Can Foreigners Buy Property in the USA? – A Comprehensive Guide for 2026

🏡 Can Foreigners Buy Property in the USA? 2026 Guide

This is the most searched question on the internet about U.S. real estate by internet users who are not based in the U.S.

The answer, I’m glad to tell you, is yes.

Foreigners (like me) can absolutely buy property in the USA.

I’m a British national, I live in South America (Brazil), and I’ve purchased over 120 rental properties in the U.S. since 2016!

Based on my own personal experience of the last 10 years, I put together this guide for 2026 that will hopefully help to demystify the process, address common concerns, and provide actionable insights into how you, as an international buyer, can buy your own property in the USA.

I hope you find this useful.

The Definitive Answer: Can Foreigners Buy Property in the USA?

At the risk of repeating myself, yes!

In fact, the United States is one of the most accessible global real estate markets.

Unlike many countries that restrict foreign ownership of real estate, the U.S. generally grants foreign buyers the same rights to purchase and own property as U.S. citizens.

Foreigners can buy residential and commercial real estate in the United States without needing:

• A U.S. visa
• A Green Card
• U.S. citizenship
• A Social Security Number
• A special licence or permit

Foreign investors can also get mortgages in the U.S. through specialist foreign national mortgage programs and DSCR loans.

It is however worth noting that, while there are no federal restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate, a small number of states have introduced restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land or property located near sensitive military installations.

But those rules only apply to citizens of certain foreign states considered enemies of the U.S., so for most of us it’s a moot point (unless you’re a foreign spy and want to buy a farm next to an airbase).

For the vast majority of us foreigners, there is nothing preventing you from legally buying, owning, financing, renting, and eventually selling a property in the United States.

Why are foreigners investing in U.S. real estate?

According to the National Association of Realtors, foreign buyers purchased approximately 78,100 residential properties in the United States during the year ending March 2025, with total foreign investment increasing by more than 33% year-over-year to $56 billion.

Most of these buyers came from Canada, China, Mexico, India and the United Kingdom.

Having invested in U.S. real estate myself for almost a decade, and having also helped dozens of other investors from around the world purchase rental properties in the United States, I’ve found that most foreign buyers are attracted to the U.S. market for five key reasons.

1. A Stable and Transparent Legal System

The United States has one of the most transparent real estate markets in the world.

Property ownership rights are well established, title ownership is clearly recorded, and buyers benefit from a mature legal and regulatory framework.

For many international investors, this provides a level of certainty that may not exist in their home market.

2. Diversification Outside Your Home Country

These days international borders are just administrative details, and people live and invest globally!

Many of the investors I speak to are looking to reduce their exposure to a single country, economy, or currency.

Owning U.S. real estate can help diversify your investment portfolio across different markets, economic cycles, and currencies, reducing concentration risk while also creating an additional source of income.

3. Attractive Rental Yields and Cash Flow

Cash flow is the life blood of real estate.

Equity plus time will make you rich. But cash flow pays the bills in the meantime.

But the rent to price ratio in many global property markets just doesn’t support that.

That’s why a lot of these international buyers focus on the the U.S. because there are still regional markets where rents support profitable long-term ownership.

In particular, affordable markets across the Midwest and Northeast can deliver rental yields that are difficult to find in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and much of Western Europe or Latin America where most of my clients are based.

4. Access to Mortgage Financing

Unlike many countries that make it difficult for non-residents to use leverage, the United States has a well-developed foreign national mortgage market.

Foreign investors can often obtain financing through foreign national mortgage programs and foreign national DSCR loans without needing U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or a Social Security Number.

I used about $5.5 million in financing to build and scale my U.S. rental prpoerty portfolio, and trust me, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

5. Professional Property Management

One of the biggest concerns international investors have is how to manage a property from thousands of miles away.

I’ve had my fair share of property management nightmares over the years. but fortunately, the United States has a highly developed property management industry, and there are some great managers out there.

My local property managers handle tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance, inspections, and day-to-day operations, while I can monitor everything from my property management software from anywhere in the world.

I’ll talk more about this later in this post.

Key Requirements for Foreigners Buying Property in the USA

Often one of the biggest surprises for a lot of international buyers is how few formal requirements there are to buy property in the United States.

You do not need to be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or visa holder, however, there are a few practical requirements that can make the process smoother and help you manage your investment efficiently…

No Visa or Residency Required

You do not need a U.S. visa, Green Card, or U.S. citizenship to purchase property in the United States.

