Foreign investment in U.S. homes hit $59B. See where those dollars landed (2024)

FAQs

What percentage of US homes are owned by foreign investors? ›

Foreign buyers living in the U.S. made up the lion's share of investors, buying $34.1 billion worth of U.S. homes — or 58% of the volume.

Highlights: Foreign Investment US Real Estate Statistics

From April 2020 to March 2021, investors from outside the United States bought 107,000 properties worth $54.4 billion in the United States. Foreign-born individuals make up 14.25 percent of the population in the country's 50 largest metros, on average.

The research by Gorback and Keys also shows that house prices and rents have risen in places that have seen large doses of foreign investment. “That is in large part because the places where you see foreign buyers are those same places that have more dynamic economies and have more jobs.”

Chinese buyers comprise one of the largest groups of foreign buyers of residential property in the United States. Historically, between 20,000 and 40,000 residential properties were bought by Chinese nationals, but in 2022, both the sales volume and percentage of all foreign-bought properties declined.

In a study of USDA reports, Pew found the foreign country that owns the most U.S. land is not China or Russia, but rather, our neighbors north: Canada. Investors from the Great White North, according to the USDA, own about 12.8 million acres of U.S. land, most of it forest land.

Despite what you may have heard about China's specific influence in purchasing property and agricultural land in the U.S., Canada is still the largest investor, accounting for 8% of foreign investments in U.S. real estate, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Chinese investors are among the top foreign purchasers of residential real estate, along with Canadians, according to the National Association of Realtors. Other states have had concerns over foreign ownership of land and have made efforts to regulate it.

But, even non-residents who own a property in the United States must adhere to the same laws and taxes as American citizens. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires all homeowners in the U.S. to pay property taxes.

Many Chinese and Hong Kong nationals may find this an intriguing option because of the relatively cheaper housing prices in the United States (compared to metro areas of other western countries) and the availability of coastal area properties in many country locations.

The rights to purchase and own property in the United States is the same for a foreign investor as they are for a United States citizen. These tax benefits are the major factor luring more and more investments by foreign investors in the US real estate market.

What are the benefits of buying foreign property? ›

Overseas Property Brings Diversification And Risk Reduction. When buying property overseas, you reduce market risk, exchange rate risk, risk of seizure by the U.S. government, and liability risk.

Disadvantages of FDI

hinder domestic investments and transfer control of domestic firms to foreign ones. risk political changes, exposing countries to foreign political influence. influence exchange rates. Influence interest rates.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) latest report on foreign ownership of American land, from 2021, 146 Chinese investors held 383,935 acres—nearly double the 193,700 acres that comprise New York City.

How have Chinese and Canadian investments developed over time? The share of Chinese investors in the U.S. real estate market remained somewhat constant until 2018 when it hovered at around 15 percent, before dropping to 11 percent in 2019 and then six percent in 2021.

There are two major methods for foreigners to inherit the estate located in China, namely notarization and litigation. In the event that there is no dispute between successors over the estate, you may bring relevant documents for succession notarization at a Chinese notary public.

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

In a technical sense, the Federal government owns the most privately held land, although the massive amount of debt incurred through years of borrowing means that many foreign nations could also stake claim to 'ownership' of the U.S.

The largest country in the world is Russia with a total area of 17,098,242 Km² (6,601,665 mi²) and a land area of 16,376,870 Km² (6,323,142 mi²), equivalent to 11% of the total world's landmass of 148,940,000 Km² (57,510,000 square miles). See also: Most Populous Countries.

China is home to more of the world real estate market assets (by value) than any other country at $42.7tn or 21 per cent of global real estate value, just ahead of the US at $42.1tn.

International buyers purchased $59 billion worth of U.S. residential properties from April 2021–March 2022, up 8.5% from the previous year and breaking a three-year streak of declines. The 98,600 existing homes sold – the lowest since NAR tracking began in 2009 – were down 7.9% from the previous year.

