Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is estimated at $40 million dollars, a cash payout value of $24.4 million. While the windfall has been higher at times, who wouldn’t be ecstatic walking away with this hefty payout? (I, for one, could certainly come up with a few ways to spend the cash!)
Jack Long, age 76, of Fontana California won $60 million last month playing Powerball. When asked what he planned to do with the winnings, he indicated he was going to purchase a faster wheelchair, build a house for his grandkids, and plan a trip to Italy. (Of course a sizable chunk would also go to charity.)
If you were to win the lotto this week, what would you do with the money? I have a suspicion that, like Jack, many would look towards the land of fine art, great wine, ancient ruins, dramatic landscapes, and amazing food. While Italy may seem like an obvious hypothesis (especially if you have seen the movie or read the book Under a Tuscan Sun), my assumption is actually rooted in data.
Realtor.com® International has been tracking the markets around the world where consumers are most searching for properties. Currently the portal houses listings from 39 countries worldwide. Other than the United States, listings from Italy are the most searched on realtor.com®─ in fact, Italy has been the top most-searched country (outside the U.S.) for over a year now. It seems that there are quite a few people dreaming of Neapolitan pizza, designer clothes and villas like George Clooney’s retreat on Lake Como.
Listed below are the top 10 countries searched on realtor.com® International (excluding the U.S.) throughout June 2014. If you won this week’s lotto, would one of the below destinations be on your bucket list? Let us know where you would buy your dream house.
Good luck… if I don’t have the winning ticket this week, I hope you have it!
Top 10 countries searched on realtor.com® International (excluding U.S.) for June 2014:
1. Italy
2. Jamaica
3. Mexico
4. Dominican Republic
5. Costa Rica
6. Portugal
7. Spain
8. France
9. Bahamas
10. Canada
Source: Omniture Discover – June 2014
Posted in NAR Global, by Katie Stouffs Grimes on August 12, 2014
