The reeling housing market has come to this: To shore it up, two Senators are preparing to introduce a bipartisan bill Thursday that would give residence visas to foreigners who spend at least $500,000 to buy houses in the U.S.

The provision is part of a larger package of immigration measures, co-authored by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah), designed to spur more foreign investment in the U.S.

Foreigners have accounted for a growing share of home purchases in South Florida, Southern California, Arizona and other hard-hit markets. Chinese and Canadian buyers, among others, are taking advantage not only of big declines in U.S. home prices and reduced competition from Americans but also of favorable foreign exchange rates.

To fuel this demand, the proposed measure would offer visas to any foreigner making a cash investment of at least $500,000 on residential real-estate—a single-family house, condo or townhouse. Applicants can spend the entire amount on one house or spend as little as $250,000 on a residence and invest the rest in other residential real estate, which can be rented out.

The measure would complement existing visa programs that allow foreigners to enter the U.S. if they invest in new businesses that create jobs. Backers believe the initiative would help soak up an excess supply of inventory when many would-be American home buyers are holding back because they’re concerned about their jobs or because they would have to take a big loss to sell their current house.

“This is a way to create more demand without costing the federal government a nickel,” Sen. Schumer said in an interview.

International buyers accounted for around $82 billion in U.S. residential real-estate sales for the year ending in March, up from $66 billion during the previous year period, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Foreign buyers accounted for at least 5.5% of all home sales in Miami and 4.3% of Phoenix home sales during the month of July, according to MDA DataQuick.

Foreigners immigrating to the U.S. with the new visa wouldn’t be able to work here unless they obtained a regular work visa through the normal process. They’d be allowed to bring a spouse and any children under the age of 18 but they wouldn’t be able to stay in the country legally on the new visa once they sold their properties.

The provision would create visas that are separate from current programs so as to not displace anyone waiting for other visas. There would be no cap on the home-buyer visa program.

Over the past year, Canadians accounted for one quarter of foreign home buyers, and buyers from China, Mexico, Great Britain, and India accounted for another quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors. For buyers from some countries, restrictive immigration rules are “a deterrent to purchase here, for sure,” says Sally Daley, a real-estate agent in Vero Beach, Fla. She estimates that around one-third of her sales this year have gone to foreigners, an all-time high.

“Without them, we would be stagnant,” says Ms. Daley. “They’re hiring contractors, buying furniture, and they’re also helping the market correct by getting inventory whittled down.”

In March, Harry Morrison, a Canadian from Lakefield, Ontario, bought a four-bedroom vacation home in a gated community in Vero Beach. “House prices were going down, and the exchange rate was quite favorable,” said Mr. Morrison, who first bought a home there from Ms. Daley four years ago.

While a special visa would allow Canadian buyers like Mr. Morrison to spend more time in the U.S., he said he isn’t sure “what other benefit a visa would give me.”

The idea has some high-profile supporters, including Warren Buffett, who this summer floated the idea of encouraging more “rich immigrants” to buy homes. “If you wanted to change your immigration policy so that you let 500,000 families in but they have to have a significant net worth and everything, you’d solve things very quickly,” Mr. Buffett said in an August interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose.

The measure could also help turn around buyer psychology, said mortgage-bond pioneer Lewis Ranieri. He said the program represented “triage” for a housing market that needs more fixes, even modest ones.

The number of residential sales jumped by 20.5 percent over the second quarter of last year, to 3,618 single-family and condominium units, according to the second-quarter report. Unquestionably, the report shows we’re heading toward a healthier market.

The report shows the median sales price for condos was approximately $144,000 in the second quarter of this year, a 4 percent drop from the same three months in 2010. The median sales price for single-family homes was $204,000, a 2.8 percent dip from second-quarter 2010. Sales in the luxury sector, that is, those over $1.05 million, actually rose by 4.9 percent over the second quarter of 2010.

