NEW YORK - Foreign companies in New York has begun to spend about $4,000 a month for their employees to provide temporary corporate housing. Now more and more foreign companies are buying high-end Manhattan condominium apartments and taking on the role of landlord themselves. Companies from European and Asian countries say that, the strategy makes perfect sense because of the booming Manhattan real estate market and the favorable exchange rate. Real estate market of New York has been strong for many years, despite the havoc around the rest of the country. In 2007, the average price of a home in Manhattan was $1.26 million, up 11 percent from the previous year, according to the Real Estate Board of New York. Now foreigners are purchasing nearly twice as much property in the city as they were two years ago.