For U.S. homeowners, the family moving in next door could be Canadian. Or Chinese.

U.S. real estate, especially on the high end, is getting support from international buyers. If U.S. buyers find homes attractively priced, global buyers are finding a fire sale once exchange rates are figured in.

According to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors, foreign clients spent about $41 billion in U.S. housing in the 12 months ended in March 2011. Individuals with visas to stay for more than 6 months purchased an additional $41 billion. Taken together, that’s about 8% of the total U.S. housing market.

Foreign buyers are more likely to buy on the high end of the market. The report notes that the average purchase price paid by an international buyer was $315,000 compared to the overall U.S. average of $218,000.