Foreign buyers flee the U.S. housing market, led by Chinese and British

China’s currency controls, as well as international tensions between the U.S. and a slew of countries traditionally thought of as our allies, are putting a crimp on America’s real estate market by thwarting demand from foreign homebuyers. Purchases by Chinese people, the biggest share of foreign purchasers, plummeted 56% in the 12 months ended in March, while British home purchases tumbled 48%.