Having str'd here and feeling that we're a year or two from the bottom of the trough, I'm thinking that the USA and Florida in particular looks a decent bet at the moment. A four bed villa with pool for the equivalent of £120k and good holiday rental potential in the right area. Their crash is 2 years in, and exchange rates have never been better. Anyone out there with any experience/ thoughts on the region as an investment now?

I know 3beds/2 baths new houses who sell for $100K in not so bad area of Florida. I might have bought if I were to move there now...

Has the market bottomed there? I dont think so but agents keep saying it has and they are 3 months into their next upwards cycle!

I do not know, there is still a $1 trillion of resets. Also, nobody knows is the Pound will be $3 in a couple moths or will go back to $1.5

I am interested in buying for cheap in Utah, the bottom will be reached there 2 years after Florida.

In Florida in certain areas you will always get a glut of properties.

2 things to note for

1. Government taxes on non residents
2. Hurricane insurance.

Even in bad conditions like now, it is rare that the numbers really add up if you buy to let, buy for holidays and occasional rental yes, or buy perhaps for capital growth maybe in the longer term, but there is so much product in the market, and do the numbers before you consider to buy here. Even though dollar is not strong at moment.

I just bought a Florida property (in the process of closing). Managed to get a 5-bedroom with a pool, fully furnished, 3,000 per sq ft for $300,000 in Davenport (10 miles south of Orlando). Spent about 5 days looking at properties, including foreclosures.

There is certainly plenty of supply at the moment however buyers certainly have significant bargaining power. We were able to cut the asking price by $50,000 after they had already lowered the price by about $60,000 since it was first listed. The property was built in 2005 and was over $420,000 new, unfurnished.

My main rationale were buying were:
- $ per sq foot was $100 - you get a lot for your money
- Prices in Florida are already off at least 35-40% (maybe they fall a bit further but downside I believe is limited)
- Sterling is still at a high level versus the Dollar. Given the potentially weakening UK housing market I see the Dollar more likely to be getting stronger over the next few years.