In The New York Times piece about Nova Scotia, the writer gets to it quickly, in the second paragraph. It reads: "Mr. Johnson was quickly captivated by the miles of empty coastline, brimming with heron and eagles. The word condominium didn't exist in the weathered hamlets, where fishermen discussed lobster catches instead of celebrities. What's more, the prices were a fraction of what the couple had seen in Massachusetts, in part because of the favorable exchange rate."

In the Conde Nast Traveler article about Nicaragua, the second paragraph begins: "It’s amazing what one can buy in the new Nicaragua, Snider tells me. Anything is possible, he says, so long as you can pay cash."

3) Paint a picture of this place you're writing about.

Again, this is something all good travel writers do, no matter what special focus their articles might take. I've talked about it in past e-letter articles (see the February 12 and 19, 2004 issues in the archives: http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/thewritewaytotravel/archive.php) so I won't belabor the point here. But I mention it again because it's particularly important in this context. 

Put yourself in your reader's shoes. Certainly you'd want to know what a place looks and feels like if you were considering a short vacation there. Think how much more critical that information becomes if you're considering the destination as a place to live or to invest your money. 

4) Use quotes -- talk to residents and real estate agents.

You might or might not include quotes in a straightforward travel piece. It would depend on how you approached your article. But with a real estate story, I encourage you to include them. 

You need to make it clear that you aren't making unfounded assertions about a destination. You need to back up your claims with some proof. And one of the best ways to do that is to quote people on the ground. 

Talk with locals who already live or own there. Ask them why they chose this place. Ask them to describe it for you. Ask them what, in particular, they like about it -- and what frustrates them.

And talk, too, with real estate agents. Ask them how the place has changed in recent months or years. Ask them to describe for you the property market. Ask them to tell you where they think potential residents or investors will find the best deals. Ask them what makes this place different... and special. 

The quotes you gather will not only lend credibility to the case you're making, they'll also bring to your story the kind of "local color" editors love. 

5) Employ specific examples.

You absolutely cannot write a strong real estate article if you don't have concrete examples to back up the argument you're making. 
You have to actually get inside some properties to see what your money buys you. 

If you've "promised" your readers up front that they can own a beachfront retreat for less than $50,000... well, then, you better deliver some examples of just that. 

In The New York Times Nova Scotia article, for instance, the writer includes such specifics as: 

"The fishing town of Lunenburg, population 2,500, became a tourist destination with its 1995 designation as a Unesco World Heritage Site because of its architectural integrity. A two-bedroom wooden house with no water access just sold for $83,000 and a six-bedroom Victorian with harbor views went for $147,000."

The best real estate writers bring to their articles perspective and judgment. They've traveled extensively enough and written about real estate enough to know when they see a really good deal. 

But even if you don't have a long list of real estate clips to your credit, that doesn’t mean you can't help your reader put into context the "promise" your article makes him. 

Compare the property prices you're finding in the destination you're writing about to those in the States. Or, if you're writing about a stateside locale, then compare it to another, better-known one. 

If you'd like to draw for you reader some comparison to other, perhaps similar destinations -- but you haven't visited those other places -- ask somebody who has. Check listings online. Email a real estate agent in that other place. Ask a real estate agent in the country you're focusing on how the prices compare. Chances are, he'll know. 

In that Nova Scotia piece, for example, the writer recounts his conversation with a local real estate agent: "He said that many buyers were leapfrogging Massachusetts or Maine to get oceanfront property for one-fifth the price. One recent sale: a three-bedroom colonial with a veranda overlooking the bay, for $115,000."

7) Do some real estate homework before you go and gather research on the ground, too. 

You'll have the best luck gathering the real estate information you need if you start your research ahead of time. Begin by finding at least one real estate agent online and getting in touch before your trip. Explain that you’re a freelance writer, you're doing a real estate-focused article, and you're hoping he might meet with you when you're in town and perhaps take you to see a few examples of properties on offer. 

During your trip, pick up as many sample listings as you can. Don't walk by a real estate office without sticking your head inside, introducing yourself, and grabbing a listing sheet. 

And check the classified listings in the local papers, too. Particularly in places where there's a growing expatriate population, you may find price-inflation. There ends up being a two-tier pricing system -- a lower price for locals than for foreigners, who are perceived to have deep pockets. So to get a sense for the "local" market, check the ads. (If they're in a language you don't speak, grab a bar-tender or the desk clerk at your hotel and ask for help in translating.)

8) Take note of the practical (but often boring) stuff.

When you're writing about real estate (particularly foreign real estate) you will have to gather some practical information you'd never bother about were you writing a more "traditional" travel piece. 

For example, you'll want to find out -- 

** Can foreigners own property? If so, how? 
** Is buying a complicated process? Roughly speaking, how does it work? 
** Is financing available? If so, on what terms? 
** What sort of tax burden can new owners expect?

And, depending on the scope of your article and what the editors want, you may need to include some "lifestyle" details, too -- 

** What's the cost of living?
** What are some examples of prices for items you'd typically buy like milk and bread? 
** What does it cost to visit a doctor -- and what's the medical care like?

[Jen Stevens has spent the balance of the last seven years gallivanting through Latin America and the Caribbean -- to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize and beyond reporting on and writing about the best locales for overseas travel, retirement, and investment. She is the former editor of International Living and Island Properties Report, and she was a writer and editor for several years at Trade & Culture magazine. Jen is the principal architect and writer of The Ultimate Travel Writer's Course, published by the American Writers & Artists Inc. ]