One of the new trends in property acquisition is buying homes in areas such as Southeast Asia and Central America. This has become popular as property prices have increased greatly in many of the European and North American countries, and it stretches budgets much further. People with few hopes for a beachside vacation or retirement home now have the opportunity to acquire the property of their dreams. They often see this as an investment for their family or their future.

There are very few countries with regulations against foreign property investment because they see this as an economic plus for their small communities. Foreigners, even those who are retired, have money to spend in these areas. They tend to invest in the area economy and provide work for the local population. When their friends and family visit, they provide further economic support through tourism. Property buyers and local economies both flourish when foreign buyers invest in property abroad.