Sooner or later a buyer from Bogotá, Mexico City or Toronto writes: "Can I get a mortgage if I don't live in the US?" The honest answer is "often, yes, but not the way your neighbor got theirs." The standard loans most US buyers use are built around US residency, US credit and US income. A buyer who lives abroad needs a different product, a different lender and more time.
This guide is for the agent who represents that buyer: who counts as a foreign national, the main ways to pay, typical documents, early pre-approval, moving money and a checklist.
This is not financial or legal advice. Programs, rates and requirements change and differ from lender to lender. Put your buyer in touch with a licensed loan officer who works with international borrowers early, and check tax and legal questions with an attorney or CPA. Everything below was checked on October 27, 2026.
Many foreign buyers skip the mortgage entirely
Before you plan a financing path, know the baseline. In the National Association of Realtors' latest survey of international transactions, covering April 2025 to March 2026, nearly half of foreign buyers paid all cash:
The same NAR release puts foreign purchases at 67,100 homes worth $45.3 billion, with Florida, California and Texas the top destinations. So "how will you pay?" is not a formality: many buyers need no lender, and the rest need the right one early.
Foreign national, permanent resident or visa holder?
Lenders sort non-citizen buyers into three groups, and the group decides which loans are even on the table.
| Group | Who they are | What it usually means for financing |
|---|---|---|
| Lawful permanent resident | A green card holder. USCIS defines a lawful permanent resident as someone living in the US under lawfully recorded permanent residence as an immigrant. | Fannie Mae buys their loans on the same terms as citizens'. |
| Non-permanent resident | Someone legally in the US on a temporary status, such as a work visa. USCIS calls a nonimmigrant someone admitted for a specific temporary period. | Fannie Mae still allows these borrowers; FHA no longer does (see below). |
| Foreign national | Lenders use this for a buyer who lives abroad and has no US residency status, often no Social Security number and no US credit history. | Outside the standard programs. Financing comes from lenders' own foreign national programs, or the buyer pays cash. |
The rules behind that table:
- Fannie Mae. Its Selling Guide, section B2-2-02, says Fannie Mae buys mortgages made to non-citizens who are lawful permanent or non-permanent residents, on the same terms available to US citizens. The lender decides what documents prove status and must warrant that the borrower is legally present in the US. The section does not cover buyers without lawful US residency.
- FHA. HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2025-09 removed non-permanent residents from FHA eligibility for case numbers assigned on or after May 25, 2025.
One more group is easy to confuse with foreign nationals: buyers who live and work in the US but have no Social Security number. They often finance with an ITIN loan, which is a different product. We cover it in ITIN mortgage loans.
The main ways to pay, compared
A buyer who lives abroad generally has six paths. The fit depends on their cash, whether the home is for them or a rental, and their paperwork.
| Path | Who it tends to fit | What is typically required |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | Buyers with liquid funds, often outside the US | Proof of funds, money moved to the title or escrow company in time for closing |
| Foreign national loan (non-QM, from a lender's own program) | Buyers abroad with no US credit who want to finance a home or second home | Passport, foreign credit references, bank statements, proof of income, down payment and reserves; terms vary by lender |
| DSCR investor loan | Buyers of a rental property | Underwriting centers on the property's expected rent against the payment rather than personal income; usually limited to investment properties, and not every DSCR lender takes foreign nationals |
| Private or international bank | Buyers who already bank with an institution that lends in the US | An existing relationship, often assets held at that bank; terms negotiated |
| Home-country financing | Buyers who can borrow at home, for example against property they own there, and then buy here in cash | A loan from their local bank, plus moving the money across borders |
| Seller financing | Rare; a seller willing to carry a note | A negotiated note and mortgage drafted by an attorney |
A few notes on the paths agents ask about most:
Foreign national loans are usually "non-QM." A Qualified Mortgage is the CFPB's category for loans with less risky features and protections. Foreign national programs are generally made outside that category and outside Fannie Mae, by lenders who keep or sell the loans on their own terms. That is legal: the CFPB notes that lenders are not required to make Qualified Mortgages, and that only Qualified Mortgages have a limit on points and fees. For your buyer, it means comparing the full cost, not just the rate.
There is no headline rate for these loans. The mortgage rate you see in the news is usually Freddie Mac's weekly survey, which tracks conventional, conforming loans for borrowers with good or excellent credit and 20% down. A foreign national loan is none of those things. Each lender prices its own program, so the only real number is a quote from a loan officer for this buyer and this property.
