Sabotage
07-17-2005, 11:38 PM
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/7/17/108674.html
Rays of the Sunshine State shining worldwide.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
John Amsallem was born in France, and bought a home in old St. Petersburg.
John Amsallem may have been born in France, but St. Petersburg is his new home.
A couple of years ago, Amsallem bought a house in the old historic district of St. Petersburg.
And according to a new study, a growing number of foreign homebuyers want that same taste of international paradise. International homebuyers are eyeing the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.
"I have clients from Germany, the UK, Scandinavia, Italy, and Mexico," said real estate agent Sharon Simms.
The National Association of Realtors just released these numbers:
Foreign homebuyers accounted for 15 percent of all sales transactions in the past year. Ten percent of those international homebuyers are calling the Bay area home.
"There are some that come and will stay for six months," Simms said. "There are some that come and have a business here."
The average international homebuyer spent about $300,000 buying single family homes and condos.
Many foreign buyers use the Internet to find homes.
Real estate agents say that's nothing new. But what is new is the way they're buying the homes -- sometimes in the middle of the night.
"I'm 24-7 on the Internet," said real estate agent Dolores Hamburg. "My Internet sales are up 10 percent."
Dolores Hamburg also wheels and deals via the Internet. Most of her clients are surfing from Canada and England.
Many never set eyes on the property they're buying. They're looking for an investment.
According to the study, most of the international homebuyers live in Europe.
And although many American home buyers may cringe at the surging house prices, Europeans are looking at a bargain.
"As the Euro goes up against the dollar, it's becoming a better and better value," Simms said.
Real estate agents say international buyers are not driving up prices in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. There are not enough international homebuyers here entering the market to do that yet.
Rays of the Sunshine State shining worldwide.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
John Amsallem was born in France, and bought a home in old St. Petersburg.
John Amsallem may have been born in France, but St. Petersburg is his new home.
A couple of years ago, Amsallem bought a house in the old historic district of St. Petersburg.
And according to a new study, a growing number of foreign homebuyers want that same taste of international paradise. International homebuyers are eyeing the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.
"I have clients from Germany, the UK, Scandinavia, Italy, and Mexico," said real estate agent Sharon Simms.
The National Association of Realtors just released these numbers:
Foreign homebuyers accounted for 15 percent of all sales transactions in the past year. Ten percent of those international homebuyers are calling the Bay area home.
"There are some that come and will stay for six months," Simms said. "There are some that come and have a business here."
The average international homebuyer spent about $300,000 buying single family homes and condos.
Many foreign buyers use the Internet to find homes.
Real estate agents say that's nothing new. But what is new is the way they're buying the homes -- sometimes in the middle of the night.
"I'm 24-7 on the Internet," said real estate agent Dolores Hamburg. "My Internet sales are up 10 percent."
Dolores Hamburg also wheels and deals via the Internet. Most of her clients are surfing from Canada and England.
Many never set eyes on the property they're buying. They're looking for an investment.
According to the study, most of the international homebuyers live in Europe.
And although many American home buyers may cringe at the surging house prices, Europeans are looking at a bargain.
"As the Euro goes up against the dollar, it's becoming a better and better value," Simms said.
Real estate agents say international buyers are not driving up prices in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. There are not enough international homebuyers here entering the market to do that yet.