Category: Buying Land

Buying Land in Korea: The Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Korea?
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Korea is undoubtedly one of the easiest countries to buy real estate in Asia and foreign investors have poured in during the past years.

This has left the country with uncontrolled price increases and locals are putting more pressure on the government to curb sales.

Despite its small size, Korea offers plenty of investment opportunities for land buyers. Jeju Island, Seoul, Busan, and Incheon are just examples of places that have become increasingly targeted by foreigners.

Even if it’s fairly easy and transparent to acquire land in Korea, you should understand what regulations that apply to foreigners and how you can find land for sale. Therefore, I decided to write this article. Continue reading Buying Land in Korea: The Complete Guide

How to Buy Land in Thailand: A Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Thailand?
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Foreign developers and overseas corporations typically look for land and/or hotels in Thailand. Industrial real estate is also targeted by investors who set up manufacturing or assembly operations locally.

It’s not strange, as Thailand has one of the biggest economies in Southeast Asia and attracts tens of millions of travelers and workers each year.

In the past years, land prices have increased much in the greater Bangkok area. This is contrary to Japan, where land prices have fallen since the early 1990s.

With that said, acquiring land in Thailand can be a time-consuming process with many potential pitfalls. It’s crucial that you work with a reputable partner that has experience in catering to foreigners.

In this article, I explain how foreigners can buy land in Thailand and what you should pay attention to.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?
  • Title Deeds Available in Thailand
  • Common pitfalls when buying land in Thailand
  • Thailand Land Prices

Can foreigners buy land in Thailand?

Foreigners are not allowed to own land in Thailand, this is a common practice in other Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

With that said, there are ways to at least control land. Let’s review the different options you have.

1. Buying Land With a Nominee

The first option is to buy land with the help of a local nominee. In short, this means that a local citizen keeps the land under his or her name. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Thailand: A Complete Guide

Buying Land in Japan: Foreign Investor’s Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Japan?
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Japan’s land prices haven’t increased as much as in developing Asian countries in the past years. The country suffered from an economic downturn in the early 1990s and the real estate market never really recovered since.

With that said, the market has started to gain more interest and Tokyo currently has one of the most active markets, according to PwC. It’s predicted to see great rental growths as it gains interest locally and from overseas.

In this article, we focus on land investments and where I explain the basics if you plan to buy land as a foreign corporation or individual.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Japan?
  • Land Prices in Japan
  • The Process When Buying Land
  • Taxes when Buying Land
  • Finding Land for Sales in Japan
  • Commercial Real Estate Agents in Japan

Can foreigners buy land in Japan?

Japan is one of a few Asian countries that allow foreigners to own land on both a freehold and leasehold basis. This comes as a surprise to many overseas investors, especially as habitable land is limited. Continue reading Buying Land in Japan: Foreign Investor’s Guide

How to Buy Land in Australia: A Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Australia?
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Investing in Australian land plots is comparably easy to other Asian countries like Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Foreign investors generally only have to apply for approval to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB), but few applications have been rejected.

Worth mentioning is that your nationality and what land type you plan to buy affect the requirements. In this article, I present the key information when foreigners buy land in Australia.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Australia?
  • Land Types Available to Foreigners
  • Process of Buying Land in Australia
  • Land Prices in Australia
  • Taxes

Can foreigners buy land in Australia?

Australian citizens can own land on a freehold basis, which is contrary to developing countries like Vietnam where land is controlled by the state. As such, in this article, we primarily focus on how it works when foreigners acquire land in Australia. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Australia: A Complete Guide

How to Buy Land in Cambodia: The Ultimate Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Cambodia?
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Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing countries in Southeast Asia and attracts increasingly foreign multinationals. This is spurred by Cambodia’s low-cost workforce, young population, and future prospects.

Over the years, well-known brands like Le Meridien as well as MCC Land, a renowned Singaporean property developer, have entered the market.

As Cambodia sees an increased demand for residential, commercial, and industrial real estate, investors have started to target valuable land plots in Phnom Penh, beachfront land in Sihanoukville, and Siem Reap.

In this article, I explain how foreigners can buy land in Cambodia and what you must pay attention to.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Cambodia?
  • Foreign Property Ownership Regulations
  • Land Titles in Cambodia
  • Land Prices in Cambodia
  • Taxes

Can foreigners buy land in Cambodia?

The same as for most other Southeast Asian countries, foreigners cannot own land in Cambodia. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Cambodia: The Ultimate Guide

How to Buy Land in Indonesia: A Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Indonesia?
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Indonesia is the biggest country in Southeast Asia and as wide as the distance from Paris to Kabul. In the coming years, Indonesia will see a great transformation as people urbanize and get higher disposable incomes.

The country will drive the eCommerce boom in Southeast Asia in the coming decade and investing in commercial real estate and land here has become increasingly interesting to foreign investors.

At the moment, foreign ownership regulations aren’t favorable and some of the toughest in the region. But, this is something that the government is clearly aware of, a reason why we will hopefully see changes to the regulations in the near future.

