Chinese investments in Texas

[Chris Patrick]

There have been recent articles about Chinese investors pouring money into rental properties in US suburbs as a safe investment since their own rental market and stock market are in trouble.  Much of this is supposedly all cash purchase and they're more interested in finding a place to stash their cash for stability and potential long-term appreciation rather than cash flow.  Have any real estate agents or investors seen this in Houston, San Antonio, or Dallas?  Is it having a significant impact by inflating prices, or is it fairly minimal?

[Sam Van Horebeek]

From our perspective in China, I can say that the majority of Chinese are investing in the US real estate market for long-term appreciation. However, over the last 6-9 months, we have seen a significant increase in requests for cash flow generating properties.

Regarding location in the US,  Texas remains a secondary location for Chinese investors (compared to West Coast and East Coast).  Over the last 6 months, within Texas, we have seen requests for Houston and Austin.

Hope this gives you a perspective