There are many reasons for Canadians to buy homes outside of the country, and most of them work in Ottawa..That’s my opinion, not the opinion of the good folks at Point2Homes, who have compiled a list of Canadians’ favourite places to buy a second home by examining the search volumes for more than 2,000 real estate-related keywords in islands, countries and cities outside Canada..“The last 12 months proved Canadians are getting bolder about buying a vacation home,” says Carmen Rogobete of Point2Homes. “Searches for keywords like ‘homes for sale in Hawaii,’ ‘real estate in Tulum’ and ‘condos for sale in Punta Cana’ have increased.”.“Canadian homebuyers are also clearer on the locations they want. While certain spots fell from grace, others gained in popularity and rose in the top 30 best home buying destinations.”.Here are the favourites:.#1 Mexico.“Canadian homebuyers are determined to get their own slice of paradise in the vacation oasis that is Mexico,” says Rogobete. “Attracted by the country’s ravishingly beautiful beaches, gorgeous colonial architecture and by its hyperpalatable cuisine and low-octane lifestyle, vacationers from all across Canada feel the need for a more permanent foothold in the country.”.“In the past 12 months, there were nearly 40,000 monthly searches for real estate-related keywords associated with Mexico, a 28% year-over-year increase.”. Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta .“The most popular locations are Puerto Vallarta, Tulum and Playa del Carmen.”.It’s a threesome at #2: Hawaii, New York and Las Vegas.“The US retained its appeal for Canadian homebuyers, whether they’re looking for a vacation home, a second home or a forever home south of the border, one thing that remains obvious is Canadians’ interest in US real estate is only going up. After a 20% year-over-year increase, the number of monthly searches currently hovers around 18,000.”.“These search patterns show that while some Canadians are interested in the more notorious or legendary American cities, others move south for the amazing weather in Texas and Arizona, or the beaches in Florida.”.#3 Costa Rica.“For Canadians, it seems as though Costa Rica has become synonymous with laid-back lifestyle, relaxation and a joyous love for life.”.“To that end, the three most popular locations for Canadians looking to buy a vacation home were Tamarindo, Jaco and Nosara. Tamarindo and Jaco are known for their beaches for great surfing and other water sports and activities.”.“Life is Nosara is slower paced. Popular mostly for its varied world-class yoga retreats and studios, this place will surely help those who move there to leave the world behind and truly relax.”.Point2Homes found searches for El Salvador and Grenada, while relatively low, showed high year-over-year increases, with jumps of 87% and 66% respectively.. Costa RicaCosta Rica .However, searches for Guyana and Dominica increased 254% and 112%, respectively, the most significant increases in interest, but not enough to make the top 30 list..The largest drop in the number of real estate-related keywords was for the U.S. Virgin Islands (-30%), followed by Turks and Caicos Islands (-29%) and Ecuador (-29%)..See the full list of the top 30 at Point2Homes.com
