Before you arrive: preparing the purchase from China
| Item | Fact (as of September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Buy before moving | Yes, fully remote |
| Property and status | Unrelated |
| Search lead time | About a month |
| Pre-approval | Before touring, foreign-national OK |
| Funds | Route and source documentation prepared in advance |
| Closing | 30–45 days financed, 2–3 weeks cash |
I am still living in China. Can I buy the house before I move to the U.S.?
Yes, and most of our overseas clients do exactly that — they buy first, then arrive. You do not need U.S. residency, a visa, or to be physically present. The purchase is completed remotely and the home is ready when you land. Buying before you move also removes the pressure of house-hunting while jet-lagged and living out of a hotel.
Does buying a house in the U.S. help me get a green card or a visa?
No. Buying property in the United States confers no immigration status, no visa and no path to a green card. Property ownership and immigration are entirely separate systems. Anyone who tells you a purchase will help your immigration case is misinforming you. We say this plainly because it is the single most common misunderstanding we hear, and acting on it is expensive.
My child starts school in September. When should we start looking at homes?
About a month of active searching before you need to close is the practical window, not half a year. Starting much earlier rarely helps: the homes you fall in love with will be sold by the time you are ready, and you end up re-starting the search. Once an offer is accepted a purchase typically closes in roughly two weeks to thirty days — longer if financing is involved. Districts require proof of residency at registration, so plan the close to land before that deadline. Mid-year transfers are usually possible, but starting the child at the beginning of a term is generally smoother. Tell us the enrollment date and we will work the timeline backwards with you.
I have never bought property in the U.S. What actually happens, step by step?
Eight steps. 1) Pre-qualification, so you know your budget and sellers take you seriously — usually back within 24 hours. 2) Define the search: area, school district, budget, must-haves. 3) Viewings, in person or by video if you are overseas. 4) Write an offer; in a competitive market terms matter as much as price. 5) Offer accepted, escrow opens, deposit goes in. 6) Inspections and appraisal, then repair or credit negotiation. 7) Loan underwriting and final approval. 8) Sign, fund, record — keys. From accepted offer to keys is typically about two weeks to thirty days, longer with financing. The mechanics are the same for everyone; what differs for a newcomer is that no one has ever walked you through them.
What is escrow? We do not have this in China.
Escrow is a neutral third party that holds the money and the documents while the deal is completed. You do not pay the seller directly and the seller does not hand over the deed directly — both go to the escrow company, which releases each side only when every condition has been met. It exists to protect both parties, and it is why a U.S. purchase feels slower than one in China: those weeks are the verification steps running. Your deposit sits with escrow, not with the seller or the agent.
What documents should I prepare before I arrive?
Passports; proof of funds (bank statements, ideally covering the last few months); if you will borrow, proof of income, tax records or company documents; for the children, birth certificates, transcripts and vaccination records for school enrolment; and if you are married, the marriage certificate, which affects how title is held. Have certified English translations of Chinese documents done in advance. With these ready, you can start the week you land.
Should I buy first, or settle work and status first?
Most families rent first, get the children into school, let work and status settle, then buy within six to twelve months. A purchase is hard to undo, and the first months after landing often reveal that the area you really want is not the one you had in mind. The exception is a family with the funds and a clearly settled target area; buying before arrival works well for them, and we have handled many such remote purchases.
How do I set a budget, and how much should I keep beyond the price?
Beyond the price, closing costs usually run 1% to 3% of the purchase price, and you should keep cash for moving, furniture, a car, insurance and several months of living expenses. If you finance, the lender calculates a maximum from your income and debts, but that is a ceiling, not a comfort level; we suggest budgeting from the total monthly outlay, payment plus property tax, insurance and HOA, and what your family can carry easily. Remote clients can have Treasure Mortgage run an estimate first, then decide which price range to look at.
What do I need to prepare for the children's school enrolment?
Public schools enrol by address and require proof of residence (a lease or purchase documents plus a utility bill), a birth certificate or passport, vaccination records (California has specific requirements and missing shots must be made up), and previous transcripts. Children whose first language is not English take an English proficiency assessment used to arrange support classes. District offices are busiest in the weeks before school starts, so do this as soon as you land.
How much RMB do I need to buy a home in the US?
At roughly 6.7 to the dollar in September 2026: the City of Los Angeles median asking price of 899,000 dollars is about 6.03 million RMB, Arcadia at 1,328,000 about 8.91 million, Irvine at 1,780,000 about 11.94 million. Cash buyers need the price plus about 1 percent in closing costs; financed buyers need a 5 to 40 percent down payment depending on the program, commonly 30 to 40 percent for foreign nationals, plus 2 to 3 percent closing costs. Exchange is limited to 50,000 dollars per person per year, so plan early. City figures: median prices for 21 Los Angeles-area cities, in RMB and per square meter.
How do I get funds to the US, and what if the 50,000 dollar annual quota is not enough?
Be careful here: China's 50,000 dollar personal quota covers current-account uses such as study and travel, the purchase declaration forbids using it to buy property abroad, and lending your quota to someone else or borrowing theirs is prohibited, so pooling relatives' quotas is not a compliant route; options that do not rely on the quota include assets already held abroad and financing in the US so that less money has to move. Avoid underground exchanges and splitting funds across strangers' names; both carry risk in China and the US, and US escrow and lenders verify the source of funds. Families planning a purchase usually start arranging one to two years ahead.
What can be done before you land
Pre-approval (foreign-national too), a U.S. bank account opened remotely, transfer limits and route, target cities and districts, passport and source-of-funds documents. With these done you can offer the day you arrive, or without arriving.
Working back from an August school start
Most local districts start school in August, not September, and enrolment needs proof of residency before then, so closing or a lease should land in July; start looking in May, open escrow in June. Financed escrow takes 30–45 days. Much earlier is pointless because the market turns over daily.
Three mindset differences
Price is not the only term; the deposit is protected until contingencies are removed; escrow is neutral and your agent is your advocate.
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Shirley Tang Team (雪梨汤) · 888 Realty · DRE #01845722
19811 Colima Rd. #230, Walnut, CA 91789 · (626) 202-9573 · shirleytangrealtor@gmail.com
Have something specific to check? Contact us in English or Chinese — even if you end up working with someone else.
General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Consult a licensed professional about your situation. 'As of' dates mark when facts were checked.