There is no "typical" castle buyer, but Russians have been the most recent group to enter the exclusive German market and can sink huge amounts of money into buying and renovating castles, agents say.

WSJ: Castle, Sweet Castle

When sold by insurance agents, charitable plans often involve buying life insurance or variable annuities.

FORBES: The new giving game

Federal agents said suspect James Holmes began buying guns two months before the attack.

CNN: Colorado governor to sign 3 gun control bills

And because they view buying plane tickets as a challenge, this mix of frequent flyers, travel agents and amateurs are often well informed about the ins and outs of booking long-haul flights or complicated itineraries.

BBC: Need a flight? Start a contest

But the slowdown is not yet having any effect on what all the estate agents report to be a record-breaking period for sun-starved Britons buying houses in Europe, cashing in on a strong domestic economy and the weakness of the euro.

ECONOMIST: Hot property