Can someone buy a house in America if they only come here on a visitors visa?

Asked by Justnice (923

) May 14th, 2010 from iPhone

My friend told me that her sister just bought a house in Massachusetts. My friend’s sister lives in Angola and she comes to the United States every so often as a visitor. I know that she doesn’t have a green card or a social security card. So, is it possible for her to buy a house here? Who would give her a loan??

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2 Answers

Anyone can buy a house in America, even if they never step foot in this country. Lenders will loan money to anyone they believe will pay it back, so all anyone needs is proof they can repay a loan, or better yet, most foreign investors simply pay in cash.

YARNLADY (46587

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Your friend’s sister does need to be aware of possible income tax consequences. You say that she’s “every so often a visitor.” Because her visits are infrequent and sporadic, she may want to do short-term rentals rather than leave the house empty and vacant. If she does so, she’ll need to pay federal and Massachusetts nonresident taxes on her income (Form 1040NR and Form NR/PY, respectively).

Primobabe (1662

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