Barbara Corcoran says there are eight things to look for in real-estate markets poised to rebound:

• Strong job market
• Growing population
• Good weather
• First-time home buyers
• No overbuilding
• Vital down towns
• Education populations
• Hit with foreclosures early -- as opposed to cities like New York that are just starting to tank.

Her 5 picks:

• 5. San Francisco, CA
  
• 4. Seattle, WA
  
• 3. Austin, TX
• 2. Raleigh, NC
• 1. Denver, CO

But it's not all good news. Corcoran's list of cities that won't rebound quicky:

• Fort Myers, FL
• Sagniaw, MI
• Akron, OH

Chances are you aren't in a position to start buying real estate in any of Corcoran's top five cities, but her checklist of eight things to look for makes it easy to do research into your own market's prospects. One problem though: A city with all eight is likely to have pretty high property values already. The key then is to find a city that presents a combination of strong fundamentals and good value. Watch the video below.