By Svetlana Kononova, Special to Russia Profile

Despite the Crisis, Russians Still Show Huge Interest in Buying Property Abroad

Since the early 1990s, buying property abroad has been a popular way for wealthy Russians to invest money and build bridges to a safe and comfortable life in Western countries. This trend has long been associated with members of high-society such as oligarchs, high-ranking officials and celebrities. However, since the real-estate prices have fallen during the economic crisis, a new segment of middle-class customers has emerged.

“When the crisis had just begun, many Russians were scared by the unpredictable course of events, and they delayed their purchases. But things have changed since January of 2009. Demand for property abroad has risen since then,” said Marina Alekseeva, the general director at the Just Real Consult agency. “This trend is especially distinctive for West European countries with steady economies, which were least affected by the crisis, such as Germany,

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