US Real Estate market
I am always puzzled by people that say they want to purchase property in the United States for investment purposes, especially in the markets that have been depressed roughly 30-40% by foreclosures (e.g. California, Nevada, Arizona). While there is nothing wrong with the premise on speculating on such property, it is so much easier to do so with proxy investments such as REITs.
In addition, the purchase and sale of property in the states, as well as Canada, is a royal pain in the rear – you have liquidity concerns, you have to deal with agents and find buyers in a very slow process, you have to pay for property taxes and upkeep (which takes time that most professional organizations have automated) and you have to pay the dreaded IRS foreign alien withholding tax when you do dispose of your property and claim it back through a less-than-intuitive system.
The big “selling” point for me is liquidity. I absolutely despise investments that you can’t get rid of with a click of a button.