Any foreigner can buy a house in the United States.
The United States is a country of immigration. Foreigners are welcome to invest or purchase real estate in the United States. There are almost no restrictions on buying a house. But when selling a house, there may be some differences in the taxation of profits. Please refer to the description of house value-added tax and foreigner tax deduction in the purchase and sale notice.
In theory, you can buy a house without going to the United States in person. But in the process of viewing and selecting a house, it is best if you can choose it yourself. In our case, some investors entrusted his friends to help him see the house. He made judgments based on the information and pictures given to him by his friends and selected the house. This is an example of buying American real estate without leaving the house. If you have enough trust in our company, you can also entrust our company to execute the whole process of buying a house. Of course, all purchase documents will be signed online or by express mail to China for your signature. About half of the banks now accept this method of online signing. As long as there is an Email address, you can sign. No matter where you are in the world, you can complete the process of buying a house in the United States.
Documents that cash buyers need to prepare
1. Valid passport and visa
2. Prepare the proof of purchase funds (Chinese and English version of the deposit certificate of domestic banks)
3. Account opened at a local bank in the United States
If you want to buy a house with cash, just prepare the above three items.
If you are self-occupied, according to your needs (for example, close to where you work or study), usually choose a city with a driving distance of no more than half an hour. Factors to consider are the quality of the school district and the possibility of subletting the house to others.
If it is an investment, you need to consider places you are more familiar with or close to your relatives and friends, so that someone can help and take care of it when needed. Also consider the rate of return on investment. Buying a newer house can reduce the frequency and cost of maintenance. I suggest you discuss with your broker.
According to American tax law, you are required to pay taxes.
Yes, according to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA), when non-resident foreigners sell U.S. real estate, they need to withhold 10% of the sale price in advance as the capital gains tax for the real estate Withholding. The withholding is directly submitted to the IRS from the sale price by the transfer company. California requires 3.33% withholding for capital gains, so foreigners will be withheld a total of 13.33% after selling their houses.
Yes. According to the length of holding time, if it is held for a short period of time, that is, within one year, the capital gains tax is equivalent to the tax rate of personal income tax. If it is held for a long time, that is, more than one year, the capital gains tax is 15%.