International buyers love Florida!
When it comes to foreigners looking to plant roots in the United States, Florida is the hot spot.
The Sunshine State is the most popular among foreign home buyers with 31 percent of all home purchases made there coming from foreign residents, according to a study by Credit Sesame, an online credit and [...]

Most states report some degree of international buying activity. Yet Florida alone accounts for 58% of all sales to international buyers. Moreover, Florida’s share—presently at 31.0%—is higher than the combined shares of California (12.0%), Texas (9.0%) and Arizona (6.0%). This represents a threefold increase in international property transactions in just four years. In 2007, Florida [...]

I found an interesting article in the Sarasota Herald today that reflects what we have seen in the last couple of months - more and more buyers are purchasing luxury homes again.
Here are some interesting facts:
In the unincorporated areas of Manatee and Sarasota counties and on Longboat Key, builders have begun construction of 49 luxury homes [...]

The U.S. continues to remain a top destination for foreign buyers as international purchases surged by $16 billion this year – one of the highest increases in recent years – according to the National Association of Realtors®’ 2011 Profile of International Home Buying Activity.
According to the survey, total residential international sales in the U.S. for [...]

MONTREAL –  A new survey from BMO Bank of Montreal and conducted by Leger Marketing finds that one in five Canadians would now consider purchasing property in the United States. Lower home prices and a strong Canadian dollar have sparked their interest in purchasing U.S. property.
Other survey findings:
• Men are more likely to consider purchasing [...]

Following several years of robust growth earlier in the decade, home sales declined the past several years. 
Slightly more than half of foreign buyers (51 percent) purchased a detached single- family home, compared to 78 percent among all buyers nationally. More than one third (37 percent) of foreign buyers purchased a condo, 11 percent purchased a [...]

SARASOTA – Bradenton:  Condor Airlines, a German air carrier that Sarasota-Bradenton International has wooed for more than two years, told the airport on Wednesday that it will not fly locally for now. Though Condor praised the airport’s “incomparable package” of incentives and efforts, the decision by the Frankfurt-based carrier nonetheless represents a major blow to [...]

Bradenton / Sarasota – Internationals are getting more and more interested in Florida Real Estate. Axel Weiss, Broker/Owner of Weiss Realty Bradenton, notices that many international investors realize it is the perfect time to buy an investment or 2nd home right now. Most of these people don’t even expect to even get a mortgage here [...]

International buyers are making up a growing share of business. Here are the most important trends that we use to get your home sold:
1. Florida leads the pack
International buyers purchase homes across the U.S., but Florida leads with 26 percent of all sales!
2. More pay in cash
Twenty-eight percent of international buyers bought their homes with cash, [...]

While the Real Estate market seems to pick up a little we are seeing increased interest in vacation homes, with many buyers being cash buyers.
Buyers often are taking money out of stocks and retirement plans and sinking it into real estate.
Many are in search of retirement properties and are grabbing the bargains. Others want to [...]