The 20 hottest real estate spots in the world

It’s safe to say we’re in the midst of a global real estate bull market. According to the
Knight Frank Global House Price
Index, the value of homes internationally rose by 8.4 percent in 2013, representing the highest annual increase since 1995.
“People love property because it has that tangibility that

other assets don’t have,” says
James Price, Knight Frank’s head of Global Real Estate in
London.
Although it’s a global phenomenon, US buyers — especially New Yorkers — are particularly active abroad.
“Along with lifestyle considerations, New Yorkers —

much like other High Net
Worth Individuals [HNWIs] — now see foreign property as a wise investment as they look to spread and diversify their wealth,” Price says.
While much of this money is pouring into established urban centers, experts describe
Americans as more entrepreneurial about snapping

up property — willing to invest in everything from a private island in Antigua to vast farms in Zambia if the price (and property) is right.
Which means that now is the time to consider purchasing a pied-a-terre in Paris or Monaco, or maybe a row house in
Charleston or a condo in Los
Angeles. Alexa Luxe Living

scoured the planet for the hottest markets for New York buyers, and found 20 destinations heating up the globe. Monaco: Tour Odeon $350M+

The lure: It’s not just the beach and marina that makes Monaco special. “A large part of its appeal is the income-tax-freezone status,” says Knight
Frank’s Price. “Equally, it’s very secure. Add to that the location
— the Alps, Italy and the Côte d’Azur are your playgrounds — and it’s very appealing.”

Europeans traditionally bought into Monaco, but Americans looking for a well-placed pieda-terre are flocking to this tiny principality bordered by France to have a look.
Key development: The Tour
Odéon Monaco is reputed to be the most expensive tower in the world, with average sales hitting the $8,000-per-square-

foot mark. At 49 stories, it’s practically a low-rise by New
York standards, “but it’s the largest tower in the South of
France region, so the views are incredible,” says Price.
Architecturally, it’s the first new building in the whole country to have a contemporary style, “plus, it’s the first building with all the amenities of a luxury condo,”

adds Price. More than a third of the 73 apartments have been scooped up since they were released two years ago. The
Tour Odéon will be ready for its affluent residents later this year. Record pricing: There is no formal price at this stage, but the penthouse at the Tour
Odéon Monaco is rumored to

be priced at more than $350 million. Charleston, SC: Historic downtown, up to $19M
The lure: A coastal city with thousands of miles of waterways, historic Charleston has a lovely year-round climate that allows for outdoor recreation of all types. But

beyond the beauty, Charleston has emerged as a surprising economic success story that is luring East Coast-based buyers.
Over 250 small-scale tech and digital companies have set up home in the Charleston area, making it one of the 10 fastest growing cities for software and
Internet technologies in the nation. “Charleston is a big city that ‘lives’ like a small town,”

says Ruthie Ravenel, an agent with Sotheby’s affiliate Daniel
Ravenel Real Estate.
Key developments: Along with the Upper King Street corridor,
Ravenel points New Yorkers toward Halsey Park, a new community being sold in
Harleston Village. “The plan features row houses with private rooftop decks and

harbor views.” This is one of the last developments in the heart of downtown Charleston, she notes. Row houses are all priced in the $1.4 million range.
In the historic core, prices can easily top $10 million.
Vail, Colo.: Ritz-Carlton
Residences $2.3M to $9.5M

The lure: One of