Foreign Buyers Taking Advantage of Slashed Prices

International investors bought 154,000 homes and condos in the 12-month period ending in May, and are continuing to take advantage of the weak dollar. The U.S. dollar has dropped 9 to 11 percent since June against foreign currencies like the Japanese yen, the European euro and the Canadian dollar. Another attractive feature is that, while the U.S. dollar has weakened significantly, the economy is showing signs of stabilizing along with the housing market. Nearly 46% of international home buyers paid cash for homes purchased, and the median price foreign buyers paid for a home was nearly $80,000 greater than the U.S. national median price. According to msnbc.com buyers from Brazil, Canada, France, and the Netherlands have paid mostly cash for second homes ranging from $6 million to $15 million in condo buildings.