How the World Buys Homes: International Real Estate EXPOSED | The Den Ep. 78

From blind bidding in Scotland to 99-year land leases in China and cash-only builds in Mexico, this roundtable dives into the surprising real estate norms across the globe. You'll hear about laws that ban Sunday home sales, homes without kitchens, and foreign ownership restrictions that challenge everything we assume about buying property.

This isn’t just a global tour of real estate practices. It's a deeper look at how spoiled we are in the U.S., and how different the rules of the game are in other countries.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• In China, buyers can own a building but not the land. Most land is leased for 70 years at a time.
• Many countries do not offer 30-year mortgages. Shorter terms and large down payments are more common.
• In Mexico and parts of Europe, homes are often built over time with cash, not loans.
• Interest rates in other countries often range from 10 to 20 percent, making U.S. rates feel low by comparison.
• In Germany, renters are expected to install and remove their own kitchen fixtures.
• Japan has a population decline, with over 15 percent of homes sitting vacant. Some are being sold for next to nothing.
• Foreigners cannot own land in Indonesia or the Philippines unless partnered with a local citizen.
• In Italy, working in real estate on Sundays is against the law.
• France protects iconic views by making it illegal to block the Eiffel Tower.
• Countries like Spain are seeing protests over foreign investors buying up homes and worsening local housing shortages.
• The U.S. faces similar second-home investor pressure in towns like Telluride and Durango.

BEST MOMENTS

05:38 “You don’t actually own the land, you’re leasing it... for millions of dollars. That’s wild.”
11:42 “Interest rates at 10 to 20 percent? We’re over here complaining about 6 or 7.”
17:04 “In Germany, when you rent, they don’t include a kitchen. You bring your own, and take it with you.”
21:32 “In Scotland, it’s blind bidding. You don’t even talk to the seller, it’s all done through formal letters.”
24:02 “Japan has a 15 percent vacancy rate. They’re just giving away homes to anyone who will take them.”
27:08 “If fewer people are having kids, who’s going to buy the homes we invest in 30 years from now?”

If you enjoyed the show, please hit that subscribe button and leave a comment about your experiences with real estate in other countries. We’d love to hear what it’s like where you live.

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