DSCR loans answer a different question. For a rental, a lender may care more about whether the rent covers the payment than about income earned abroad. If the buyer will live there part of the year, a DSCR loan is usually the wrong tool. That is why "for you or a rental?" comes first.
The documents lenders typically ask for
Every lender has its own list, and the list changes with the program. In general, expect requests along these lines:
- Passport, and a US visa if the buyer has one.
- Foreign credit references: a credit report from the home country, or letters from banks and creditors the buyer has a history with.
- Bank statements, often for several months, sometimes translated into English.
- Proof of income: an employer letter, tax returns, or a letter from a CPA or accountant for business owners.
- Proof of the down payment and reserves, with a clear trail showing where the money came from. Our guide to proof of funds covers what a good one looks like.
- Details on the property's use: primary residence abroad, second home or rental.
The slow part is rarely the passport. It is the paperwork from banks and accountants abroad, which may need to be requested and translated. Tell the buyer on day one.
Get the buyer pre-approved before they fly in
An international buyer often has one trip and a few days of showings. If financing starts after they find the home, you lose that window. Start it before the trip.
Two things to know about the letter they get:
- The labels are not consistent. The CFPB explains that lenders use prequalification and preapproval differently: some issue a prequalification based on unverified information the buyer reports, and only issue a preapproval once they have verified it. Ask the loan officer which one this is.
- It is not a loan offer. The same CFPB page says these letters are not guaranteed loan offers. Treat them as a strong signal, not a closing date.
A practical order of events:
- Learn the buyer's financing plan in the first conversation.
- Introduce a loan officer who works with foreign nationals, by name, in the buyer's language if possible.
- Have the buyer start gathering documents from abroad right away.
- Get a letter based on verified information before the buyer travels.
- Write offers with financing and closing timelines the lender has confirmed for this program.
Moving money across borders
Whether the buyer pays cash or puts money down, funds have to reach the US on time. A few things that go wrong:
- Timing. International wires can take longer than domestic ones, and banks on either side may review large transfers. Have the buyer move the down payment and closing funds well before closing, not the day before.
- Exchange rates. If the buyer's money is in pesos, reais or euros, the dollar amount moves with the exchange rate. They should ask their bank when to convert.
- Wire fraud. The CFPB warns that scammers send fake emails that look like they come from the agent, title company or attorney, with new wiring instructions. Its advice: never follow wiring instructions contained in an email, and confirm the account name and number by phone using a number you already agreed on. If money goes to the wrong place, contact the bank immediately and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Warn buyers abroad early and in writing.
The first message: "Can I get a mortgage?"
This question usually arrives on WhatsApp, often at night your time. A good reply is honest, short and ends with one question that tells you which path to explore:
- Hi, I saw the condo in Doral. Can I get a mortgage? I don't live in the US.
- Hi Andrés, yes, many buyers who live abroad finance here. It works through lenders with foreign national programs, and I can connect you with a loan officer who does this every week.
- To point you to the right one: is the condo for you to live in part of the year, or a rental investment?
- A rental, mostly. We would use it a few weeks a year.
- Thanks, that helps. Do you already have savings set aside for the down payment, or would you borrow it in Colombia?
The agent does not quote a rate, promise a down payment or list every document. Those answers belong to the loan officer. The agent's job is to route the buyer correctly, one question at a time. The same "answer, then ask one question" pattern works for every lead; we walk through it in how to answer click-to-WhatsApp ad leads.
Agent checklist for international buyers
- Ask early: cash or financing? If financing, from where?
- Ask whether the home is for them or a rental. It changes the loan.
- Find out their status: green card, US visa or no US status.
- Know two or three loan officers who close foreign national loans, and their languages.
- Introduce the lender before the buyer travels.
- Ask whether the buyer's letter is based on verified information.
- Plan the money transfer and send a written wire fraud warning.
- Keep rate, tax and legal answers with the lender, CPA or attorney.
Where Replint fits
International buyers write from other time zones, and the first financing question often arrives while you sleep. Replint answers WhatsApp leads in English or Spanish in seconds, 24/7, and asks the qualifying questions one at a time, including financing, to build a buyer profile in the lead's own words. Ready buyers are handed to you. Financing questions it cannot verify from your listings and notes become a draft for you to review, so rates and loan terms stay with you and your lender. Replint is in early access for US agents and teams.
