Demand from Chinese homebuyers in U.S. housing markets remains strong, with middle-class investors starting to purchase American properties.
According to the National Association of Realtors, Chinese buyers have been the top international buying group in the U.S. for the last six years straight in both units and dollar volume of residential housing. San Francisco-based real estate agent Michi Olson was recently at an international real estate property show in Shanghai, and tells CNBC that the largest change in the trend today is budget, as more middle-class buyers enter the market for lower-priced homes, and are opting to finance the loan, versus their high-end peers who typically pay cash. "The Chinese people still see the United States as a safe harbor where they can take their assets and park their money not only for their money but also for the future of their children."
Chinese consumers appear to be less interested in trade wars and more interested in bidding wars, according to Olson. "The Chinese are basically politically agnostic. What I mean by that is even though there is a great tension between [the] U.S. government and Chinese, the Chinese citizen seems to be able to separate the political turmoil with the sound real estate investment."
