The best deals on the real estate markets are determined by what you get for you hard earned money, and the property location will be a prime factor into the equation. When shopping for a deal, you will want to break down the purchase price and apply it to a smaller denominator to best compare one property to another. The way to calculate the highest and lowest housing units is to divide the total sale price by the structure’s square footage, thus you will get a price per square foot.

Urban areas in a major metropolis will yield a higher market price per square foot than those urban dwellings in a less densely populated area. New York City, Los Angeles and similar districts have the highest square footage price on their condominiums and single family homes. However, if you wish to have easy access to a major metropolitan area, yet keep your home purchase within budget, the solution is to find a property that is located near the county rail or subway system.

The general rule is that the further the property is located from the city’s financial center, the better the property price will be. In the case of New York residents, its not uncommon for city workers to commute one hour or more on the railway system. This enables the consumer to own a piece of property of a greater size than what would be available at the same price closer to the city, and affords the home buyer more property choices.

Honolulu is also consistently high for price per square foot when the property is located in or near to the metro area. Island life makes commuting a joy, and there are excellent real estate buys in the surrounding suburban areas. Whether you opt to buy a full time residence in Hawaii, or are seeking a private piece of paradise for leisure, be sure to check first with Honolulu’s neighboring communities to save a fortune on your purchase price.

On the international market, the highest priced per square foot properties are Tokyo and London. Western Europe also remains high within the capital cities and high tourism regions. If you are in the market for an international home, be sure to check the local currency with the U.S. dollar, easily done with an online currency converter. Home prices in continental Europe and Ireland are generally posted in the Euro and Great Britain uses the English Pound Sterling, which is even stronger against the US dollar.

Although the international real estate market may be somewhat high, there are certain countries and regions that offer a lot of bang for your real estate buck. Nations such as Indonesia, the Philippines and the Pacific Island Rim offer best bargain prices for top quality properties. Bali has emerged as a global favorite for ex-pats to enjoy the quality of life they could not afford in their home countries and has drawn the global retirement communities like a magnate to its first-class properties and carefree lifestyle.

Egypt is another undiscovered jewel, with luxury condominiums available just outside of greater Cairo. A few years ago it was the older district of Maadi that consumed the ex-pat market, however, today immigrants are enjoying spacious accommodation inside the gate guarded communities on the outskirts of the desert. The typical luxury desert community apartment runs about 80 percent of its relative value in the United States, making Egypt one smart move for savings on the international market.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.