They’re back – and paying good prices, say agents.

The word "foreigner" was wiped from the average agent's lexicon following government scrutiny around why property had become so expensive a few years ago, but it's evidently back in vogue.

This week, Cape-based agencies revealed that foreign buyers are back on their radar screens and actively being targeted.

Rawson Properties said yesterday that foreign buying of Cape residential property "hit a high point" over the 2006/2007 festive season.

In addition, houses bought by "the foreign contingent were priced almost double those of the average Cape home", it said.

Foreigners were snapping up houses at an average price of around R2,7m, while local buyers were paying an average of R1,6m in the city, according to that company.

Rawson Properties' comments were based on an analysis of Regional Property Price Ranger and other statistics, which suggested that foreigners were responsible for more than 16% of sales over December and January.

This was almost double the number of foreign buyers in the previous year's festive season.

Rawson attributed the uptick in interest partly to increased tourism for the Western Cape.

Also noting a surge in foreign buying in the city is Seeff. So much so that it now has a division geared specially to service German buyers and sellers in the City Bowl area.

Anke Menelaou of Seeff's Cape Town German International Division said the company had analysed sales in the area from March 2006 to the end of February 2007 and found that German-speaking buyers accounted for more than 17% of sales. Germans were also selling, however.

In terms of rand value, more than 41% of the total value of City Bowl properties was transferred to German hands or sold by German-speaking sellers, said Seeff.

A German school is one drawcard for Germans in the City Bowl area, while the proliferation of guesthouses is thought to be another.

The acquisition of a guesthouse can help secure a work permit, noted Michael Hauser, who heads up Seeff's German International division.

Hauser said Seeff has been advertising Cape properties in the German language media.

Buyers include investors as well as people planning to put down more permanent roots at the foot of Table Mountain, he said.

Pam Golding Properties was another property group to remark on the interest of foreign buyers particularly in the City Bowl, central city and Atlantic Seaboard.

Foreigners represent about 4% of total residential sales turnover for that group, with figures "substantially higher" for those prime Cape Town areas, it said.

"The bulk of the company's overseas buyers are from Britain, Germany, Holland, America and Ireland," said the group.

Agents told Moneyweb that topping the list of concerns among foreign buyers is our nation's high crime rate which is publicised elsewhere in the world.

However, Cape Town's attractions - largely the laid-back lifestyle and scenery - outweigh the concerns about crime for many of those with foreign currency to spend on bricks-and-mortar.