The Most Desirable Countries and States For Property Hunters

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During the first year of the pandemic, American ownership of overseas assets rose 40 percent to a total of $35 trillion. Meanwhile, 35,000 Britons continue to purchase abroad each year despite the obstacles set by Brexit and Covid.

The strong dollar creates the idea specifically appealing to Americans. Overseas possessions are also refreshingly IRS-proof. The tax service overlooks overseas property since it would be “unable to seize or force the sale of your second home in Belize, your penthouse in Colombia, your beach house in Brazil, etc.,” according to Forbes. “Lawyers, former spouses, friends, ex-employees, and so on are likewise stone-walled.”

Moreover, moving to a new country is an exciting opportunity. According to the UN’s World Migration Report, 281 million people (or 3.6% of the world’s population) lived outside their country of origin in 2020.

But which countries do residents of each world nation want to buy property in? MoverDB.com used online search data tools to analyze the number of searches for
properties in every country around the world and identify the most popular place in each country among foreign property hunters. And then, we did the same, looking at which states each state wants to move to. The analysis of global search data reveals that people in 34 countries have their eye on a place in the sun, as houses for sale in Spain are the most frequently searched for in our research. France and Canada (both 13 countries) are also popular for “homes for sale”
searches.

Key Findings

• Spanish estate is the most sought-after in the world, with 34 nations searching for homes in Spain more than elsewhere.
• Britons are the most enthusiastic about a move abroad, with the highest search interest per capita for 22 countries.
• America’s preferable choice place to migrate is Italy.
• But within the U.S., more states are researching moving to Texas than any other American state.

Where Every Country Wants to Buy Property in the World

Property hunters from 34 countries search for Spanish homes more than any other country. The mild climate, a low cost of living and reasonable property prices make it attractive for Europeans, while the golden visa incentive for investments of over €500,000 attracts larger investors. Meanwhile, Spanish home purchases have increased by 76% year-on-year, with Americans taking advantage of direct flights and attractive exchange rates, even though Spain is not the most sought-after destination for Americans.

Italy is America’s top destination, but not just because of its mild climate and cultural heritage.

The large-scale migration from Italy to the United States during the late 19th century had an immense influence on American culture — and nowadays, Italy is the most desired country for American purchasers. In addition, Italy has convenient healthcare and educational systems — although citizens pay for them through taxes.

Most British people don’t anticipate such a long trip across the Atlantic. Property buyers from the United Kingdom dream of living in France, just across the Channel.

While Brexit has made this dream more inconvenient to complete, the idea of being ‘a bit more European’ while picking up a bargain remains attractive to Britons and is especially alluring to pensioners wishing to seek the good life without venturing too distant from the British Isles.

The Country Most Interested in Buying Property in Each Place

If you’re interested in uncovering which nation’s people are most excited about moving to your country, then the world map below is for you. Which are the countries whose residents are researching buying property where you live? The MoverDB team examined global Google searches for “houses for sale” in every country worldwide and identified the countries with the most searches per capita for properties in each nation.

They found that Brits are the keenest on a move abroad, with the highest search interest per capita for 22 countries. Irish nationals are similarly eager, with residents frequenting searches in 19 countries. Sweden is the nationality most likely to purchase a home in the U.S. There is a substantial Swedish line running through the United States: as long as 100 years ago, America could count 824 thousand second-generation Swedish Americans among its population.

Where Every State Wants to Buy Property in the U.S.

According to Statista, 6.1 million homes were sold in the United States in 2021 — the most since 2008’s financial crisis. A post-pandemic housing boom is happening across America, but which states are people most keen on buying property in?

Search data reveals that residents in 17 U.S. states are most interested in moving to Texas, while a further 16 states are considering Florida as a moving destination. Census data shows that these two states had the fastest-growing populations in the U.S. in 2022, and both states are popular for their low taxes and abundant sunshine.

The U.S. State Most-Interested in Buying Property in Each Place

According to analysis, people in 39 of the 48 mainland U.S. states, most actively searched for properties in a neighboring state.

During the past decade, Texas has proven to be a popular destination for buyers. As a result, the Texan population increased by 4 million between 2010 and 2020, with half of those people migrating from abroad or out of state. The cost of living is 8% lower than the national wide average, and Texas is one of just 9 American states with no income tax — with Florida among the others. Florida was an enormously alluring state to move during the pandemic and became the fastest-growing U.S. state in 2022. Traditionally a draw for pensioners, Florida’s climate and nature beauties has opened up to a young generation that can work from anywhere.

The Methodology Behind This Study

To create these maps of the world, the MoveDB team began by creating a list of nations and the languages spoken in those countries. The team then translated the phrase “house for sale {country}” into every language, with each country inserted into the sentence.

Next, the MoveDB team utilized Ahrefs and its Keyword Explorer tool. Operating the “Matching terms” feature, they assembled search volumes for every associated search query and linked each query with a particular country. This identified the most popular location to buy a home abroad for each nation.

Ultimately, they determined which nation is searched most frequently for properties in a given country by comparing the proportion of the number of searches to the population. In this stage, the MoveDB team calculated only the number of searches for the initially compiled keywords (i.e., the analysts didn’t use the “Matching terms” feature). The team repeated the steps for the American states instead using DataForSEO and its Google Ads API and created maps of the United States.

The data was gathered in March 2023.