Statistics on investment and second homes

For those of you looking for a pied-a-terre in San Francisco's real estate market, here's some information on the state of the sector, nationwide:

The number of people buying vacation and investment homes fell 30 percent last year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

But, those who are buying are doing so with cash – with more than four out of 10 investment buyers and more than three in 10 vacation home buyers coming to the table with money up front. ...

The market share of homes purchased for investment was 21 percent last year, unchanged from 2007, while an additional 9 percent were vacation homes, down from a 12 percent market share in 2007, according to NAR.

ARTICLE: BIZ JOURNAL