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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
5 Tourist Towns To Buy Property in While Tariffs Are High
International tariffs have made visiting the United States more expensive, causing a steep drop in foreign tourism, especially from Canada and Mexico. According to Oxford Economics, the U.S. saw a 31.9% decline in Canadian visitors and a 23% drop in Mexican visitors in March 2025, compared to previous years. This trend has led to a $64 billion loss for the U.S. tourism industry, with experts predicting that travel numbers may not fully recover until 2029. Discover More: Read Next: For property investors, these changes have created rare opportunities in iconic tourist towns. As demand softens, prices and inventory are shifting, especially in destinations that once relied on foreign visitors. Below, we explore five towns where these trends have opened doors for buyers, and we link directly to the latest housing data. North Myrtle Beach is a classic example of a market in transition. According to Rocket Homes, the median home prices rose 3.4% year-over-year to $398,002 in April 2025. However, not all segments are seeing gains: one-bedroom homes dropped 5.4%, and two- and three-bedroom homes also saw slight declines. Inventory is up 6.3% from March, with over 1,000 homes on the market and nearly 87% of properties selling below asking price. This is a clear sign buyers have more negotiating power. Homes are taking longer to sell, averaging 128 days on the market. These trends, combined with ongoing new construction and Myrtle Beach's enduring appeal, creates a great opportunity for those looking to enter a coastal market before international tourism rebounds. Find Out: Gatlinburg remains a favorite for domestic tourists, even as international visits have slowed. The average single-family home price is around $400,000, with prime cabins fetching over $600,000 due to strong short-term rental demand. The town's population is growing, and more buyers are entering the market, drawn by the promise of steady rental income and Smoky Mountain views. While some longtime residents are cashing out, new zoning changes and the conversion of older motels into modern vacation cabins are expanding investment options. The local market is expected to see moderate growth, making Gatlinburg a smart choice for those seeking both lifestyle and rental returns. Dauphin Island's real estate market is bucking the national trend, thanks to strong domestic demand. While European tourism has dipped, new ferry connections and infrastructure upgrades are attracting regional buyers. The median home price jumped 10.2% year-over-year to $490,000 in March 2025, with four-bedroom homes up 18%, per Rocket Homes data. Furthermore, inventory has also surged — 160 homes were for sale in March, a 52% increase from the previous month, giving buyers more choices. Off-beach cottages often sell 20% below similar Gulf Coast properties, and the area remains a buyer's market, with homes staying on the market longer and prices more negotiable. The town's glacier access and year-round outdoor activities continue to draw steady interest from adventure-seeking Americans, even as international ski tourism dips. According to Ownwell, the median home value is $445,350, and property taxes are higher than the national average (1.26% effective rate). However, the area's unique appeal and limited inventory keep demand steady. Direct flights from Seattle have made Girdwood more accessible to West Coast buyers who are avoiding international trips. The local municipal council has approved tax breaks for rental property upgrades, which will remain in effect through 2026. Despite recent tariff impacts, Girdwood's 10-year average price growth remains strong at 5.4%. This continues to draw investors looking for both rental potential and future appreciation. Truro, on Cape Cod, is seeing both volatility and opportunity. Data from Rocket Homes showed the median home price rose 4.7% to $944,500 in April 2025. However, the increase was not uniform with all kinds of houses. Five-bedroom homes dropped 38% year-over-year, and inventory jumped 19% month-over-month. Conversely, one-bedroom homes soared 50% in price, reflecting shifting buyer demand. Despite a 12% decline in European summer rentals, domestic visitors keep occupancy high, and recent flood-control projects have boosted buyer confidence. Sellers are offering flexible terms, and the market remains favorable for buyers as the area prepares for an eventual rebound in international tourism. More From GOBankingRates Surprising Items People Are Stocking Up On Before Tariff Pains Hit: Is It Smart? Clever Ways To Save Money That Actually Work in 2025 Sources: Oxford Economics, 'Inbound travel to US in steep decline' Rocket Homes, 'North Myrtle Beach Market Report' Rocket Homes, 'Dauphin Island Market Report' Ownwell, 'Girdwood, Anchorage County, Alaska Trends' Rocket Homes, 'Truro Market Report' This article originally appeared on 5 Tourist Towns To Buy Property in While Tariffs Are High
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
I can't stand Trump, but let's calm down. The United States is not China
When I moved back to Britain aged 16, in 1998, after a childhood spent in the US, I constantly encountered knee-jerk anti-Americanism. I hated it: it was impossibly arrogant and ungrateful. After all, America had saved the world, and Europe, at least once in the 20 th century, continued to guarantee our safety, and continued to be the culture the whole world wanted a part of – from Hollywood to McDonald's to Apple – because it represented dreams of freedom, possibility and riches. Sniping at me for being its emissary just showed the fatal flaw – lazy self-regard – of the old world. Now, though, America has ceased to be the end of the rainbow for quite so many. The reality of Trumpism in his second term is a shock to those who assumed America would, give or take, go on forever being a protective force, and a beacon of market-led, new world dynamism and constitutional seriousness. It is now distinctly unfriendly to outsiders. Trump's sophomorically-calculated, mean-spirited and disloyal global tariffs; his threats to steal the territory of allies; the craven bullying of Ukraine, the dubious methods by which visitors are being treated, both within and at America's borders, and the generally offensive rhetoric, so ill befitting the president and his inner circle, is measurably putting people off. As a result, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTO), the US tourism market will see a $12.5bn cut in international travel this year, driving revenue to 22 per cent less than before the pandemic. Of the 184 countries surveyed by WTTO, America is the only one in decline. Significantly, Canadians and Mexicans are staying away. 'There are also concerns over visas – whether they've got the right visa or might accidentally get arrested, which has made people quite fearful,' says Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the WTTC. Of course, America's allure persists, and it'll take more than Trump's present mixture of sabre-rattling and bizarre economic and foreign policy to put an end to the parade of foreigners desperate to see the riot of the Manhattan skyline, the valleys of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone and the artificial paradises of Florida. As for those who are staying away: I understand. Nobody without a US passport wants to be at the mercy of paranoid, erratic policy. But come on. In the scale of countries with bad leadership, sinister intentions and dubious machinations, America is still pretty far from the worst – and those that are worse are considered perfectly good tourist destinations by the great and the good. Obvious examples here include the Communist dictatorship of China, with its treatment of the Uyghurs and of Hong Kong in clear violation of human rights law; the UAE, where homosexuality is illegal; Tunisia, which has a growing problem with Islamism, and, of course, the new kid on the hypocritical tourism block: Saudi Arabia. The truth is that the US, flawed though it is, is too multifarious to cancel, and doing so would impoverish us. At the moment, there is much panicked amplification of the news, causing understandable jitters. But America is worth the risk as it currently stands. It's still the powerhouse of the world, from the skyscrapers of Manhattan to the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, and tourists stand to gain more than they lose by braving it.
