International homebuyers acquired a total of 214,885 properties — worth $102.6 billion — in the U.S. in the period from April 2015 to March 2016, according to the National Association of Realtors. In terms of dollars spent, China was the main source of foreign activity for the second year in a row, followed by Canada, India, the U.K. and Mexico.
As a group, half of foreign purchasers pay in cash, 65% prefer to buy a detached single-family-home, and most of them purchase in a central city or urban area. Since international buyers include expats living in the U.S. and foreigners still living mainly abroad, the properties include both main residences and vacation homes.
And while they buy property nationwide, five states made up 51% of their purchases in the year leading up to March 2016: Florida (22%), California (15%), Texas (10%), Arizona (4%) and New York (4%).
Interestingly, international buyers differ on certain issues, including the reasons that attract them to a particular area and the money they spend per property:
Here, a snapshot of their favorite states and what pulls them to those locations:
| Country | Favorite States | What attracts them | Median Purchase Price |
| China | California (32%)New York (10%) | Proximity to and cultural affinity with Asia | $542,084 |
| Canada | Florida (37%)Arizona (19%) | Warm weather | $222,310 |
| India | Texas (20%)California (17%) | Employment | $333,372 |
| U.K. | Florida (39%)California (15%) | Warm weather | $427,348 |
| Mexico | Texas (35%)California (19%) | Geographically close and culturally similar to Mexico | $176,522 |
Source: National Association of Realtors