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Opportunities for real estate investment for foreigners is wide and varied in the United States. It doesn’t matter where you’re from and what currency you’d be using to purchase a property, you have a property waiting for you.

There are generally three kinds of real estate investment available to foreigners. These investments include the commercial estate investment and residential property investment. Residential properties are further classified into single family properties, apartments or condominiums and recreational properties. Regardless of what kind of real estate you are interested in, there are all sorts of tax ramifications, financing options and legal requirements that you have to deal with.

Why Should You Invest in the U.S. Real Estate Market?

You’ve probably heard of the increasing number of foreign real estate investments in the United States. This is not surprising. With the troubles that the real estate investment market is facing in the United States, greater opportunities in real estate investment were opened to foreign investors.

With the dollar’s value in its all time low, foreign investors are finding real estate bargains all over the United States. There are no shortages of deals in this market. More and more distressed properties are being sold everywhere and foreigners are pouring in millions buying these foreclosed or distressed properties. The United States real estate has become a fairly attractive long-term investment for foreign investors.

In November of 2006, the National Association of Realtors released a report entitled “Foreign Investments in U.S Real Estate: Current Trends and Historical Perspective”. The report showed that there has been a steady increase in foreign real estate investment in the United States. This is especially after the euro and the loonie became stronger in the face of the continuous devaluation of the US dollar. Prime bargains were opened to foreigners. Many foreigners have now looked into the possibility of retiring or settling in the United States.

If you’re a foreigner, you would find a lot of reasons why you should invest in the United States real estate market. Aside from the fact that the floating exchange rate has given you a lot of leverage over the bargaining table, the financial market is a pretty good reason why you should invest in the US real estate.

The financial market in the United States in relation to the real estate market is quite liberal and the restrictions against foreign investors are pretty reasonable. This is ideal for foreign companies that are seeking to invest in the real estate market in the United States in order to avoid tariff restrictions and are considering setting up an office or a company in the United States.

Furthermore, despite the devaluation of the US dollar and the wide foreclosures of a lot of property, the real estate market remains to be stable, though slightly shaky, due to foreign investors’ capital appreciation. Domestic real estate buyers may not necessarily share the same opinion, but the market has remained to be strong for foreign real estate buyers. This may be largely credited to the fact that there is minimal risk for them.

Why are Foreign Real Estate Investments Safe and Profitable?

There are a lot of investments you can make, but the safest you can make right now is investing your money in real properties. This is another good reason aside from the fact that you can make a pretty nifty profit, if you like, particularly now with the widespread property foreclosures and seemingly continuous US dollar devaluation. This is especially true if you are going to use the euro or the loonie when making your investment.

But why is US real estate investment safe for foreigners?

It is undeniable that stock investments are not a safe avenue at this point. The recession has not only affected the US economy; the same recession has greatly affected worldwide stock investments. Stocks values are dropping. It is also a fact that even without the current economic situation, stock values fluctuates.

On the other hand, real estate investments are pretty stable if you would compare it to stock investments – or even bond or mutual fund investments. With real estate investment, you’d be putting your money in an investment that would grow in value as years go by.

What are the Benefits of Foreign Real Estate Investment?

US state government supports foreign investments and along this line has formulated various tax breaks to encourage foreign investment on real estate. Many of these tax breaks are not available in many countries. In fact, most countries would frown at foreigners owning real properties within their territory.

Foreign real estate investment in the United States is open to everyone. As long as you can afford to buy the property or at least comply with the mortgage requirements and payments, you can secure for yourself a pretty good property in the United States. Again, with the current economic situation of the United States, this is the perfect chance for you to make an investment.

Another great benefit that you can take advantage of is the availability of mortgage financing. Lenders have opened their doors to foreign investors who are looking into purchasing a property. So, you don’t have to actually deplete your bank account. You can actually secure a mortgage loan and gradually pay it off.

I’m Canadian, What Are My Financing Options?

There is a steady increasing rate of Canadian real estate investors in the United States; and accordingly, the government has made certain that they have attractive financing options available to them.

If you’re Canadian – or if you’re a foreigner – you’d find a lot of reasons why you should buy a piece of real property in the United States. For Canadians, the parity of the currencies or the apparent devaluation of the US dollar is a pretty good reason itself. But how do you finance your purchase?

