Tag Archives: venezuela
Florida is most popular state in the US for overseas buyers
Florida remains the top State in the United States for foreign buyers with Miami one of the most popular locations for overseas real estate investors. Foreign real estate buyers made up 36% of sales in Miami and south Florida accounting for transactions worth $6.1 billion, according to the 2015 international buyer report from the Miami Association of Realtor and the National Association of Realtors. The annual survey, which includes data for Miami-Dade, Broward has this year expanded to include Palm Beach and Martin counties, and ranks countries of origin and highlights key characteristics of foreign buyers. Florida remains the top for international buyers with 21% of all foreign purchases in the US and Miami and Fort Lauderdale account for 50% of foreign sales, while the data also shows that there continues to be more foreign buyers in Miami than in the rest of the country. The number of estate agent members in Miami working with international buyers increased four points to 74% compared to the previous year more than double the national figure of 35%. ‘Miami members have unparalleled access to foreign buyers compared to the rest of the country,’ said Mark Sadek, 2016 chairman of the board of the Miami Association of Realtors. ‘Miami and south Florida attract foreign buyers unlike any other US market and increasingly from a more diverse group of countries,’ he added. In terms of dollar volume of sales in Miami some 78.9% of international sales were in Miami-Dade County, 18% in Broward, 2.7% in Palm Beach and 0.3% in Martin. Unit sales accounted for 22% of total sales in south Florida. The top five countries or origin for buyers in south Florida were Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Canada, accounting for 62% of sales. Other top countries included Mexico, France and Italy, Ecuador and Spain. The top five countries of origin for those buying properties just in Miami-Dade were Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, France, and the Dominican Republic. In Broward County it is buyers from Canada and Venezuela that topped the list followed by Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, India and Russia while in Palm Beach County it is Canada and Brazil and Martin County China and Canada. The research also shows that foreign buyers spend more on properties than domestic buyers and paid $590,000 on average compared to locals spending $329,869. They also mostly pay cash with 75% doing so. Foreign buyers also prefer condominiums with 52% opting for this type of property and 61% buy in an urban area. They are mostly buying for a holiday and as an investment. Continue reading
Sweden ‘Most Sustainable Country in the World’
August 19, 2013 is the most sustainable country in the world, a ranking it earned for its use of renewable energy sources and low carbon dioxide emissions, as well as social and governance practices such as labor participation, education and institutional framework, according to a report by sustainability investment firm Robecosam. The ranking aims to offer insight into investment risks and opportunities related to environmental, social and governance practices such as emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, and allows investors to compare countries to each other. Australia, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway round out the top five. The United Kingdom ranks sixth, followed by Canada, Finland, the US and the Netherlands. Countries with the lowest scores include Nigeria in the bottom spot, along with Egypt, Venezuela, Indonesia and Russia. The sustainability report by Robecosam evaluated 59 countries, 21 developed and 38 emerging markets, on environmental, social and governance factors considered relevant to investors. A weighted set of indicators determined each country’s score with 10 being the highest. Countries were judged on their environmental policies, emissions , energy use, energy sources, risk mitigation and biodiversity. For example, countries that rely heavily on fossil fuel imports are vulnerable to external price movements or shortages, which would result in a lower score, the report says. A majority of investors view climate change as a material risk and as a consequence have retained — and in many cases advanced — their commitment to addressing climate change in their investment activities, according to research by consultant Mercer published earlier this month. This is despite wider economic challenges and continuing policy uncertainty, according to the third annual Global Investor Survey on Climate Change. A report released last year in Doha by the World Energy Council urged governments to design long-term energy policies, enable market conditions that attract long-term investments and encourage research and development in energy technology. It said developed countries such as Sweden, Switzerland and Canada are the closest to achieving sustainable energy systems . Neither the US nor the UK made the top 10 list. Earlier this year Volvo unveiled plug-in hybrid buses — which the company says reduce fuel consumption by at least 75 percent compared with diesel buses — in Gothenburg, Sweden as part of a field test. Volvo says the plug-in technology will also reduce carbon dioxide by 75 to 80 percent, compared with current diesel buses, and reduce total energy consumption by about 60 percent. Continue reading
