relocate to popular retiree havens in the Carolinas and Florida.

U.S. News & World Report recently identified the best places to retire using criteria including housing affordability, taxes, health care, and happiness surveys. They analyzed data from 125 of the nation’s largest metro areas.

“Deciding where to retire is an important part of your life plan,” Emily Brandon, a senior editor for retirement at U.S. News, said in a statement. “When considering potential retirement spots, you should look for an affordable cost of living, proximity to health care services, and a strong economy, especially if you plan to work part-time.”

Some popular retiree spots in Florida continued to top U.S. News’ rankings but also other places like Lancaster, Pa., and Asheville, N.C., made it into the top five this year.

Here are the 10 best destinations for retirees according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings:

1. Fort Myers, Fla.
Median home price: $219,200

2. Sarasota, Fla.
Median home price: $237,260

3. Lancaster, Pa.
Median home price: $196,025

4. Asheville, N.C.
Median home price: $248,500

5. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Median home price: $211,083

6. Jacksonville,Fla.
Median home price: $174,658

7. Winston-Salem, N.C.
Median home price: $145,725

8. Nashville, Tenn.
Median home price: $248,883

9. Grand Rapids, Mich.
Median home price: $181,533

10. Dallas-Fort Worth
Median home price: $248,375

Certain home sales of $400,000 and below will no longer require an appraisal, under a new rule that takes effect today. Homes that qualify for the appraisal exemption can receive an evaluation instead.

This is the first time in 25 years that federal regulators have increased the property value limit of the homes that require an appraisal as part of the selling process. Federal regulators cited price appreciation in residential real estate transactions for the change.

The new rules likely apply to about 40% of home sales, regulators estimate. For properties that do qualify for the exemption, the agencies require institutions to obtain an evaluation that provides an estimate of the market value of the real estate property.

The new exemption does not apply to loans sold or guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac; all will still require an appraisal.

The previous rule stated that appraisals were not required on home sales of $250,000 and below. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve approved the new threshold over the last two months, and the rule appeared in the Federal Register this week, making it official on Wednesday.

The National Association of REALTORS® has advocated that any loan limit related to an appraisal exemption be tied to specific markets rather than a blanket number for the whole country. A $100,000 limit might be reasonable in some parts of the country, and a $500,000 limit might be reasonable in others, depending on average housing values, NAR says.

Read the final rule.

Home buyers looking for a purchase loan and homeowners who want to refinance are responding well to low mortgage rates. “While mortgage rates generally held steady this week, overall mortgage demand remained very strong, rising over 50% from a year ago thanks to increases in both refinance and purchase mortgage applications,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As economic growth decelerates, it is clear that low mortgage rates will continue to support the mortgage market, and we expect that to persist for the remainder of the year.”

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending Oct. 3:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.65%, with an average 0.6 point, up slightly from last week’s 3.64% average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.71%.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.14%, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 3.16% average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 4.15%.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 3.38%, with an average 0.4 point, unchanged from last week’s average. A year ago, 5-year ARMs averaged 4.01%.