Real Estate

The Canadian Snowbirds of Detroit

Canadians still love snapping up cheap U.S. real estate, but we’ve traded Florida for Vegas and Detroit.

It’s no secret that Canadians have been buying a storm of real estate south of the border since the U.S. housing market collapsed. Many are snowbirds, who have long headed to the warm climates of Florida and Arizona.

But it seems we’re setting our sights elsewhere these days. The U.S. National Association of Realtors examined the cities that most interested Canadians who browed the real estate listing on its Realtor.org website. Turns out we’re really interested in buying property in Las Vegas and — of all places — Detroit.

Canadians now do more searches for real estate in those two cities, along with Los Angeles, than they do of properties in Florida, although we’re still big fans of the Sunshine state:

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Maybe that’s because for less than the average price of a house in the Greater Toronto Area, you can buy this 6,000 sq.-ft., six-bedroom, six bathroom mansion in Detroit:

This Detroit mansion is on the market for $525,000 or less than the price of a typical house in the Toronto area. (Realtor.org)

This Detroit mansion is on the market for $525,000 or less than the price of a typical house in the Greater Toronto Area. (Realtor.org)

The full study on Canadian real estate habits in the U.S. can be found here.

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