Are Chinese investors still buying houses? ›

The China shock in California's property market has long since passed. Yet, with the country's largest Chinese-American population and many of its top schools and universities, the Golden State will continue to be the driving force behind Chinese purchases of US residential properties.

Living in China as an American can be a wonderful, beautiful thing, but it isn't without its trials. The food might be a little intimidating, since norms are quite different from the US. The cultural nuances might seem endearing at first, but you might find yourself frustrated at the cultural disconnect at other times.

Down-payment requirements run as high as 80 per cent for big-city buyers, who save for years and tap parents for funds. That makes forced selling much rarer than in other countries, where downturns can push mortgages underwater, meaning the loan is worth more than the home.

Yes, you must report foreign properties on your U.S. tax return just like you would report any owned U.S. property. To do that, you first need to know what type of ownership you have because it affects what tax forms you must file.

Ways the IRS can find out about rental income include routing tax audits, real estate paperwork and public records, and information from a whistleblower. Investors who don't report rental income may be subject to accuracy-related penalties, civil fraud penalties, and possible criminal charges.

If you're an expat and you qualify for a Foreign Earned Income Exclusion from your U.S. taxes, you can exclude up to $108,700 or even more if you incurred housing costs in 2021. (Exclusion is adjusted annually for inflation). For your 2022 tax filing, the maximum exclusion is $112,000 of foreign earned income.

Anyone can buy property in the US, regardless of their citizenship.

The Chinese believe a home should be a balanced environment where the position of doors, windows and furnishings help the good energy to flow through unencumbered. Light and airy homes with little clutter appeal to most people so Feng Shui practices are often just good common sense.

China's FDI in the United States (stock) was $38.0 billion in 2020, down 4.2 percent from 2019. China's reported direct investment in the U.S. is led by wholesale trade, manufacturing, and information services.

Can you buy a house in the US without citizenship? ›

It is entirely possible to purchase a home as a non-U.S. citizen — whether you're a foreign national or a permanent or a temporary resident. There are no limitations on the type of property that can be purchased or how the property is used.

While foreigners can buy property in the US, the easiest way to purchase your home if you are a foreigner is to pay the full price in cash. If you need financing (a mortgage), you will have to meet certain financing requirements.

Anyone may buy and own property in the United States, regardless of citizenship. There are no laws or restrictions that prevent an individual of any foreign citizenship from owning or buying a home in the U.S.

In that case, foreign buyers can look into getting a mortgage from a foreign bank or a US bank. You may be able to finance up to 80 percent of the purchase price of your home if you qualify for a mortgage. The required down payment would then be 20 percent of the remaining cost of the house, plus any closing costs.

Upon disposal of the U.S. real estate by the non-U.S. investor, the FIRPTA provisions should treat any gain as ECI, subject to U.S. federal ordinary income tax rates. In addition, the purchaser should be required to withhold tax at a rate of 15% of the proceeds, unless an exemption applies.

Top Home Ownership Statistics In America: 65.8% of Americans own a home as of 2022. Some 74 million Americans, or about 27%, live in a condo or HOA property.

The US is a renter-friendly country with a high demand for rental properties. Therefore, you can easily find tenants for your investment property in the USA and generate good rental income. Rental yield is defined as the gross annual rental income as a percentage of the property purchase price.

Fewer than one quarter of American households live debt-free. Learning ways to tackle debt can help you get a handle on your finances.

The homeownership rate for White Americans in 2021 was 72.7%, but the rate for Black Americans was 44%, according to NAR's analysis of the most recent data. The homeownership rate for Asian Americans was 62.8% and for Hispanic Americans it was 50.6%.

What percentage of US homeowners are mortgage free? ›

Yet no-mortgage owners in California are only 33% of all homeowners – and only four places have a smaller share: D.C. at 24%, Maryland at 28% and Colorado and Utah at 30%.

Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.