France Becoming Less Popular for Brits in Search of Second Homes

The number of Brits who own a second home in France has slumped over the past decade, and Brexit is thought to be the cause. The number of households in England with a French vacation home stood at roughly 60,000 last year, according to a housing survey from the U.K. government, some 30,000 less than in 2012-13. “About 10 years ago, there was a demand for British people to settle in the region,” said Mathieu Monfort, owner of the Brittany-based estate agency Littoral Ouest Immobilier. “But we’ve seen a lot more reluctance. Covid disrupted the whole country, but then Brexit accentuated this effect with regard to the U.K. I don’t see Britons anymore.” The Connexion

Dubai’s Luxury Property Market Logs Banner First Half of the Year

Dubai’s high-end housing market had a red-hot start to the year. Between January and June, 176 luxury homes costing more than US$10 million changed hands in the city. Collectively, those deals were worth AED 3.1 billion (US$844 million), a total that outperformed London, New York and Paris for the first time, according to a market report from estate agency Allsopp & Allsopp. According to the firm’s CEO, Lewis Allsopp, instability in Europe, the U.S. and many important markets has increased investors’ appetite for Dubai. Gulf Today

Guy Pearce Lists Australian Home

Actor Guy Pearce has listed his long-term home in Melbourne, Australia, with a price guidance of A$8.5 million to A$9.35 million (US$5.7 million to US$6.3 million). The property consists of two connected red-brick Edwardian-era homes. Pearce acquired the initial property for A$361,000 in 1995 and the neighboring house in 2004 for A$1.35 million. The homes, in the city’s inner suburb of Middle Park, were redesigned to connect and boast an open-plan living and dining space, a media room and a garden with a stand-alone studio. news.com.au

Rust Belt Cities Log Highest Home Price Growth in the U.S.

U.S. home prices ticked up for the fourth straight month in May, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index. Nationally, property prices rose 0.7% on a monthly basis. “The last four months’ price gains could be truncated by increases in mortgage rates or by general economic weakness,” said Craig Lazzara, the company’s managing director. “But the breadth and strength of May’s report are consistent with an optimistic view of future months.” Cities in the Rust Belt outperformed the rest of the nation, rising 4.6% in Chicago; 3.9% in Cleveland; and 3.5% in New York. CNBC