Property valuation in Vietnam: A Guide for Foreign Buyers

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This article is a part of the Real Estate 101 series by Homebase, a leading PropTech company that provides a more flexible alternative to mortgages for foreigners in Vietnam, and is co-created with their team.

In recent years, the Vietnamese real estate market has grown rapidly and attracted foreign investment. Transactions are in the millions of dollars per unit, making Vietnam an appealing place to live and invest.

As a potential property buyer, it’s important that you can recognize a good deal when you see one. An important question to ask, though: What are the most useful property valuation methods in the market?

As you browse property listings, you’ll encounter many shapes and sizes with potentially varied prices. By using the methods we recommend in this article, you can better estimate the value of these assets and have a higher chance for a good deal.

Today, we review what real estate evaluation is and explain seven core methods when evaluating properties.

What is real estate valuation?

In short, real estate valuation is the gathering, analysis, and assessment of information and data to evaluate the worth of real estate. Continue reading Property valuation in Vietnam: A Guide for Foreign Buyers

How to Get a Property Loan in Vietnam: Foreign Buyer’s Guide

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Vietnam’s property market is hot and massive infrastructural projects are planned in places like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The new metro lines and other investments help to drive up the property prices, rental yields can range up to double digits.

Investors sometimes ask me whether it’s possible to receive local financing to buy property in Vietnam.

I decided to do more research and write this article, where I explain how to finance your property in Vietnam as a foreigner.

In short, it’s difficult to own property in Vietnam and impossible to own land without Vietnamese citizenship.

But here’s the good news: Even when foreign ownership is not favored, you can still get property financing through several emerging real estate companies that offer a better alternative.

There are several alternatives to home financing in Southeast Asia that provide a different route to loans and financing at the moment. Perhaps the market leader is Homebase, a leading Southeast Asia Proptech company that offers services in Vietnam. Continue reading How to Get a Property Loan in Vietnam: Foreign Buyer’s Guide

Investing in Vietnam REITs: A Complete Guide

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Even if Vietnam has emerged as one of the most interesting countries for real estate investments, the buying process can be tedious and complex.

In 2019, projects were put on hold for almost a year and foreigners decided to pull out, being refunded their deposits.

Also, did you know for example that foreigners sometimes pay higher prices than locals, due to the quota of 30% imposed on foreign ownership?

Naturally, if you pay a higher price than a local, you’ll generally suffer from a lower yield and capital gain. That’s simple logic. Fortunately, there’s another way of investing in Vietnam’s real estate market, namely through so-called Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

In this article, we review the REITs available in Vietnam, and if there are any foreign REITs with Vietnam real estate under their portfolio.

Topics covered in this article:

  • Can foreigners buy REITs in Vietnam?
  • How can I invest in REITs in Vietnam?
  • What is REIF?
  • What are the benefits of buying REITs in Vietnam?
  • REITs Available in Vietnam
  • Are there any foreign REITs that own Vietnam real estate?

Continue reading Investing in Vietnam REITs: A Complete Guide

Vietnam Real Estate Prices: A Full Guide

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Writing about real estate prices is not an easy task during a pandemic as no one knows for how long it will last and what the impact will be. We get contacted by many readers who want to understand how real estate prices have changed in various cities in Vietnam.

It’s crucial to understand what has happened in the past and what one can expect in the short and long-term. In this article, we review real estate prices in the most popular cities in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Prices

Ho Chi Minh City has by no doubt the highest real estate prices in Vietnam. It’s no strange as it serves as the country’s business hub and where most investors and expats look for investment opportunities.

In the past years, real estate prices have increased by double digits in Ho Chi Minh. For example in the second quarter of 2019, the average price for apartments was USD 2,009 per square meter, equal to an increase of 21.6% compared to the previous year.

With that said, you can still find upcoming areas where we will see much appreciations in the coming years, like District 9, District 4, District 5, and District 10, even if these districts have fewer projects in general. Continue reading Vietnam Real Estate Prices: A Full Guide

How much does it cost to buy property in Vietnam?

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Vietnam has one of the hottest real estate markets and attracts foreign investors in vast numbers. The country has some of the most promising real estate markets in Asia and prices are still comparatively affordable, depending on where you buy.

In this article, we compare Vietnam’s property prices with other countries in the region, the prices in the most popular cities, and more.

How does Vietnam’s property prices compare with other Asian countries?

Vietnam has some of the lowest property prices in Asia and is only behind Indonesia and Cambodia. Looking at Ho Chi Minh City cities, property can be bought for as little as USD 2,269 per square meter on average in the central areas of Ho Chi Minh City.

Apartment prices surged by 22.7% (!) during the first quarter of 2019 in Ho Chi Minh, to an average of USD 2,028 per square meter in that year, according to JLL Vietnam. During the same period, the average price of apartments rose by 6.8% in Hanoi to USD 1,407 per square meter in Q1 2019.

Property costs a fraction compared to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China. Prices in Ho Chi Minh City are around 14% of that in Hong Kong and 18% in Singapore.

That said, luxury property costs only 8% of that in Hong Kong on average, which is kind of amazing. Continue reading How much does it cost to buy property in Vietnam?

How to Invest in the Vietnam Stock Market: The Definitive Guide

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Vietnam has been Southeast Asia’s strongest performing market in the past years.

Naturally, we see increased interest from foreigners who want to capitalize on its growth and invest in stocks. With that in mind, Vietnam opened up to foreign investors in 2015 and remains bureaucratic.

Before you start trading stocks, you need to learn the fundamentals and work with a brokerage firm that can help you get started.

In this article, we review the following:

  • Can foreigners buy stocks in Vietnam?
  • Vietnam Stock Market Overview
  • Stock Exchanges in Vietnam
  • Why You Should Invest in Vietnam’s Stock Market
  • Regulations when Buying Vietnam Stocks
  • Process when Buying Vietnam Stocks
  • Case Studies in Vietnam’s Stock Market
  • FAQ

Continue reading How to Invest in the Vietnam Stock Market: The Definitive Guide

Sending Money To & Out of Vietnam: A Foreign Investor’s Guide

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Buying overseas property in developing countries like Vietnam requires due diligence and that you understand the buy and sell procedures in advance.

A commonly asked question is how foreigners can transfer money into and out of Vietnam when buying real estate. This is essential to understand to make sure that your money don’t get ‘stuck’.

After all, you probably want to exit the market sometime in the future.

In this article, I explain some key information you need to know when transferring money cross border in Vietnam.

Remark

This article is written for investors who wish to buy real estate in Vietnam.

General information about Vietnam currency controls

Vietnam’s foreign exchange controls are regulated by the State Bank of Vietnam.

Some of their responsibilities are:

Continue reading Sending Money To & Out of Vietnam: A Foreign Investor’s Guide