There are various financing options available to you depending on which state you are in. In Arizona, for instance, you’d get favorable financing terms if you are purchasing a property for recreational purposes, that is, you do not derive any income or benefit from your purchase or ownership. You will be required, however, to sign up a disclosure agreement and give a 30% down payment for your loan. To qualify though for a loan, you may be required to show availability of liquid reserves for a period of three to six months. You may also be required to present a minimum of 3-month bank statement.

If you are purchasing a property for investment, you’d probably meet stricter terms. Requirements may be more stringent. For instance, you could be required to give a down payment of more than 30% and you may be required to show one year worth of liquidity reserves.

Regardless of your reasons, if you feel like you can fulfill the requirements of a financing loan, you can then proceed to actually applying for a mortgage loan. Also, keeping yourself updated with the financing terms flux may be a wise idea.

Understanding the Tax Ramifications of Real Estate Investment

The first foreigner to have ever bought a real estate property in the United States was Peter Minuit. This opened the doors to foreign real estate investors. After a couple of centuries later, foreign real estate investment has grown into huge proportions, accounting for billion-of-dollar worth of industry.

The low risk attached to US real estate market, the availability of countless properties, and the steady market liquidity attract foreign investors in droves. The initial snag, however, is the process of understanding the legal ramifications of foreign real estate investment.

What you have to understand is that foreign investment in the United States can take a lot of forms. A foreigner has various options. He can acquire direct interest. He can acquire an interest in the real estate through a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company. The latter is the typical structure used by foreign investors.

Limited partnership or Limited Liability Company offers financial protection or indirect asset protection, especially in cases of bankruptcy, law suits and taxes. Foreign investors are generally taxed on the property as if they hold the property in direct interest.

Ideally, you should secure the services of a real estate accountant to help you out with the tax ramifications, but it would help if you, at least, know the basics before you actually talk to an accountant.

There are tax consequences that you have to deal with when you buy a real estate in the United States. You would need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number which you will use with all your tax transactions. Your investment in real estates can be treated as a portfolio investment and will be accounted for as an investment income which can either be fixed or a periodic income. This is typically taxed at 30% on gross revenues. This tax though does not apply though to all foreign investors. Tax rates would vary depending on the tax personality the foreign investor opted for. For instance, a corporation would be taxed differently.

Other things that you should take note of are availability and requirements of tax refunds and state tax laws on real estate properties as they may differ from federal laws, among other things.

By knowing all these things, you may save yourself from a lot of hassles when you finally approach a real estate accountant. You’d be in same wavelength when you finally get down to talking business. It is, however, very important that you secure the services of an accountant. You’d have an easier time dealing with the taxes ramifications. You’d also have assistance ensuring that you comply with all the accounting aspect of your investment. This is especially true if you are purchasing a real property for investment purposes.

Do You Need to Secure the Service of a Real Estate Lawyer?

If you are considering buying a property in the United States, you need to secure the services of a real estate attorney – someone who could help you with the legal issues concerning your purchase. It is tempting to forego securing the service of a lawyer to save money, but this could cost you a lot of money in the long run. Make sure that you have an experienced and trustworthy lawyer to help you out. Make sure that you have thoroughly checked out his credentials, profile, history of successful cases handled by him, and other factors that would influence your decision. You could check online and look for a lawyer working within the state where you are considering purchasing a property.

Functions of a Real Estate Lawyer

There is no actual distinctive function for a lawyer in a real estate case. However, you would really need the assistance of a lawyer for various tasks. A real estate lawyer would review the sales contract for you. He would also check on the title and other documents relating to the property. A lawyer would also review your mortgage contract and make the necessary adjustments or corrections. You could also get him to review with you the legal and tax issues concerning the purchase. A real estate attorney could also make the necessary adjustments relating to various expenses and costs involved in the purchase. He would assess your eligibility for tax refunds and draft the documents and statements relating to this.

Putting it simply, a real estate lawyer will be your watchdog. He would guide you through the whole process of purchasing a real estate in the United States in order to make sure that you will be legally protected. You will have a capable and trustworthy liaison to help you out with the contract. He will also face legal disputes if any arise.

Tips on How to Invest in Real Estate Successfully

Now, if you’ve fully bought into the idea of real estate investing in the United States, you might just want to know how to go about investing in real estate successfully. If you want to be successful in this venture, the first thing that you have to avoid is overanalyzing. Of course, it is a good idea to carefully think through your actions but it is a bad idea to overanalyze your investment to nonexistence. You might lose a great opportunity.

