I think that you can buy real estate in China as a foreigner, but the rules might be different. I have friends who buy in China, but in their relatives’ names. Also, another thing to consider is that rules and regulations change in China, and they can change rapidly. To illustrate, here is a story that I heard from a radio segment in a taxi in Beijing. It was an auto talk show, and the caller asked whether he could sell his car. Well, it turned out that he couldn’t sell because a) his car wasn’t registered in Beijing, and b) he hasn’t paid off his loan yet. I don’t remember all the technical stuff, but the point is that what you take for granted here doesn’t necessarily apply in another country. The reason that Shanghai real estate market experienced rapid decline (at least the high end) is that the government changed credit requirement and holding time period requirement completely. Some of my friends are buying in secondary cities, and I’m sure that most likely they’d profit. As a foreigner, you might be the one who helps savvy locals to make their money.:-)
