I read this blog post recently and wanted to share it with you. There is also a list of the Top 20 Best Retreat locations listed.
Is your region on the list?
Barron’s Names Jackson Hole, Wyoming #1 To Own A Second Home
This week’s issue of Barron’s magazine features The Best Locations in America for a Second Home, where Grand Teton National Park Jackson Hole is ranked …
www.jacksonwyomingrealestate.com/…/Barrons-Names-Jackso…
Thought this was interesting information and wanted to share it with you!
George
Posted on Luxury Insights
Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST
After the real estate downturn sent the Dubai real estate market into a tail spin with prices dropping by 50% at the worst point, the property market appears to have finally begun to turn around. The market resurgence is caused in part by investors from the Middle East and South Asia (especially India) who are looking for a safe haven to park their money. Evidence of recovery was given a further shot in the arm by several new luxury property developments, some of which sold out in a matter of days.
Recent statistics show that the number of property transactions in the emirate jumped 50% in the first half of 2012 compared with a year earlier. Villa prices in prime parts of Dubai rose 19.9% in the first nine months of 2012, which is double the rate of growth seen in prime central London’s prices over the same period, according to property consultant Knight Frank. Overall, inflation-adjusted prices increased 14.43% in the first nine months of last year, according to Global Property Guide.
As further evidence that there is local confidence in the strength of the recovery, the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Holding and Emaar Properties, plan to develop “Mohammad Bin Rashid City.” Referred to by local media as “a jaw-dropping project,” the new development will include a park roughly the size of New York City’s Central Park (843 acres), a family entertainment center created by Universal Studios, and the “Mall of the World,” a retail complex that can accommodate 80 million visitors a year. The complex will also include art galleries, golf facilities, more than 100 hotels, plus residential areas.
Although Dubai’s market activity is encouraging, there are also downside risks, according to a recent report by Citi Research. “We caution against early signs of exuberance, such as the re-emergence of off plan sales and the risks of excessive supply given some of the recently announced projects. Such exuberance could undermine not only the sustainability of the real estate recovery but lead to dislocations in the wider economy as well,” the Citi report said. In other words, the beginning recovery could go off track.
Another article that you may find interesting from Luxury Insights:
Just how big is the second home market?
Posted: 29 Aug 2012 05:04 AM PDT
Recent statistics from the Census Bureau reveal that nationally, about 3.5% of the housing inventory falls into the seasonal, recreational, or occasional use category.
The states that lead the list with the highest number of properties in these categories may surprise you. 
Based on the 2010 Census (not released until almost the end of 2011) these are the most current stats available. Given slow new construction rates these numbers are still realistic.
Find more on housing data and statistics from the Census Bureau.
From the WSJ LunchBreak: Living the high life
Posted by Waco Moore on Luxury Insights
Date posted: 17 Aug 2012 11:28 AM PDT
A peek at the trend of super-tall buildings for super-rich residents …read more
Re-posting after finding this on Luxury Insights.
Hope you find this of interest,
George
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2012 07:33 AM PDT
In our previous post we looked at some of the current market stats for Silicon Valley.
Statistics are one thing, but for an incredibly unique market such as the Silicon Valley where a high percentage of luxury homes never even hit the MLS, having the insider’s view and contacts is of paramount importance.
That’s why we turned to Institute for Luxury Home Marketing member Dawn Thomas, broker associate at INTERO Real Estate Services and Founder of The Dawn Thomas Team to give us an up-to-the-minute pulse of what’s happening in her market.
What’s the typical starting price of your market:
DT – Everyday home prices are in the $1.5 million to $2 million range. The starting point for luxury homes is around $3.5 million. On the flip side, the highest priced home sold in either San Mateo or Santa Clara county so far this year is $15.3 million. Last year’s most expensive sale was $100 million.
How would you describe the pulse of your market?
DT – Days on market is trending better and we’re seeing prices increasing – not skyrocketing, but increasing. And we’re also seeing a lot of foreign investors. In fact, I have one buyer who is ready to purchase and will spend up to $40 million for the right property that he can pass on to future generations.
With that being said, this is also an election year so there are a lot of variables.
High-end homes are moving if presented well and there is no shortage of money here, but inventory is short.
What issues do you see that are impacting your market?
