Coming to America: Chinese Looking for Bargains

March 9, 2009 -- Packing for his first trip to the United States, Yin Guohua is not traveling for business or sightseeing. He's house hunting.

"It's a good time to buy property in the U.S.," he said. "I have confidence in U.S. real estate market. I think I will get a return."

This Beijing lawyer and a few dozen others well to do Chinese signed up for a real estate tour of major U.S. cities -- Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Boston and New York.

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Many wealthy Chinese -- flush with cash -- are looking for investment opportunities. With the U.S. housing market down by double digits, many of them are traveling to America. They are bargain hunters shopping for real estate. Some ask, why not buy a second home in China?

"They call America 'mei guo' -- the beautiful land. They want a piece of it," said Chiam Katzap, founder of Lion's Property Development. "They also want to have their kids educated in America. They want to have an opportunity to go to America as often as they desire."

Looking to spend between $500,000 and a million dollars, these potential buyers have seen everything from foreclosed homes to high-rise condos with a view of an American icon: the Statue of Liberty.

Yin has focused his search on New York, where he has business contacts and a few relatives. And while he's considering buying property mostly as an investment, his search criteria are not that different from any American's. It all comes back to location, location, location.

"I want to see property in good neighborhood with breathtaking views," he said. "I want it if possible being located in school district so that it will be convenient for my son to go to school."

For other Chinese not ready to jump on a plane to the United States, American real estate brokers are reaching out, setting up shop inside China, equipped with home models, DVD tours and brochures to make the sale.