Washington D.C. was the hands-down favorite market among respondents, with normally tight-fisted insurers and banks providing financing for new deals. Bethesda, home to the National Institutes of Health, should benefit from increased biomedical spending and inside-the-Beltway Virginia markets are expected to suffer only modest erosion relative to past downturns. San Francisco. Despite volatile prices, occupancies and rents, the Bay City's expanding tech industry fed by nearby Silicon Valley ranks the city as one of the top buys for apartments, warehouse, office and hotels. Austin. Investors expect the Texas capital's low state taxes and a pro-business environment to fuel future growth and corporate relocations. Boston. The city's universities, life science and high-tech companies make Beantown a long-term favorite, with a tight downtown apartment and condo market. New York. The recovery pace depends on the hammered banking industry, and Midtown availability rates are expected to skyrocket from mid single digits into the mid-teens as office rents fall 40% or more. Rounding out the top 10 markets to watch are Houston, Seattle, Raleigh/Durham, Denver and San Jose - all of which are strong in some combination of green technology, high-tech and life science.