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    Second Homes Will Continue to Draw Luxury Buyers Around the World in 2024

    When the pandemic drove up housing prices and mortgage rates, many wealthy Americans jumped on the opportunity to acquire investment properties in less pricey foreign countries and, in some cases, to pack up and move overseas. While we’re only a few weeks into the new year, it appears that the uptick in affluent U.S. citizens heading abroad is continuing full steam ahead.

    According to the 2024 Trend Report, published by the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program, nearly 40 percent of the survey participants intend on purchasing a home in a foreign country within the next year, and two-thirds said they plan on buying property abroad within the next five years.

    “If lower mortgage rate trends combined with the new inventory momentum continue, luxury homebuyers could be inspired to move forward with their next home purchase,” Michael Altneu, vice president of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, said in the report. Altneu added that shoppers are prioritizing “new amenities” and are open to exploring “overseas options for their next property.”

    The report also found that location ranks as the top consideration among 45 percent of discerning consumers. About 29 percent of high-net-worth consumers are looking to move to Europe, while 28 percent are eyeing destinations in North America outside of the U.S., and 23 percent are considering the Caribbean.

    High-net-worth home buyers are looking to relocate to Europe and the Caribbean, according to a new report.

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    On the flip side, the U.S. will continue to be a place of interest for deep-pocketed international buyers in 2024. Per the Coldwell Banker Trend Report, there was a 25 percent increase in the number of well-heeled foreign buyers purchasing real estate in the top 5 percent of the market in 2023. More specifically, those shoppers are looking to purchase property in bustling metros such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Washington, D.C.

    “We are seeing money from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Middle East being ‘parked’ in real estate in California as a holding place for wealth,” said Paul Lester of The Agency Beverly Hills in the firm’s annual Red Paper Wealth Report.

    “Instability in various South American countries continues to make Miami real estate very attractive,” noted Daniel Tzinker of The Agency Miami. “In the past three years, we’ve seen 100+ businesses like Citadel, Amazon, and Tesla move to Miami, taking advantage of the favorable tax environment…world-class restaurants, private clubs, and art galleries have followed.” 

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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    Millionaires Are Flocking to These Five Countries, According to a New Study

    Where have all the millionaires gone? Down Under, it would seem.

    Australia had the highest inflow of high-net-worth individuals in 2023, according to new findings from London-based investment migration consultancy Henley & Partners. The report, which defines HNWIs as people with at least $1 million in assets, noted that roughly 120,000 millionaires migrated to a new country this year, with that number set to increase to 128,000. Over the last two decades, Australia has logged 82,000 newcomers, and this year, approximately 5,200 millionaires are expected to make the country their new home.

    “Australia consistently attracts sizable numbers of millionaires every year, mainly from Asia and Africa, but more recently also from high-income countries such as the U.K.,” explained Andrew Amoils, head of research at New World Wealth, which collaborated with Henley & Partners on the report. The study attributed Australia’s appeal to its safety, low tax rates, healthcare system, and advanced economy. Of course, the country’s high quality of life, wide open spaces, and natural beauty are also draws. 

    The UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.S. were also among the top five destinations with the highest net inflows of millionaires in 2023. The Emirates clocked approximately 4,500 high-net-worth individuals this year, most of whom are drawn to the area’s prime real estate and safe haven status.

    Roughly 82,000 millionaires have relocated to Australia between 2002 and 2022.

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    “Pre-pandemic, the UAE traditionally saw net inflows of around 1,000 high-net-worths per year,” the report said, with most incoming millionaires in 2023 expected to come from India, with large numbers also coming from the U.K., Russia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Hong Kong, and China.

    The United States attracted around 2,100 high-earning newcomers. Per the report, those people mainly hail from Asia and work in the entertainment, finance, or tech industries. Singapore and Switzerland also maintained their status as wealthy hubs. The former is forecast to welcome 3,200 HNWIs, while the so-called “playground of Europe” is projected to attract a net inflow of approximately 1,800 high-net-worth individuals in 2023.

    Conversely, countries including the U.K., China, India, Russia, and Brazil saw the world’s largest exodus of millionaire residents. This year, the U.K. had about a 3,500 drop in HNWIs, while China has been negligible since 2017. “General wealth growth in the country has been slowing over the past few years, which means that the recent outflows could be more damaging than usual,” the report said.

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics…

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    Thinking of Buying a Home in Portugal? The Government Just Made It More Expensive

    Portugal has long been popular among travelers, and in recent years, it’s become a hotspot for foreign, high-net-worth homebuyers, too. But that’s about to change.

    This month, the Portuguese government announced its plans to end its special tax regime for non-habitual residents starting in 2024. Under the current NHR program, qualifying individuals who live in the country at least part-time enjoy tax exemptions for up to 10 years on income earned in Portugal and are also exempt from paying taxes on their global earnings. Additionally, in February, Portugal also said it would be pulling the plug on its golden visa program over concerns that wealthy expats were causing property prices to rise.  

    “We already have clients that are looking to reconsider their plans,” Alex Ingrim, a private wealth manager and senior investment analyst at Chase Buchanan, told Business Insider. “I think it’s caused a lot of people to reconsider why they were moving to Portugal if it’s not going to be as easy as they first thought.” The good news is that Americans and other foreigners who are already living in Portugal will still keep their tax benefits through the duration of their 10-year term.

    Portugal announced that in 2024 it will be ending its Non-Habitual Residency tax regime for new entrants.

    Unsplash/Louis Droege

    As of 2022, there were approximately 10,000 Americans living in Portugal. Per the New York Times, that’s a whopping 239 percent increase since 2017. According to a recent report from the Property-Market Index, home values throughout the country spiked 6.5 percent over the last year due to the country’s inability to keep up with demand.  

    In the Algarve region specifically, prices rose 15 percent in the same period, with cities like Lisbon experiencing similar surges. At Quinta do Lago, a golf community on the Algarve coast, prices have jumped over 28 percent since 2020, and the research firm estimated that values will climb by 19 percent by 2025.

    “It’s causing people to take a step back and go, ‘Okay, Portugal was the easy answer, and now there’s no other easy answer out there. France, Italy, or Spain might be back on the table,’” Ingrim told Insider. More