Cross-cultural, Daily Living, & Adjustment Issues

Hi,

Just a quick question.

I'm not considering buying a house for awhile and I have read the section of the Guide that talks about buying property but I can't find any links for Chinese law regarding foreign ownership.

The only thing I can find on the Internet is simply forum questions, nothing reliable. An older friend of mine is looking to marry a Chinese national and buy a home but the woman is insisting that he needs to put the house in her name and that foreigners cannot buy or own houses here in China. I have heard this sentiment from all of my Chinese friends and associates.

Regards,

Joel

Joel,

It's very unlikely that the Chinese Ministry of Housing and Construction has translated its laws and guidelines into English, assuming this information is even available on the Internet in Chinese. For this reason, all the information you will receive about this will be strictly anecdotal.

Your friend needs to consult with an attorney. To the best of my knowledge, foreigners can own property in China if they have established residency for no less than one year and do not intend to use the property for rental income. In fact, your friend doesn't even need his future wife's signature and the title could be entirely in his name.

As Greg pointed out, you need a professional. A real estate agent should be knowledgeable about the most current laws.

Consider this, even the Chinese don't know if they can buy property at the moment. The central govt. has issued numerous restrictions, and reversals of restrictions over the last year to cool the current housing bubble.

Aside from the legal issues, there is the issue of buying at the peak of a property bubble.

While living in the States with my Chinese wife who holds a U.S. green card and a Chinese passport, we've successfully purchased three apartments in China. There were a few obstacles to overcome but nothing out of the ordinary. Together we hold title in both of our names.