[quote=deadzone]Call it what you want, but I would consider most cases of people purchasing vacation homes etc. as investors.

And on to money laundering, what I am really referring to is all the cash purchases made by foreign buyers, (Chinese primarily, a lot of Mexican too in this area) who are investing in US assets to hide their money from their own governments, whether due to tax or other reasons. This is very common but impossible to quantify.[/quote]

Huh? My parents had a second home at the Jersey shore. I had a place in Palm Desert. My friends back east all have Shore houses and Florida houses. None are ever rented out. They are used to vacation. Now some friends are spending more than half time in Florida for tax reasons and easing into retirement. None of these places were ever investments. More tone deaf ignorance. The only thing we are investing in is our happiness
And not impossible to quantify those cash buyers. Most primary homes. Some international but a small player except in a small handful of spots here