Foreign nationals can legally buy, own, rent, and sell U.S. real estate without obtaining residency. It’s important to understand, however, that owning property does not provide any immigration benefits or residency rights.

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

An ITIN is not usually required to purchase a property, but it will eventually be necessary for tax reporting purposes.

Depending on your lender and ownership structure, you may also need an ITIN when applying for certain mortgage programs.

U.S. Bank Account

While not always mandatory, I strongly recommend that foreign buyers open a U.S. bank account.

A U.S. bank account makes it much easier pass through anti-money laundering requirements from title companies and lenders.

It’s also a lot easier to receive rental income and pay property-related expenses, such as repairs and insurance permiums, and manage mortgage payments.

If you’re planning on using a mortgage, your lender will most likely require to have U.S. banking in place.

Source of Funds Verification

All buyers, including foreign nationals, should expect to provide documentation showing the source of their funds is legitimate.

Banks, title companies, and mortgage lenders are required to comply with anti-money laundering regulations and may request bank statements, proof of savings, business ownership documents, or other financial records.

The exact paperwork you’ll need to provide will vary depending on the specific lender requirements, and where your down payment came from.

Ownership Structure

Before purchasing a property, it is worth considering whether you should buy in your personal name or through a U.S. Limited Liability Company (LLC) or other U.S. legal entity.

The best ownership structure for U.S. property depends on your country of residence, tax situation, estate planning objectives, and long-term investment goals.

I recommend speaking with a qualified tax advisor before making this decision.

Financing Options for Foreigners Buying property in the USA

One of the biggest misconceptions about buying U.S. real estate is that it’s difficult to use leverage as a foreigner.

It’s simply not true!

I’ve used over $5.5 million in foreign national DSCR loans to build my own U.S. rental property portfolio.

But it’s not just rental property financing.

There are a number of mortgage programs specifically designed for non-U.S. residents and foreign nationals including:

• Foreign National DSCR Loans
• Conventional Mortgages (Full-Documentation Loans)
• ITIN Loans (if you have U.S. source income)
• Fixed Rate Loans
• Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
• Interest-Only Mortgages

While interest rates for foreign nationals and non-residents can be slightly higher than the average U.S. mortgage rate, they’re actually still pretty competitive.

For a more detailed introduction to foreign national mortgages, you can read my guide here.

Step-by-Step Guide: How Foreigners Buy Property in the USA

One of the biggest misconceptions about buying U.S. real estate from overseas is that the process is complicated.

While it’s certainly different to the purchase process in other countries, it’s actually quite straightforward.

Here’s the process I follow myself, and for my overseas clients buying U.S. rental properties.

Step 1: Define Your Investment Goals

Before looking at properties, it’s important to understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve.

I made this mistake early on.

I started out buying the cheapest properties possible because they looked like a great deal.

In reality, those properties and tenants were very challenging to manage, and they cost me a fortune in the long run.

Ask yourself:

1. Are you primarily seeking cash flow or appreciation?
2. What is your investment budget?
3. Will you buy with cash or financing?
4. How hands-on or passive do you want the investment to be?
5. What level of risk are you comfortable with?

As simple as it sounds, the answer to these question answers will help you to determine the most suitable markets, property types, and financing options.

Step 2: Set Up Your Investment Team and Ownership Structure

Before making an offer, I recommend doing a bit of networking.

Real estate is a people game, and as an overseas buyer you’ll be relying on someone else for literally everything related to the purchase and management of your property.

Some of the key service providers you’ll be working with include:

• A property sourcing partner or investor-focused Real Estate Agent
• Home Inspectors
• Contractors
• Apprasiers
• Lenders
• A Title Company
• An Insurance Agent
• Property Managers
• A U.S. Tax Advisor

It’s also super important to understand how you’ll own the property.

In most cases, a U.S. legal entity such as an LLC, LP, or trust is highly advisable.

Using a U.S. entity will help you to access the widest range of financing options, protect your personal liability (huge), and also make sure your investment is a tax-efficent as possible.

But it’s not quite as simple as just setting up an LLC.

The right structure for you depends on your country of residence, tax situation, and long-term investment objectives.

Step 3: Select a Market and Identify a Property

Once your goals and structure are clear, the next step is identifying the right market and property.

the U.S. is huge, with literally millions of homes. There are regional, Metro, City, County, and neighborhood markets.

For me, focussing my market analysis as locally as possible has been a game-changer.

