Foreign Investment, or Lack Thereof

A little while ago I attended the Luxury Portfolio International Summit on Miami Beach. It is a great opportunity to network with my fellow realtors, not to mention it is incredibly educational! One subject that was discussed extensively at this year’s conference was the lack of foreign real estate investment in the United States. Miami is a very international market, so we have certainly felt this change over the past year, and I was interested to learn more about what is happening internationally to cause this shift.

Take a look at this chart, which illustrates why foreign investors have stopped buying property in the US. You will note that, with the exception of China, it has become more expensive across the board to buy property in the US. For example, if you look at Argentina, back in 2007 a $1,000,000 property in the US could be purchased for 3,186,990 Argentinean Pesos. However, in 2016, a $1,000,000 home would cost 16,042,200. That makes a $1,000,000 house a whopping 403.4% more expensive to an Argentinian buyer in 2016 than it was in 2007! Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela have all seen their currency rates change, meaning that the Latin American market here in Miami has weakened considerably.

It is not just South Florida that is experiencing this shift in the real estate market: other parts of the US have historically had heavy foreign real estate investment as well. Because property is relatively more expensive right now, the “steals” that foreign investors were purchasing around 10 years ago simply do not exist at this point.

The real estate market is constantly changing, and this is just the latest shift. I am sure that one day in the future I will be writing a blog about how much foreign investment we are experiencing!

If you need help buying or selling a home give Ashley Cusack a call at 305.798.8665, or visit her website at: Luxury Miami Real Estate