Before you purchase the property though, it might be wise to check the property value. If it sits well with you and you can reasonably afford the property, go ahead and make the purchase.

If you are considering the property for a quick flip, make sure that the property is in perfect condition and in good area. This is to ensure that you could double or actually triple your return of investment. If you can inspect the property yourself, do so. If not, a good and trustworthy agent can help you with this task.

Another important thing to remember when you’re buying real estate is good financing. You should take your time to carefully consider all your financing options. Foreign investors can email in their queries to various lending institutions. It is a good idea to make sure that you’ve had their terms and rates on paper because they tend to change these terms and charge you with a lot of junk. Your real estate agent can help you with reviewing the escrow charges.

The bottom line, however, is that it is very important that you do your homework before you actually buy a real property. Investing in real properties in the United States can be profitable especially during these times. In fact, it may be the wisest and most perfect investment you can make right now.

Isn’t real estate supposedly one of the best categories of investment classes in the world? People always need a place to live right? Then why does it seem almost impossible to invest in real estate in California, which is known next to New York and Florida, as one of the top places in the world to invest in real estate, unless you have a few million dollars? It is because they are densely populated and in the case of Los Angeles have already risen dramatically not only in the last six years by 40% but have quadrupled, 400%, over the last 30 years. (S&P Index LA) Those are great returns for an asset that is considered to be safe and moderately growing. So what should a person do nowadays if they live and grew up in Los Angeles, and want to invest in real estate but don’t have a million dollars to invest? The solution is simple, invest out of state!

A lot of people think it is hard to invest in a state such as Texas. You have to manage the property, collect rent, and make the right investment decisions for the long term in a state that at this point in time you are only somewhat familiar with, right? Well allow me to explain to you why it is great for someone to think otherwise, and how a great agent can acquire property for you in another state in a deal which the tenants, the ones using the property space, are managing the property for you and even paying your property taxes! Not only that, but these are institutional companies who guarantee you the money you are promised for periods of up to 10-15+ years, per contract. This is only the beginning of me explaining how investing outside of your comfort zone with the proper advice can benefit you and your family.

How about the safety of these investments? I don’t want to lose my hard earned dollars. Neither do you. So why would you invest in anything outside of the Los Angeles, or the California region? A region that has proven itself for decades and showing promising signs of growth in certain areas. These are definitely valid points in the eyes of an avid investor, but maybe it’s time to reconsider. I already mentioned that property prices in Los Angeles are expensive, that being one of the main reasons to invest elsewhere.

Haven’t you noticed a lot of people who have been living in California are moving to the surrounding states where it is a lot cheaper to live and in places where new and old business industries are beginning to thrive? I personally know a few people who have moved away. Texas alone has added over 5 million people to its population in the last thirteen years according to Texas Department of State Health Services, and it is still growing. With that in mind, doesn’t it seem like a great deal to acquire a commercial property in a state where you can buy commercial real estate for around $150,000-$300,000 down? You couldn’t dream of that in Los Angeles unless you wanted to buy an old run down building.

Are you starting to understand how easy it can be to invest outside of your state, and why it is more lucrative? If you do, that’s great, if not here is another way to understand it in a situational scenario with numerical figures.

My friend Jack has $500,000 right now that he wants to invest.

This is what would happen if Jack invested in a Los Angeles Commercial Property from 2015-2020.

Let us say Jack doesn’t take out a Loan and buys a Fee Simple Commercial Estate.

$500,000 x 4% Interest Yearly = $20,000 Income / Year (Before Taxes) x 5 years = $100,000

Over this period of time the value of the property goes to $600,000 by 2020, and Jack sells his property to Jenner. That makes for a profit of $200,000 before Capital Gains, and Income Taxes.

Now, let us say Jack went outside his comfort zone and decided to get a property in Texas.

$500,000 x 8% = 40,000 Income / Year (Before Taxes) x 5 Years = $200,000

Over this period of time the value of the property goes up to $750,000 and Jack now shows Jenner how much easier it was to invest out of state because of the structure of this deal. He told Jenner that since Starbucks was managing his property and paying him on time without question every month, this made it much easier for him as an investment. Now, Jenner wants to buy this investment off Jack, because he sees the benefit and Starbucks wants to sign again for an additional 10 years with a rent increase!

Jack just made another $250,000, on the increase of the value of the property.

In total, Jack has now accumulated $450,000 before taxes over the last 5 years investing in Texas. Get it?! Do you understand the benefits and the financial rewards? Not to say you cannot have these structured deals in Los Angeles, but remember they offer half as much interest in a market that has already gone up 40% in the last six years.