I’ve found plenty of bad neighborhoods in great cities. I’ve also found plenty of great neighborhoods in cities no one else is looking at!

I generally recommend focusing on:

• Strong rental demand
• Landlord-friendly regulations
• Good local housing affordability
• Positive population and employment trends
• A decent local jobs market
• Sustainable positive cash flow

Once you identify a market and have found a suitable property for sale, it’s important to analyse the numbers carefully.

Step 4: Underwrite the Investment

if you’re buying a vacation home, the only important thing is if you like it.

But if you’re investing in a rental property like I do, there’s a lot more to it.

Make sure you do your own underwriting and analyze the following:

• Rental income
• Property taxes
• Insurance costs
• Property management fees
• Maintenance allowances
• As-is value
• Renovation cost (if any)
• After repairs value (ARV)
• Vacancy assumptions
• CapEx assumptions
• Financing costs

The goal is to understand the property’s true cash flow and expected return before committing to the purchase.

And when I say true cash flow, that’s exactly what I mean.

A lot of deals look great on paper, but when you ‘look under the hood’ you’ll find a lot of them don’t cash flow anywhere near as well as you might have thought.

Step 5: Get Pre-Approved and Submit an Offer

If you are using mortgage financing, speak to your lender and get a pre-approval for the amount you can borrow and the mortgage terms that are available.

Doing that early can save you a significant amount of time and prevent some big disappointments later in the process.

If you’re buying a rental property with a DSCR loan, the lender will want to know about the property’s rental income and fixed costs, and approximate value.

If you’re buying a home for personal use, the lender will pre-approve you as the borrower based on your income and credit as with any conventional mortgage loan.

Once you’ve identified the right property and financing option, your agent will help prepare and submit an offer.

If your offer is accepted, you’ll sign a purchase contract. When you do, make sure it has contingencies for you to complete independent home inspections and an appraisal.

That means if the inspection or appraisal bring up some serious issue with the property, you can pull out of the deal and your EMD will be refunded.

Once the contract is signed by the buyer and seller, you’ll open escrow with a title company and pay a small earnest money deposit (EMD). Then you can start your post-contract due diligence.

Step 6: Complete Your Due Diligence

This is absolutely the most important stage of the entire purchase process.

I’m always shocked when I hear of people buying properties in the U.S. without taking care to independently establish the property condition and value.

Before closing, I recommend carrying out:

• A professional home inspection
• A pest inspection
• A sewer scope inspection
• Title review
• Insurance review
• Lease review (if tenant occupied)
• Rent ledger review (if tenant occupied)
• An independent appraisal

This is your opportunity to see if the property you’re buying is what it says it is.

It’s also your chance to use independent professionals to verify the property condition and value, and identify any repairs or issues that might become very expensive problems for you later.

Basically, this is where you make sure you don’t overpay, or end up with a money pit!

Step 7: Close Remotely

One of the great advantages of investing in U.S. real estate is that most foreign investors never need to travel to the United States to complete the transaction.

I’ve personally never set foot in some of the houses that I’ve owed for 10 years!

Fortunately, most closings can be completed remotely with a Remote Online Notary (RON).

The title company will provide you with an itemized settlement statement to review, and then a few days before closing you can wire you down payment and closing costs to the title company.

You’ll sign your documents on a live video call with a U.S. notary and ownership is transferred to you.

Congratulations!

Now you own your first property in the United States of America!

Step 8: Transition to Property Management

This is only really relevant if you’re buying a rental property.

After closing, your property manager will handle day-to-day operations.

This typically includes:

• Preparing the property for rent
• Marketing
• Screening tenants
• Signing the lease
• Tenant communication
• Holding security deposits
• Rent collection and distribution
• Maintenance coordination
• Inspections
• Financial reporting

For most of us, this is where the investment becomes more passive. Although a word of warning…

…owning real estate anywhere in the world in never completely passive. There will always be challenges, and important decisions to make throughout your ownership journey!

Personally, I have local property managers managing the day to say operations of my portfolio, while i monitor things remotely through my online owner portal.

I’ll talk a bit more about my experience working with U.S. property managers later in this post.

Right now, let’s talk about taxes…

Understanding U.S. Taxes for Foreign Property Owners

Taxes are often one of the biggest concerns for international buyers of U.S. real estate.

It’s always one of the first questions I get asked by new clients.

The good news is that while foreign property owners do have tax obligations in the United States, the rules and filing process are generally straightforward when you have the right advice and structure in place.

