U.S. Home Sales to Foreign Buyers Have Plummeted

The dollar volume of U.S. homes purchased by foreign buyers fell 36% in the year ending in March, HousingWire reports.

Purchases by Chinese people, the biggest share of foreign buyers, plummeted 56% in the 12 months ended in March, while British home purchases tumbled 48%, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Chinese people bought $13.4 billion of American homes during the 12 months ended in March, compared with $30.4 billion a year earlier.

Canadians, the next-largest group of foreign buyers, purchased $8 billion of homes, compared with $10.5 billion a year earlier. Buyers from India were No. 3, with $6.9 billion of purchases, down from $7.2 billion. The U.K. was No. 4, but saw the second-biggest decline: Brits purchased $3.8 billion of homes, down from $7.3 billion a year earlier. Mexico was No. 5, at $2.3 billion, a decline of 45% from $4.2 billion a year earlier.

China’s currency controls, as well as international tensions between the U.S. and a slew of countries traditionally thought of as our allies, are putting a crimp on America’s real estate market by thwarting demand from foreign homebuyers.

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