New York investors buying property overseas 

New York real estate investors have spent $50 billion buying up property overseas, largely in Germany, Australia and Japan, over the past two years. The credit crunch and slowing economy in the U.S. contributed to the trend, as investors looked to diversify their real estate funds. Of the 150 New York real estate investment firms surveyed by Real Capital Analytics, 59 percent have bought foreign commercial real estate since 2007.