Preparing your home for Chinese homebuyers, investors

China surpassed Canada as the foreign country that spends the most on residential properties in the U.S.; Chinese buyers comprise 16 percent of international home buyers. One-third of Chinese purchases were concentrated in California for the year ended in March, according to the National Association of Realtors, trailed by Washington state, with 8% of purchases, and New York, at 7%.

What do these Chinese buyers look for when shopping for a house? What type of house do they prefer?

The Chinese are attracted by many of the same qualities as local buyers: good schools, good location and a good value. Feng Shui is the second-most important consideration, according to the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) survey. 81 percent of Chinese-Americans surveyed who are also home owners said that Feng Shui factored into their most recent home purchase.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice involves making energetic and physical adjustments to a space in order to create balance and flow.

Home seller can use Feng Shui to assist in selling your homes or investment property, you can maximize your chances of appealing to the greater audience to get the best selling price possible.

Below are some examples of deal-breakers that go against Feng Shui and the reasoning behind those principles:

Good Feng Shui

• Uncut crystals in the bedroom provide stability
• Bamboo lifts energy upward
• Displaying ancestor's possessions and sharing their stories
• Undulating terrain-a dragon site
• Wind chimes
• Uncluttered spaces
• South-facing windows
• Stoneware pots strengthen ties to Mother Earth
• Silver elements in the bedroom connect to other lifetimes and invite angels' protection
• Stones integrated with the landscape
• South-facing bed, kitchen and dining room on east side of house, living room in the center, and the study on the north
• Water features

Bad Feng Shui

• Commercial buildings or hospitals next to a temple or church
• Buildings towering over those around it
• Glass front doors
• Fast-flowing streams
• Hills deprived of topsoil or foliage
• Facing a hill blocks good fortune.
• T-intersections invite evil spirits to enter
• Yards sloping down to the road-chi flows away
• Lobby stairway leading directly to the front door
• Clutter in any form
• Front door aligned with a back door
• Pie-shaped lots brings bad luck-triangles are unlucky shapes
• Sharp corners

Mark Kunce
Keller Williams Realty San Diego Metro - The My Home Team
CA BRE# 01458113