Jack has made $450,000 investing in Texas vs. $200,000 investing in California with the same amount of money. That’s an extra 125% increase in profit, which will make you an even astonishingly larger amount of money on your next big investment!

Probate real estate investing involves buying property from probate estates. Probate is the process used to inventory and distribute assets owned by someone who has died. Depending on the complexity of the estate, the probate process can last between six months to three years. During this time the estate is responsible for maintaining the property and paying mortgage payments, utilities and insurance.

Probate real estate investing provides an opportunity for estate administrators to sell real estate holdings. This is particularly beneficial for administrators who are struggling to pay mortgage payments or maintain upkeep on property held in probate.

The first step of probate real estate investing requires a visit to the local courthouse where probate matters are handled. When an estate is placed into probate it becomes a matter of public record. The majority of information regarding the estate can be located in the decedent’s Last Will and Testament. Typically, the Will designates the estate executor and outlines how the decedent wishes to have their personal belongings and financial assets distributed.

If the decedent dies without executing a Will (intestate), probate records will indicate who has been assigned to administer the estate. Generally, this is a direct lineage relative. However, if the decedent has no living relatives or no one accepts the position of estate administrator, the probate court assigns an outsider to manage the estate.

Once the Administrator’s contact information is located, the next step requires a search of deed records to locate real estate held in the decedent’s name. Records of Deed record land ownership and transactions. When real estate is transferred or sold, a new deed is recorded. Deed records reveal if the property has a mortgage. If so, the estate is required to maintain payments throughout the duration of probate.

If the property has a second mortgage against it, chances are the heirs will need to sell the property in order to pay-off outstanding balances. The estate administrator is authorized to make decisions regarding the sale. However, if multiple heirs exist, they must all agree to sell real estate held in probate. In some instances, the estate may require permission from the probate judge to sell real estate holdings.

Upon compiling a list of potential probate real estate deals, investors will need to make contact with the estate executor. This can be done by phone, mail or in person. When contacting the estate administrator it is imperative investors be respectful and offer their sincere condolences.

Most estate administrators and beneficiaries are unaware they can liquidate real estate during the probate process. Offering to purchase their property could solve their financial problems and provide investors with instant equity in their investment. Oftentimes, real estate can be purchased well below market value when heirs are in need of immediate cash.

Probate real estate investing does not require special training. However, investors who engage in buying probate properties should possess solid communication and negotiation skills, along with a sense of compassion.

Investing in probate real estate offers multiple opportunities to obtain profitable deals. While it requires a bit of detective work and negotiating with distraught and grieving heirs, when conducted properly probate real estate deals provide a win-win situation to all parties involved.

As you likely know, there are a lot of things that need to be taken care of in order to become a real estate agent in any state. There are a lot of requirements that you need to try and take care of and, on top of that, you need to be certain that you’re doing what you need to accomplish in order to stay ahead and find what you may need to get the best results for your efforts. If you want to start a career as a real estate agent, what are you supposed to do?

Many states have licensing requirements that you have to follow in order to be certain that you’re getting everything that you need to stay ahead of the process. You have to meet certain criteria and know that you’re not going to end up in a situation where it may be difficult to work at the same time. There are many places that you can go now in order to get your real estate license for whatever state(s) you are looking to work with, and you will discover that some of them are even online, which makes it that much more convenient in the long run.

A good real estate course is going to give you all of the tools that you need so that you can become a real estate agent without too much stress of hassle. The fact of the matter is, you want to get into a position where you are going to be able to get just what you need. If you’re currently working, you need the flexibility that online classes provide so that you can get ahead and start making the necessary steps toward whatever goals that you may be looking at in the future.

On top of course work, you also need to make sure that you are going to have connections with those that will be able to mentor you. Many schools will require that you take the time to do this as part of your coursework as well. You want to know what you may be getting yourself into during this process and you want to feel confident that, when you have completed your entire program, that you are going to be able to pass the test to get your license and that you will feel comfortable when you get out and start selling real estate on your own.

All in all, there are a lot of things that you can do in order to start working toward the goals that you have in mind for real estate. Consider looking at all of the different options that are out there and put together a game plan that is going to make the most sense for you and whatever needs that you may have in that regard. When all is said and done, you will discover that it can work out quite well if you’re willing to take the necessary steps to make it a reality.