Foreign National Loan
America remains a top tourist attraction worldwide, with over 79 million foreign visitors a year. Many are seduced by the American Dream and sooner or later they wonder how they could become owners of real estate in the US. Although more than 70% of foreign real estate investors had paid in full for their purchases, the remaining buyers have to qualify for a mortgage. And since conventional mortgages are out of their reach, the only option is a foreign national loan, or real estate investment trusts (REIT).
What makes foreign national loans appealing? The fact that there is no age restriction. Individuals may qualify for a 30-year mortgage even if they are 70 years old. Foreign National Loans can be secured by individuals, LLCs, corporations, or offshore companies. The interest rates can be both fixed and adjustable, with amortization periods of 15, 20 and 30 years. Foreign National Loans, also known as ITIN loans, as the borrower must obtain an international tax identification number from the IRS, must be used only for real estate investments, or non-owner occupied properties. They cannot be used to finance a primary residence.
ITIN loans are usually used to buy properties in the US by undocumented immigrants as well as by foreign investors. They have to save at least 20% for a downpayment, but most of them keep up with their monthly payments, and so far defaults have been extremely rare.
Credit unions are more likely to lend money under the provisions of a Foreign National Loan, as they compete against larger banks and online lenders. In the absence of a social security number, they rely on ITINs, driver license, letters from employers and bank statements. ITIN loans are available from a few dozen lenders across the US, such as Illiana Financial, Point West, Guadalupe Credit Union, Latino Community Credit Union, and Alterra Home Loans. All in all, Foreign National Loans are quite easy to obtain and will continue to lure real estate investors both inside the US borders and outside of them.
Popular Real Estate Terms
The meaning of a disclosure statement is a legal document signed by both parties, the lender and the borrower or buyer. This statement outlines the terms and conditions, the potential ...
Effective Age is the counterpart to a property’s Actual Age. While the former refers to the date a property was built, the latter is more of a sensorial depiction of its age; the age ...
Commitment by a lender to a borrower for a given amount of money at specified terms for the financing of a project. The borrower pays a fee for the privilege of either executing the loan or ...
What’s the definition of real estate collateral? Could we say it’s like keeping a hostage? No, that would be relatively insensitive. But the idea is similar. In real estate, ...
A lien is a legal instrument by which one party – usually lenders and creditors - guarantees the obligation of a real estate owner to do something – generally repays the money. ...
Typically, the term rider defines a financial concept, implying a written modification applied to an insurance policy, altering its initial clauses and provisions. The rider can update the ...
Member of a partnership whose liability for partnership debts is limited to the amount invested in the partnership. A limited partner is prohibited from taking active part in the management ...
Mortgage on both the purchased real estate and personal property of a durable type. The entire amount financed is considered one mortgage. In residential real estate, a builder might ...
Short-term leases are leases that run its completion in a faster time than regular ones.In real estate, short term-leases usually refer to temporary housing; that is: rent.The length of a ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.