Sales to Resident Foreigners and Non-Residents Each Reach New Peak in Alexandria

Sales to Resident Foreigners and Non-Residents Each Each New Peak in Alexandria The upswing in foreign investment came from both recent immigrants and non-resident foreign buyers as each increased substantially to new highs. Sales to foreigners residing in the U.S. reached $78.1 billion (up 32 percent from 2016) and non-resident foreign sales spiked to $74.9 billion (up 72 percent from 2016). “Although non-resident foreign purchases climbed over the past year, it appears much of the activity occurred during the second half of 2016,” said Yun. “Realtors® in some markets are reporting that the effect of tighter regulations on capital outflows in China and weaker currencies in Canada and the U.K. have somewhat cooled non-resident foreign buyer interest in early 2017.” Continue reading

Foreign sales rise in top five countries; three states account for nearly half of all purchases

Foreign Sales Rise in Top Five Countries; Three States Account for Nearly Half of All Purchases Buyers from China exceeded all countries by dollar volume of sales at $31.7 billion, which was up from last year’s survey ($27.3 billion) and topped 2015 ($28.6 billion) as the new survey high. Chinese buyers also purchased the most housing units for the third consecutive year (40,572; up from 29,195 in 2016). Rounding out the top five, the sales dollar volume from buyers in Canada ($19.0 billion), the United Kingdom ($9.5 billion), Mexico ($9.3 billion) and India ($7.8 billion) all increased from their levels one year ago. Continue reading

Creating a Home’s First Impression in Alexandria

Creating a Home's First Impression in Alexandria   Curb appeal is a home’s first impression, and the first chance to impress potential buyers. Whether buyers are amazed by a beautiful and immaculate yard or turned off by dirty exterior walls and an overgrown lawn can meaningfully affect the speed and price at which a home sells. Improving a home’s curb appeal can be as simple as repainting a front door and getting rid of weeds in the front yard, or as involved as creating an outdoor lighting design and replacing all of a home’s windows. Before placing a home on the market, it is important to make sure that the home is prepared - inside and out - so it sells quickly and for top dollar. Continue reading