Uncertainty Abroad Draws Foreign Buyers to U.S. Housing Markets

While U.S. domestic amenities may be appealing to some foreign homebuyers, economic and political factors in origin countries are primarily driving their purchases in the United States.

In the latest quarterly survey from Zillow, 61 percent of respondents ranked financial/geopolitical uncertainty in home countries of foreign buyers as a top factor driving foreign investment. 37 percent cited low interest rates and high returns on investment in U.S. residential real estate.

Other Zillow research shows Chinese buyers of U.S. homes, in particular, tend to target a relatively high price point. And depending on the origin country, buyers of certain nationalities are more or less responsive to exchange rate movements.

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