Abogados de Inmigracion

Luxury foreign buyers fall into the more than 70 percent of consumers who begin looking for a home online, Laue said. They also use magazines such as Unique Homes and Ultimate Homes, she said.

Florida is one of the most popular states with international buyers, Laue said, and has been for quite some time. Nevada and Colorado are also high on the popularity list, and in the last few years, clients have been looking for wide open spaces, exploring the Carolinas and Virginia.

Luxury Miami Beach agent Yolande Citro, a Frenchwoman who speaks five languages, has a number of international clients. She said her clients get their information on homes for sale "mainly from the Internet," and that one big draw for U.S. purchases is the difference in price.

"The United States is still less expensive than Europe," Citro said. Miami appeals to her clients because it has an international airport and because there are already a number of foreigners living in the city, she said. Clients favor Florida because they love the sunshine, according to Citro.

"Actually, 15 percent of all purchasers in Florida are from abroad," said Laurie Moore-Moore, president of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, citing a 2005 National Association of Realtors study on international buyers in Florida.