One of the best things about real estate in the U.S. is how tax efficient owning it is.

Most years, I can reduce my taxable income in the U.S. to zero just by using the available deductions in the U.S. tax code.

As a foreign property owner, there are five key taxes you should understand.

1. U.S. Federal Income Tax

If your property generates rental income, you will generally be required to report that income to the IRS every year around April on a non-resident alien tax return.

Fortunately, foreign investors can elect to have their U.S. rental income taxed as business income (ECI income) and deduct legitimate expenses associated with owning and operating the property, including:

• Property taxes
• Insurance
• Property management fees
• Maintenance and repairs
• Mortgage interest
• Depreciation

These deductions can significantly reduce your taxable income.

In my case, I can reduce my U.S. taxable income to close to zero every year by using the ECI tax election and available deductions.

2. State Income Tax

In addition to federal taxes, some states impose their own income taxes on rental income.

The rules and tax rates vary considerably from state to state, which is one reason market selection and ownership structure are so important.

3. Property Taxes

Property taxes are charged by local governments and are paid regardless of whether the property generates income.

The amount varies significantly between states, counties, and cities, so it’s an important factor when evaluating your potential cash flow and investment returns.

If you are using a mortgage, your total mortgage payment will include an escrow amount for property taxes and insurance(PITIA).

The lender collects this every month to ensure property taxes are paid on time.

4. FIRPTA and Capital Gains

One tax rule every foreign investor should understand is FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act).

When a foreign owner sells U.S. real estate, the buyer is generally required to withhold a percentage of the sale price and remit it to the IRS.

Importantly, this is not an additional tax.

It is simply a withholding mechanism designed to ensure any capital gains tax liability is paid.

When you then file your next tax return and report the sale with the correct capital gains tax calculation, the IRS will either refund the difference (if you overpaid), or you’ll have to top it up (if Firpta didn’t cover the due amount).

You can apply for an FIRTPA exemption certificate under certain circumstances, but that’s beyond the scope of this article.

To learn more about U.S. taxes for foreigners, you can read my tax guide here.

5. Estate Tax Planning

Most people don’t think about this, but you should!

What happens to our assets and estate if/when we die?

The United States imposes estate taxes on certain U.S.-situated assets owned by non-resident foreigners. That includes real estate.

Depending on your country of residence, tax treaty benefits and ownership structures may help reduce or eliminate potential estate tax exposure.

Because the rules can be complex, estate planning should be considered before purchasing your first property, not after.

Don’t Forget Your Home Country Tax Obligations

Owning U.S. real estate may also create reporting or tax obligations in your country of residence.

Many countries have tax treaties with the United States that help prevent double taxation, but the rules vary significantly.

For that reason, I strongly recommend working with qualified tax professionals who understand both U.S. taxation and the tax rules in your home country.

A good tax strategy can save you thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your investment.

Managing Your US Investment Property From Overseas

So, let’s go back to property management.

One of the biggest concerns foreign investors have is:

“How can I manage a property in the United States if I live in another country?”

The good news is that thousands of international investors successfully own U.S. rental property without ever visiting their properties.

I mean, if I can do it, you probably can, too.

I’ve personally managed my own portfolio of more than 120 U.S. rental properties while living outside the United States, and most of my clients invest remotely from countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Western Europe, Asia, and across Latin America.

The key is having the right systems and local team in place.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to hire a competent local property management company that has both the capability and capacity to support your portfolio.

For most foreign investors, a professional property management company is essential.

Will there be late rent payments? Yes!

Will there be repairs to handle? Yes!

Do you have to deal with all that yourself? No!

A good property manager will handle all this locally.

This allows you to own and operate rental property remotely without dealing with the day-to-day management yourself.

I’ve worked with lots of property managers.

Some have been great.

Others have been just awful.

Today, I have a great team working for me in all the markets I invest in, but it’s taken time to build my team, mostly through trial and error.

Here are my top tips for remote investors working with a local property management company in the U.S.

Establish Clear Communication

Successful remote investing relies heavily on communication.

I recommend establishing clear expectations with your property manager regarding:

• Monthly financial reporting
• Maintenance approval limits
• Vacancy updates
• Tenant issues
• Minimum screening criteria
• Emergency procedures

Most property managers provide online owner portals where you can access statements, inspection reports, maintenance invoices, and tenant information from anywhere in the world.

You’ll also be able to see maintenance requests as they are submitted, allowing you to follow up and ensure issues are resolved promptly.

