This is an excellent time to buy a house in the U.S. if you happen to be paying in Russian rubles, Japanese yen, Swiss francs, Swedish krona, Euros or British pounds.
All of these currencies have gained value against the U.S. dollar, according to Redfin. That makes it less expensive for their citizens to buy homes in the U.S. – even as many Americans find themselves squeezed out of the market by rising prices and high mortgages.
The biggest winner is the Russian ruble, which has risen 45% against the dollar since January, according to Reuters. The median home price in the U.S. rose 1% in June to a record $447,035 – but its price in rubles fell 9.6%. The cost in Swiss francs and Swedish krona was 8% lower, the Japanese yen was 7.6% lower, Euros were 5.6% lower, and pounds were 5.3% cheaper than the cost of Americans paying in dollars for the same home.
However, currencies of some other countries with close economic ties to the U.S. have weakened against the dollar. As a result, some homebuyers found home prices more expensive. Against the Chinese yuan, home prices rose 0.1%, 0.9% on the Canadian dollar, on the Mexican peso by 5.7% and on the Indian rupee by 4%.
“The U.S. dollar dropped more than 10% in the first six months of the year in comparison to a handful of currencies from America’s largest trading partners—the worst start to a year in more than 40 years. Economists have cited President Trump’s tariff policies, U.S. government debt and the potential early nomination of a new Federal Reserve chair among the reasons for the depressed dollar,” Redfin stated.
Foreign purchasers may encounter slightly higher mortgage rates than domestic buyers, Redfin observed. However, since many pay in cash, they have another advantage in the market.
Foreign investors purchased $56 billion worth of U.S. existing homes from April 2024 through March 2025, a third more than the previous year’s $42 billion, according to the National Association of Realtors. Foreign buyers residing in the U.S. accounted for 56% of all foreign purchases with a total dollar volume of $26.9 billion. Those living abroad accounted for the remaining 44% with a total dollar volume of $29.1 billion, the NAR reported. Their top destinations were Florida, California, Texas, New York and Arizona.
Savings for purchasers from other countries may vary due to differences in year-over-year price growth in local markets. According to Redfin, the best bargains are in Oakland, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, San Diego and Atlanta, all of which experienced the greatest price drops year-over-year in June. The lowest savings are on home purchases in Newark, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Nassau County, NY, where prices grew the most.
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