Land Investing for Non-Citizens

Foreign Investors

Non-citizens may legally own land or other real estate in the United States. Land ownership in the U.S. is unique for three reasons:

  • Non-citizens living anywhere in the world may purchase and own U.S. land on the same terms as U.S. Citizens;
  • Land ownership in the U.S. is nearly always fee simple ownership which is the highest ownership interest possible that can be obtained in real property; and
  • The Constitution of the United States (Fifth Amendment) protects all owners of property (whether citizen or not) from confiscation by the government. The Constitution states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Unlike property ownership in many countries such as the People's Republic of China, ownership in the United States means ownership in perpetuity. Property owned in the United States does not revert to the government at some future time. In some countries "ownership" is in reality only a long term lease or right to use the property for a defined period of time. Ownership of property in the United States is the highest form of absolute ownership that exists on the planet.

 

 

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