WHAT ARE MOST ATTRACTIVE REAL ESTATE MARKETS FOR IMMIGRATION INVESTMENTS?

Dubai, Spain and Montenegro are the top three countries in the world for real estate investment programs to apply for residency or citizenship.

What are Most Attractive Real Estate Markets for Immigration Investments? / ph: pexels 

The latest report by two companies Henley & Partners and Deep Knowledge Analytics shows that the number of people interested in real estate investment programs to immigrate has increased by 80% in the past 12 months, far exceeding the record reached in 2020. This is because wealthy investors want to own more houses around the world and diversify their portfolios to counter constant volatilities of market and political issues.

The pandemic has caused investors from rich countries with powerful passports to consider the benefits of owning more residency and citizenship options.  Real estate investment programs linked to residency enhance global mobility for investors to stay, invest, work, study and retire.  They also provide rental income in a strong and stable currency with certain business advantages.

The report assessed 16 real estate investment programs to immigrate globally, based on key factors as life quality, GDP, minimum capital investment, rental potential,  property costs, real estate ownership period, liquidity, crypto-friendliness that is increasingly important to global investors.

According to the report, Dubai holds the No. 1 position in terms of rental income potential and lower property prices per square meter compared to other places.  Spain stands at 2nd place, underpinned by economic strength with the highest scores in GDP.  The third place belongs to Montenegro which is also the second largest residential and real estate investment market in the Mediterranean.  Turkey ranks at the 4th position overall thanks to its relatively low capital investment and minimum residency requirements.  Portugal shares the 5th place with Thailand due to its low capital investment, high liquidity and crypto-friendliness.

The report also highlights investor demand for high-end real estate that has seen strong growth during the pandemic.  Accordingly, transactions worth 5-10 million euros increase by 97%, and transactions over 10 million euros by 90% in 2021.

WEALTHY AMERICANS BUYING GOLDEN PASSPORTS ARE SKYROCKETING

According to financial firms’s information, the number of super-rich Americans looking to buy citizenship from other countries has tripled in the past few years.

It is reported that the number of Americans buying golden passports from other countries has skyrocketed 300% since 2019. With prices ranging from $100,000 to $9.5 million depending on the country, more and more tech entrepreneurs, celebrities and wealthy individuals are using the “Citizenship by Investment” (CIP) program as a backup plan.

Wealthy Americans buying golden passports are skyrocketing / ph: pexels 

It is said that in the past three years, more requests for golden passports than in the previous 20 years combined.

The COVID-19 epidemic, climate change, digital currency and conflict... are the four main reasons for this sudden increase.

In the face of current volatility, more and more the super-rich see CIP plans as an insurance policy in the event of a climate disaster, hurricane or another global pandemic.

One destination that seems especially attractive to the US super-rich is Portugal.  The cost of owning a Portuguese passport is relatively low at around 200,000 USD and can be easily traveled.

On the other hand, wealthy foreigners who want US citizenship have long sought out the EB-5 visa program which allows people who invest more than $900,000 in this country to obtain a green card.