The key is to stay on top of things.

Don’t make the mistake to think that hearing nothing mean everything’s going well.

Have your property manager walk the property every few months to pick up any small maintenance items the tenant hasn’t reported.

You’d be very unpleasantly surprised how quickly a small water stain on the ceiling can turn into a collapsed ceiling and $20,000 inwater damage!

Also keep up a preventative maintenance schedule. Have your property manager change HVAC filters every couple of months, and service the furnace every year.

Thos dollars spent now will save you much more by an order of magnitude in the future.

Review Your Investment Performance Regularly

Like I keep saying, owning rental property is not completely passive.

Even with a great property manager, I review my portfolio regularly to monitor:

• Rental income
• Expenses
• Occupancy rates
• Maintenance costs
• Property value trends
• Local market conditions

Understanding what’s going on will help you to identify problematic trends before they become big problems.

The tenant that’s always late on rent. That one property that always has a blocked toilet. The furnace that keeps breaking every winter.

Identifying these trends gives you the opportunity to diagnose the underlying issues and fix it before it becomes a $10,000+ problem!

Again, your investment doesn’t end when you close. It’s only just beginning. You’ve got to stay on top of things if you want those spreasheet returns to turn up in your bank account!

Build a Reliable Local Team

Beyond property management, I rely heavily on a team of local professionals, including:

• Handymen
• Contractors
• Insurance agents
• Tax advisors
• Mortgage professionals
• Real estate attorneys
• Appraisers
• Home inspectors

Having experienced professionals on the ground that you trust and can actually rely on will dramatically reduce risk and make remote ownership significantly easier.

If your property manager can’t handle something, you’ll need to step in.

In my experience, finding service providers isn’t difficult.

However…

Finding people who consistently do quality work, communicate well, charge fairly, and can be trusted with your investment is much harder.

All too often out of state and overseas investors get ripped off. It’s a very real risk, so choose who you work with carefully.

Remote Ownership Is Easier Than Most People Expect

When I purchased my first U.S. rental property in the U.S., I had many of the same concerns that my clients have today. And believe me when I say I had ALL the problems!

Bad property managers. Poor quality repairs. Contractors stealing money. Bad tenants. It’s been a steep learning curve over the last 10 years.

But I do think ‘learning through doing’ is the best way.

There’s no greater teacher than experience, and a little discomfort!

What I’ve learned is that owning and managing my U.S. portfolio remotely is far less complicated than most people imagine provided you have the right team in place.

With the right property, financing, management, and professional support team, it is entirely possible to build and manage a successful U.S. property portfolio from anywhere in the world.

Common Mistakes Foreign Investors Make

After purchasing more than 120 U.S. rental properties and helping investors from around the world buy rental properties in the United States, I’ve noticed the same mistakes appear again and again.

I actually wrote a guide covering the 10 most costly mistakes foreigners make buying U.S. real estate. Here’s a summary of some of the main points.

Buying Cheap Properties

Most of the foreign investors I speak to are focussed on finding the cheapest property possible.

That seems to make sense on paper.

Low purchase price.

High rents.

Seems like a cash cow, right?

Well, in my experience, the opposite is actually true.

In reality, a cheap property is one or both of two things:

1. In a poor state of repair.
2. In a terrible neighborhood.

Sadly, with a lot of properties I see marketed to out-of-state and overseas buyers, it’s usually both.

These properties eventually turn into a money pit.

Constant repairs, and big capital expenditure replacements will suck up all your cash flow.

Then, you’ll also most likely be dealing with late rent, evictions, vacancies, property damage, and the cost of regular turnover and leasing.

Combine these two elements of poor asset quality and bad tenants, and all of a sudden you’ve put more money into the property than it’s worth.

It only takes 2 tenant turnovers and a couple of big repairs, and now you’re underwater.

You’ve put $140,000 into a $100,000 house, and you’re still paying your mortgage, taxes, and insurance with no rental income.

Trust me, I’ve owned and managed these kinds of properties, and it nearly sent me bankrupt in 2023.

Those great on-paper returns never translate to money in the bank. Just losses, debt, and stress!

Today, I own well-maintained properties in improving working class neighborhoods.

I have better tenants, lower costs, less vanacy, and real ‘in the bank’ positive cash flow.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that cash flow on a spreadsheet vs cash flow in reality are two very different things.

The goal isn’t to buy the cheapest property.