DT – The low capital gains tax that the Bush Administration put into affect is likely going to be over at the end of the year and another issue is the 3.8 percent tax increase for health care (for more information on its impact to real estate transactions, click here) that will have an impact on both real estate purchase and sale decisions. I’ve actually had clients ask me about these issues, and from discussing this with other agents, these are definitely things luxury buyers and sellers are aware of.
Did Facebook’s IPO increase higher prices in your market or have the positive impact the media seemed to indicate it would?
DT – (Laughing) I wish I could say that all the hoopla about this did make a difference, but from what I can tell, I don’t think it really did. First of all, many of the people at Facebook are Gen Y’ers. And a lot of these employees live in the city and aren’t interested in luxury homes. They don’t want 10,000 square foot homes – they want smaller footprints with higher-end finishes. Additionally, many of these people can’t unlock their proceeds from the IPO until six months following the public offering – and this won’t occur until more towards the end of the year. The real truth of the matter is the Facebook frenzy just didn’t happen.
Read this on Luxury Insights – thought it was interesting enough to share with you!
FAST FACTS about the world’s wealthy: Where in the world will you find the wealthy?
Posted: 03 Aug 2012 07:55 AM PDT
While three countries – the U.S., Japan and Germany – account for more than 53% of the world’s population of High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), you will find wealthy households all across the globe.
Look at the distribution by region, and the Asia-Pacific region is home to more HNWI’s than any other region with 3.37 million HNWI. North America is close behind with 3.35 million HNWIs. Europe boasts 3.17 million HNWIs, largely due to increases in Russia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The comparable statistic for the Middle East is 2.7 million.
Where are the world’s second home buyers most likely to come from?
Obviously this will differ based on a specific market. For instance, Orlando might get British and German second home buyers, Miami may have many from Latin America, Vancouver may attract Chinese, while Phoenix might attract Canadians. However in sheer numbers, buyers from the following countries top the list of purchasers worldwide:
I read this article in Luxury Insights and thought I’d like to share it with you.
Warren Buffett says “Buy”
Posted: 30 Jun 2012 01:06 AM PDT
Good information for your investors
Just ask the Oracle of Omaha, billionaire Warren Buffett about residential real estate as an investment. He recently told CNBC that distressed single-family homes were one of today’s best investment opportunities, saying, “…It’s a leveraged way of owning a very cheap asset now and I think that’s probably as an attractive an investment as you can make.”
If you work with residential investors, whether they are buying distressed homes or looking for other good value residential properties with potential as rentals, here’s a recent analysis which may be useful. In a study sponsored by HomeVestors of America, Inc.® (known as the We Buy Ugly Houses® company), Local Market Monitor analyzed over 300 cities before identifying the top 10 for residential rental investments, as of second quarter of this year. For additional cities and more explanatory information on the analysis, see the Local Market Monitor press release.
Not working with investors? The projected growth in median price is good information, too.
Posted in affluent buyers and sellers, buyers, investing
Some say real estate is all about…………Location, Location, Location.
Some very smart people think it’s all about…………Timing, Timing, Timing………
Lewis: Hedge-fund manager purchases princely property
Denver Post
It is fitting that one of the most renowned real-estate bears in US history has ended up with what was once the most expensive home listing in US history. In 2006, Prince Bandar had listed the property, which he named the Hala Ranch, for $135 million … read more…
Demand for vacation and investment housing rebounded in 2011, together representing 38 percent of all housing transactions for the year. In its 2012 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, the National Association of REALTORS® reported vacation home purchases totaled 11 percent of the total market, up from 10 percent in 2010. Investment housing sales surged to 27 percent of the market, up from 17 percent.
In transaction volume, vacation sales increased 7 percent to 502,000. Investment purchases jumped 64.5 percent to 1.23 million. The rise in investme
nt acquisitions reflected the availability of bargain prices, combined with a trend in rising rental incomes. In fact, 41 percent of investment buyers in 2011 bought more than one property, the NAR survey showed.
Investors and vacation home buyers also brought cash to the table. In 49 percent of the investment deals, buyers paid in cash, while 42 percent of vacation-home transactions were cash deals. Also, the median age for investment-home buyers was 50, with earnings of $86,100, who made purchases within 25 miles of their residence.
Hope you find this information of interest. This information came from NAR Resort and Second Home Committee, which I chair. This is from their annual study about 2nd homes.
Best to you,
George R. Harvey, Jr.
Posted in buyers, investing, luxury resort market, Telluride, wealth