The report broke up inventory into distressed and nondistressed units, and examined the varying ways each segment behaved. You can’t believe the macro reports that say pricing is down in South Florida, because it’s not that pricing is down. It’s that one particular segment of the market is down because we’re flushing these [distressed] properties out of the system. For Miami-Dade County generally, the numbers showed promise.

2,402 units sold in the period from April 11 to June 11 of this year, a 14.3 percent increase over the same two-month period in 2010. Total residential inventory fell by 32.6 percent year-over-year, down to 17,175 units for sale. More expensive properties are tending to do better with part of the explanation being that there are fewer distressed properties the higher one climbs on the price ladder.

Inventory is dropping in some areas as much as 50 percent from this time last year. What we saw, especially in June, was prices, both closed and active, started ticking up [on the high-end].”

One geographic area that has been particularly strong in the higher end is Miami Beach, which has seen a slew of ultra-high-end home sales, marked by the $19.8 million Maurice Fatio designed home on Sunset Island that sold this week. What I’m seeing is that the high-end houses are selling, and the market is not replenishing itself with more very high-end houses. High-end condo sales in Miami Beach are strong, too, with a host of condos fetching more than $1,000 per square foot, something unseen since 2005. It’s all part of a general price jump in the high-end sector.

Florida’s existing home and existing condo sales rose in May, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. Existing home sales increased 3 percent last month with a total of 17,228 homes sold statewide compared to 16,790 homes sold in May 2010, according to Florida Realtors. Statewide sales of existing condos last month rose 17 percent compared to the year-ago sales figure.

Twelve of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) reported higher existing home sales in May; 14 MSAs also had higher condo sales. It’s the sixth consecutive month that Florida Realtors has reported higher year-over-year existing home and existing condo sales statewide.

“With low mortgage rates and a broad inventory of homes at affordable prices, qualified buyers are realizing that there may never be a better time to find the home they’ve been dreaming of in Florida”

Florida’s median sales price for existing homes last month was $135,500; a year ago, it was $142,900 for a 5 percent decrease. However, May’s statewide existing home median price was about 2.9 percent higher than it was in April. Analysts with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) note that sales of foreclosures and other distressed properties continue to downwardly distort the median price because they generally sell at a discount relative to traditional homes. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.

The national median sales price for existing single-family homes in April 2011 was $163,200, down 5.4 percent from a year ago, according to NAR. In California, the statewide median resales price was $293,570 in April; in Massachusetts, it was $279,000; in Maryland, it was $226,370; and in New York, it was $200,000.

According to NAR’s latest industry outlook, tight credit is one of the reasons why the market is underperforming. “Although existing-home sales are expected to trend up unevenly through next year, unnecessarily tight credit is continuing to restrain the market along with a steady level of low appraisals that result in contract cancellations,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “A robust economic and housing market recovery cannot occur as long as banks continue to hold onto huge cash reserves.”

In Florida’s year-to-year comparison for condos, 8,338 units sold statewide last month compared to 7,104 units in May 2010 for an increase of 17 percent. The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $98,200; in May 2010 it was $96,400 for a 2 percent increase. May’s statewide existing condo median price was about 6.9 percent higher than it was in April. The national median existing condo sales price was $167,300 in April 2011, according to NAR.

The interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.64 percent in May, a drop from the 4.89 percent averaged during the same month a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac. Florida Realtors’ sales figures reflect closings, which typically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.

Each tower has 49 stories.
South Tower has 440 units and North Tower 409 units. Total 849 units.
Commercial space- 1st floor.
Flats- 2 & 3 floor
Lofts (2 story lofts)- 4 & 6 floor.
9 to 27 floor 10 units per floor.
28 to 39 floor, 8 units per floor.
40 to 48 floor Tower Suites.
49 Penthouses, 2 story and 3 story PH
Kitchens: Italian cabinets from Snaidero, Kitchen Aid stainless steel appliances, glass cook top, granite counter tops.
Bathrooms: marmol in white, and frameless shower glass doors.
 
