International Real Estate Investment Activity in the US in 2009The most favorable property type among international investors was by far the detached single-family home, which attracted 69.2% of all international investment funds allocated to US real estate. Condominiums/apartments feature as the second most favorite property type as they attracted 18% of total international real estate purchases in the US, followed by townhouses/row houses, with an 8.9% share of total international real estate activity in the US. Only 3.9% of international funds invested in US real estate was allocated to commercial property, according to the NAR report. The South was by far the most favorite region, attracting 47.1% of international property investments in the US over the period covered by the data, followed by the West, which attracted 29% of total US property purchases. The Midwest attracted 12.1% while the Northeast 8.9% of total activity. The most attractive states to international real estate investors were, in ranking order, Florida, California, Texas and Arizona, which accounted for more than 50% of total real estate purchases in the US during May 2008-May 2009. Florida attracted 23% of total activity, while California, Texas and Arizona attracted 13%, 10.7% and 7.1% of total activity, respectively. It should be noted that Florida's and Arizona's shares decreased slightly compared to the same period last year, when they attracted 25.4% and 8.7% of international real estate investment activity in the US, respectively. On the contrary, California's and Texas's shares increased compared to their respective shares of 8.9% and 6.7%, achieved last year.
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