Foreign investment in U.S. residential real estate totaled $153 billion, up 49 percent from 2016 ($102.6 billion), according to the 2017 Profile of International Activity in U.S. Residential Real Estate by National Association of Realtors.
The new survey concludes the United States is still a safe and secure place to live, work and invest.
Investors based in China are still the top buyer of U.S. residential real estate, with investments totaling $31.7 billion in sales volume. Investors based in Canada accounted for the most growth in the past year, from $8.9 billion in 2016 to $19 billion in 2017. Other top countries for foreign investment in U.S. housing include the United Kingdom, with investments of $9.5 billion; Mexico, with investments of $9.3 billion; and India, with investments of $7.8 billion.
The top destinations for foreign investors’ cash were Florida (22 percent), California (12 percent), Texas (12 percent), New Jersey (4 percent) and Arizona (4 percent).