Israeli investors scour for South Florida deals

From the South Florida website: It began almost two years ago, with one of the first bulk purchases since the downturn. Shaul Moshal purchased 26 units at Pembroke Pines’ La Via condominium for $1.4 million in January 2009.The Israelis are part of a growing trend of foreign buyers driving the residential market, as Canadians and Brazilians have been notably moving in on the South Florida region. Since the Pembroke Pines purchase, Israeli investors have been searching South Florida for deals — especially those they can do in bulk, with some dealing directly with fellow Israeli developers. “It’s interesting, there’s definitely an uptick [in Israeli investment],” said Eddy Fernandez, CEO of Worldwide Development Services, a Miami-based residential brokerage firm. “They want to invest here, and they want to be here.” [more]