Miami is known for its colorful vibrancy, but 23,000 vacant condos put a dark cloud over the south Florida market at its peak inventory in 2008. Do you know what happened? They’ve all sold — largely due to the purchasing power of international investors.
As foreign buyers’ interest in U.S. real estate continues to surge, REALTORS® are seizing this opportunity and arming themselves with education.
CIPS course at the Chicago Association of REALTORS®
A window into this trend could be seen in Chicago this week as about 20 REALTOR® students, some who traveled from several states away, attended the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) course at the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. I had the pleasure of sitting in on the first day as instructor David Wyant of Wyant Realty and Across Borders School of Real Estate in Ormond Beach, Fla., covered local markets. CIPS is a real estate designation that has seen exponential growth, with more than 2,000 recipients and courses taught in 50 countries.
Why are foreign buyers eyeing the U.S. real estate market?
Is it because the value of the dollar has fallen? Yes, the lower dollar value equals deals for foreign buyers. But according to Wyant, that’s one reason among many.
“Investing in real estate is great for individuals and for sovereign nations,” Wyant explained. “Real estate has its ups and downs, but it’s never worth nothing. It’s tangible, it holds its value and it’s around for a long time.”
Of all the countries in the world, the U.S. is still leading the way in providing the most stable and secure real estate investment environment, above Germany, Canada, France, Australia and the UK. Why? The stability of the economy and laws the U.S. has protecting private property rights. “That means a lot if you’ve ever had anything taken away from you,” Wyant said.
The internet has helped quicken globalization. It’s led to the migration of jobs across borders, and as countries evolve and economies diversify or move from farming to industry, creative centers have emerged and trade has expanded. Sunsetting tariffs, 24-hour markets, ease of air travel, and countries specializing in specific industries and trades have all contributed to globalization.
Who’s buying in the U.S.? Continue reading »
By Brian Summerfield, Online Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Over the past few months, there has been a rising chorus of commentators calling attention to the rapid growth of real estate prices in China. Many of them have even invoked the dreaded “b” word to describe the rocketing residential values. But is China really on the verge of a bubble? Could we see a repeat of what happened here across the Pacific?
Shanghai's Pudong District
Maybe not. While there are some similarities between the U.S. bubble market of the last decade and China’s meteoric rise in real estate, there are enough distinctions to suggest that it could play out differently for the latter.
China’s real estate market has benefited from low interest rates and government attempts to boost growth — in the form of a $500 billion-plus stimulus program — just as housing in the United States did. But some of the key elements in the U.S. bubble, such as exotic mortgage financing and property flipping, are either uncommon or nonexistent in China. Continue reading »
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