For example, according to the government, foreigners would be able to own real estate under the same conditions as locals, something I believe is unlikely.

With that said, they have indicated that foreigners will be able to buy real estate with “right to build” titles, which has been described as a “game-changer” among local agents.

Investing in land in Indonesia is still difficult and something that requires due diligence and great scrutiny. Therefore, I have written this article where I explain how you can buy land in Indonesia as a foreigner.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Indonesia?
  • Buying Land Through a PT PMA Company
  • The Importance of Zoning
  • Land Prices in Indonesia
  • Taxes
  • FAQ

Can foreigners buy land in Indonesia?

As explained in my separate article that explains how foreigners can buy real estate in Indonesia, the country has some of the most stringent foreign ownership regulations in Asia.

It does not come as a surprise that foreign land ownership is out-ruled. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Indonesia: A Complete Guide

How to Buy Land in Malaysia: A Complete Guide

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Suggestion: Watch the 5 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

Do you plan to buy property in Malaysia?
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Most property buyers prefer to own a house or an apartment. My personal guess is that it’s due to tradition and that people think that the risks are lower compared to when investing in land.

Of course, people tend to buy houses to live in, or to rent the units to tenants.

The land investment opportunities are often overlooked as the yields can be significantly high when buying land. Land values can increase exponentially over the years and you also have the opportunity to develop and rent out the land.

In this article, I go into deeper detail about how it works when buying land in Malaysia.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Malaysia?
  • General Conditions when Buying Land
  • Can I reduce the minimum investment requirement?
  • What land categories exist in Malaysia?
  • The process when Buying Land in Malaysia
  • Can I get a loan to buy land?
  • Are there other Asian countries where I can buy land?
  • Land titles in Malaysia

Can foreigners buy land in Malaysia?

Malaysia is the only Southeast Asian country where foreigners can directly buy and own land. I don’t count Sentosa Cove in Singapore as the area is small and land prices obscure. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Malaysia: A Complete Guide

How to Buy Land in the Philippines: The Ultimate Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in the Philippines?
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The Philippines attracts plenty of foreign retirees and travelers that got an appetite for its warm climate, high quality of life, and low living costs.

The country comprises thousands of islands and is the home of some of the most magnificent natural sceneries and animal wild-life in the world. Another benefit of living in the Philippines is that you won’t have any issues communicating in English.

Besides, the country offers several long-term visas that can be obtained comparatively easily. I also want to highlight that the Philippines always rank high in our annual property index.

Due to its attractiveness, it’s not strange why individuals and corporations alike want to buy land in the Philippines. Might it be a land plot to build a private home or a vast space of beachfront land to develop hotels.

Buying land in the Philippines is complex though, especially if you try to navigate the market as a foreigner. Not only do you have to deal with regulations to foreign land ownership, but limited information about prices and the buying process. Continue reading How to Buy Land in the Philippines: The Ultimate Guide

How to Buy Land in Vietnam: Foreign Buyer’s Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Vietnam?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

Vietnam has become a new hot-spot for multinationals to set up manufacturing operations and to diversify production from mainland China. The country sees some of the strongest economic growths in Asia along with a young workforce, growing middle class, and strong urbanization.

Buying real estate in Vietnam can be a bit tricky though, especially when it comes to land acquisitions. This is common in most other Southeast Asian countries where states have imposed restrictions on foreign ownership rights.

As the interest in land purchases grows in Vietnam, I decided to write this article where you learn the basics of ownership rights of the land, information about land prices, the taxes you have to pay, and more.

Topics covered:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Vietnam?
  • Land Prices in Vietnam
  • Taxes
  • FAQ

Can foreigners buy land in Vietnam?

Foreigners cannot own land on a freehold basis in Vietnam, like in Malaysia and Japan, for example. Instead, we have to lease the land with a lease term of up to 50 years, sometimes with a possibility for renewal. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Vietnam: Foreign Buyer’s Guide

How to Buy Land in Hong Kong: A Complete Guide

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Do you plan to buy property in Hong Kong?
Click here to get in touch with an experienced agent

Hong Kong is not the typical place for land purchases, at least not among foreign individuals and companies.

Having one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world, you’ll mainly find mainland Chinese and local developers that fight for land plots through government-run tenders.

With that said, there are ways for foreigners to acquire land in Hong Kong. Therefore, I decided to write this article where I cover the following topics:

  • Can foreigners buy land in Hong Kong?
  • Hong Kong Leasehold Terms
  • Buying Land Through a Company
  • Hong Kong’s Land Sale Programmes and Tenders
  • Taxes when Buying Land
  • How can I find land for sale?

Can foreigners buy land in Hong Kong?

Neither foreigners nor locals can purchase land on a freehold basis in Hong Kong. Instead, the land is controlled by the Chinese government and you can only get hold of leasehold property. Continue reading How to Buy Land in Hong Kong: A Complete Guide