The goal is to buy the best quality property your budget allows.

Choosing the Wrong Property Manager

A great property manager can make remote investing easy.

A bad property manager can turn even a good investment into a very frustrating experience.

Spend time interviewing managers, checking references, and understanding how they communicate before handing over your property.

If a manager takes 3 to 4 business days to reply to you, how do you think they’re responding when repairs need handling quickly?

In my experience, poor property management is one of the fastest ways to turn a good investment into a bad one.

You’ll lose you good tenants, and your properties will eventually deteriorate.

Looking back, I’ve realised that the quality of the tenant and property manager is often more important than the quality of the property itself.

Skipping Proper Due Diligence

I never recommend buying a property based solely on photos or a seller’s marketing materials.

The seller or agent is naturally going to present the property in the best possible light.

In today’s world of ai, it’s really impossible to tell what’s real, and what’s been heavily editied.

Here’s a quick checklist of the must-do items you need to take care of before you close:

• Independent Home Inspection
• Pest Inspection
• Sewer Scope Inspection
• Appraisal

Most houses in the U.S. are old, and even freshly renovated houses and new construction can – and do – have problems.

I spoke with an investor from Argentina recently who skipped the home inspection.

After closing, she discovered more than $50,000 worth of termite damage that had gone completely unnoticed before the purchase.

It was behind the drywall, and they only found it after an electrical repair was needed.

With that much damage, and fresh new drywall covering it up, the seller definitely knew about it. But after closing it stopped being their problem and became the new owner’s problem.

The most expensive problems are often the ones you can’t see during a five-minute walkthrough.

A new roof can easily cost $10,000+ or more.

A furnace replacement might be $5,000+.

A new HVAC system can cost several thousand dollars.

A collapsed sewer line can be more than $15,000+.

A few hundred dollars in inspections and an appraisal before you close will identify many of these problems before it’s too late, so you can negotiate repairs, discounts, or walk away from a bad deal!

In real estate investing, due diligence is not an expense. It’s an insurance policy against expensive surprises.

Ignoring Tax Planning

Many foreign investors only think about taxes after they purchase.

That’s a big mistake!

Real estate in the U.S. can be very tax efficient.

The U.S. tax code offers a number of significant deductions and tax planning opportunities, even for foreign investors.

But in order to benefit from the tax code, you need to plan ahead.

If you don’t, you could end up paying 30% tax on your GROSS rental income!

I made some mistake early on and paid too much tax.

Now, with the correct structure and tax filing, I can reduce my U.S. income taxes on over $600,000 in gross annual income to almost zero every year.

Some of the things that can affect how much tax you pay include:

• You country of residence
• Your investment structure (LLC, LP, Trust etc.)
• Your tax filing election
• Tax treaties between your country and the United States
• Whether the property is financed or purchased with cash

The best time to think about taxes is before you buy.

A few hours of planning upfront can save you thousands of dollars every year for the life of the investment.

Expecting Completely Passive Income

Rental property can be an excellent source of semi-passive income. But as I’ve mentioned more than once already, it is not completely passive.

Even with a great team in place, it’s important to remain engaged, review performance regularly, and stay involved in important decisions.

One of the biggest mistakes investors make is assuming that no news is good news.

In reality, you don’t know if your property manager has dropped the ball.

This happened to me.

The tenant vacated without notice, the property sat vacant for weeks, and nobody realised until I started asking questions.

My advice is to check in regularly, keep an eye on your online owner portal, and have your property manager conduct periodic walk-through inspections, ideally every 6 to 12 months depending on local laws and lease terms.

This will help you to pick up on any growing maintenance problems the tenant didn’t report, and see in real terms how they’re looking after the property.

Being a proactive onwer and a responsible investor will go a long way to ensuring your investment performs how it should, and doesn’t turn into and expensive headache!

Final Thoughts

I feel like this post is a lot longer than I originally intended.

If you’ve made it this far, well done, and thank you!

I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and whenever I write about it, there’s always more to say than my original idea.

At the end of the day, owning real estate in the U.S. as a foreigner has been good for me and my family.

But it’s definitely not all been smooth sailing.

We’ve made plenty of mistakes. Done busines with the wrong people. Bough the wrong type of houses in the wrong markets. And we’ve lost money on deals before we got to where we are now.

I hope that by writing about my experiences owning and managing my own rental portfolio from my home in Brazil, I can help you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve made, and invest with some confidence that you’re making good decisions based on my 10 years of real world practical experience.