Foreign buyers continue to find California residential real estate very attractive, but it looks like the growth of international deals in the state trails a national upswing.
The National Association of Realtors' annual report on foreign homebuying of U.S. existing residential properties estimates foreigners bought 284,455 properties nationwide in the 12-month period ended in March, up 69,570 purchases or 32 percent. The Realtor study tracks foreign buyers, both living abroad and those living in the U.S., by annually polling its members.
Foreigners eye U.S. properties for reasons ranging from the strength of regional housing markets; relative affordability vs. real estate in their homeland, and as a place to park wealth. To some people, this shows the attractiveness of the U.S. economy. To others, it's foreign money distorting local housing markets suffering from a shortage of homes to buy.
So what does the report say about international taste for California real estate, through the lens of my trusty spreadsheet?
Let's start with California's share: Deals in the state represented 12 percent of all foreign deals nationwide in the past year, down from 15 percent the previous year. The latest result trails Florida's 22 percent share and ties Texas. It's California's lowest share of foreign buyers since post-recession 2011. Has California's rising home values scared off some international house hunters, too?
So how many in California? My trusty spreadsheet lets me project the growing number of foreign buyers nationwide, which translates to roughly 34,000 purchases by foreigners in California in the past year. That would be an increase of about 2,000 purchases, or 6 percent vs. the 12-month period ended in March 2016. So we trailed the national growth pace of 32 percent.
Who was buying in California? The Realtors reported 71 percent of all foreign purchases made in California in the past year were from residents of Asian/Oceania nations, an area that stretches from Japan through the Pacific down to New Zealand and all the way to the Mediterranean in Israel. That's up from 51 percent the previous year.
How big is that? My spreadsheet also tells me the growing Asian/Oceania share of foreign deals in the state means roughly 24,000 California residences were bought by folks from those nations in the past year. That's up approximately 8,000 purchases — a 50 percent jump in a year! That would also mean the rest of the world buying of California homes has dropped by one-third in a year.
Is that a lot? Please note the foreign buyers' share of all California homebuying is modest. While the data is not totally comparable, PropertyRadar reported a total of 425,000 California residences sold in 2016. That means loosely 1-in-12 home sales in the state go to foreigners, both living in and out of the U.S. Although, some folks might argue that these buyers are taking housing opportunities from locals.
Who else bought? Other significant international buyers of California properties hailed from Latin America/Caribbean/Mexico (14 percent of all foreign deals); Europe, 6 percent; and North America, 5 percent.
Who really likes California? Another part of the Realtor report shows California housing's popularity in international purchases, by key nations: Buyers from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan made 37 percent of their U.S. buys in California; India, 18 percent; Mexico, 11 percent; United Kingdom, 11 percent; and Canada, 4 percent.
Who sells? Once they buy, foreigners seem reluctant to part with their California properties. The Realtors also reported 6 percent of all sales nationwide in the 12-month period were made by foreigners. California properties made up 9 percent of those deals, a share one-quarter less than the state's share of foreign buyers. This is keeping with a statewide theme of extended ownership of homes.
