It’s an oft-repeated mantra in New York real estate that foreign buyers pay in cash. Indeed, their ability to come to the negotiating table with rubles and renminbi and reals in hand — ensuring a quick closing — is seen as confirmation of their affluence.
“The perception here is that because they’re not getting a loan in the United States … they are these really wealthy people putting down hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Marc Fitapelli, a Manhattan-based commercial and residential real estate attorney.
But that’s not always the case. Read the full story from the November 2011 issue here.