For any foreign prospective homebuyers who come to this thread looking for info, note that several international banks, such as HSBC, provide mortgage services to foreigners in China, up to 70% the assessed value of the house (not the sale price)
Questions of whether it's smart to buy a house in China aside, it almost always makes financial sense to finance, rather than put all your money in a house. Here are a few reasons, some China specific:
- If you're worried about property rights and capital controls, you're better off keeping that main nest egg offshore.
- With smart, diversified investments, you can almost always make more money than the lender charges in interest.