Within this widely diverse continent, the state of Florida stands out as a property hotspot. More than 40 million tourists visit the state every year and is among the world's top tourist destinations. Property prices are fairly low, and attract those seeking a second home, a good investment, or a rentable property. With attractions like Disney World, Universal Studios and the many, many golf courses it is little wonder that Florida has become a leading tourism site, with casino central Las Vegas just behind it.

The United States of America is a consitutional federal republic made up of 50 states and a federal district. The country lies between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and is bordered by Canada to the North and Mexico to the South. The states of Alaska and Hawaii are the most unusual of the states in terms of their location, for Alaska is located Northwest of the continent with Canada and Russia either side, while Hawai is an achipego (a group of islands) located in the Mid-Pacific.

The international real estate investor looking to enter the America property market has a wide range of options to choose from as diverse as buying wholesale in gated retirement communities and letting units or purchasing brand new off plan properties in popular hotspots such as Chicago, Las Vegas or Florida, buying into land management funds, purchasing freehold property in markets that are emerging as attractive to the local and international markets in and around hotspots such as North Carolina and flipping these properties upon completion or closure to release the equity growth.

The real estate market in the USA as in many parts of the westen world is cyclical. Depending on the strength of the current American economy and the status of the credit supply, the demand take up and hence market value will rise and fall. But long term the USA market has always been viewed as a solid performer. The investor or purchaser who is seeking to buy property in solid growth areas needs to study the widely available data that is published daily and therefore readily available. This affords an investor seeking potential in a given USA real estate sector the ability to find areas where potential exists or may present itself in the future.