Ammenities:
4 pools, jacuzzi, tiki bar  en pool area, 15,000 sq ft health spa, private mens and ladies treatment rooms, sauna, steam room, and plunging pool, aerobic areas for yoga.
Social room, catering kitchen, bar lounge, billiards, media room.
 
1 covered parking assigned per unit.

The units rent at these amounts:
Flats: $1,000
Studios: $1,300
1bed: $1,400 a $1,600
1 bed/ den /2 : $1,750 a $1,850
2 bed: $1,800 a $2,000

NIKKI BEACH Platinum membership.

Myth #1: I should stop paying my mortgage so I can get assistance with my mortgage payments.

Fact: Stopping payment on your mortgage only hurts your situation and can expose you to foreclosure and credit difficulties that could require years to rebuild. As soon as you think you may fall behind on your mortgage payments, contact your lender.

If you can financially afford to make your mortgage payments, you should do so for the following reasons:
- Making your mortgage payments helps protect your good credit.
- If you are discussing a loan modification or other foreclosure alternative with your lender, and your lender subsequently rejects either of those options, by continuing to make your mortgage payments, you will still be current and not in jeopardy of losing your home. However, if you stop making payments, you could end up losing the home to foreclosure.

Myth #2: If my house is foreclosed, I can never buy a house again, the foreclosure will stay on my record forever.

Fact: Foreclosure can have a devastating effect on your finances and you personally, but you can recover.

Use the time after foreclosure to prepare yourself for successful home ownership the second time around by:
- Creating a spending and savings plan
- Rebuilding your credit

Foreclosure is extremely damaging to your credit and may impact your credit rating for as long as seven years.

It may take a few years to qualify for a mortgage after foreclosure, but it can be done with some effort and planning. Find a reputable nonprofit housing and credit counseling agency to help you:
- Document your goals
- Obtain financial advice
- Develop a plan to improve your financial situation
Probably the most important work you will face after foreclosure is rebuilding your credit.

Myth #3: If I’m late on my monthly payments, I’ll lose my house.

Fact: If you have a financial hardship and fall behind, it’s possible to keep your house and get back on track if you contact your lender as soon as possible to discuss your options.

You can also contact a HUD-approved housing counselor by
calling the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673).

Your lender can help you understand the options available to you so that you can keep your home and avoid foreclosure. These may include:
- Federal Making Home Affordable Program
- Forbearance
- Loan Modification
- Reinstatement
- Repayment Plan

Myth #4: I am getting many offers for help from a variety of different people. They are probably all scams.

Fact: Scam artists often target homeowners who are struggling to meet their mortgage commitment or anxious to sell their home.

First, always open and respond to communications from your lender, particularly if you’ve already missed a mortgage payment. If you are in a financial crisis or facing foreclosure, make sure you work with your lender or a HUD-approved counseling agency to avoid common scams.

Protect yourself against common foreclosure scams, where a company/person:
- Asks for a fee in advance to work with your lender to modify,
refinance, or reinstate your mortgage.
- Guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or modify your loan.
- Advises you to stop paying your lender and pay them instead.
- Pressures you to sign over the deed to your home or sign any
paperwork that you don’t fully understand.
- Claims to offer “government-approved” or “official government” loan modifications.
- Asks you to release personal financial information online or over the phone (when you don’t know the company/person).

Legitimate offers will have specific information identifying your current mortgage, including the loan number of your mortgage. If you receive a letter offering a mortgage modification or other foreclosure alternative from a company other than your current lender or an authorized agent of your lender, you should seriously question the legitimacy of the offer.

Myth #5: My lender is not responding to my inquiries, so I should just give up and face foreclosure.

Fact: Whatever you do, don’t walk away, and don’t give up.

Call volume is high, and it may take several attempts to reach your lender. It may take longer than you would like, which is why you should contact your lender early.

The process of obtaining a loan modification or other foreclosure alternative may require multiple calls and submission of documents between you and your lender.

Lenders have many process requirements to institute a mortgage modification or other foreclosure alternative, so the process will be lengthy.

Each of the forms and documents that you are asked to complete is required and must be submitted, regardless of any potential redundant information.