Every week at Cresco, a Dubai-based investor asks us the same question: “I’ve built my portfolio here, can I actually buy property in America?” The short answer is yes. The useful answer is the rest of this guide.
The simple answer: yes, with full ownership rights
The United States places no citizenship or residency requirement on property ownership. A UAE resident, Emirati or expatriate, can hold American residential or commercial real estate outright, with the same freehold title an American holds. You do not need a green card, a visa, or a US credit history to own. What ownership does not do is grant residency: buying a home in Los Angeles or Miami does not by itself change your immigration status.
Why Gulf capital is looking west in 2026
Henley & Partners’ 2026 report forecasts up to 165,000 millionaire relocations this year, the largest wealth migration ever recorded, with the UAE and the United States as the two great poles of that movement. The American market’s records tell their own story: California’s median price reached an all-time high of $930,260 in May, million-dollar homes hit a record 38.5% of all sales (C.A.R.), and Miami’s luxury segment grew 21% year over year while 44% of closings were all-cash, the signature of international money (Miami Association of Realtors).
How Dubai-based buyers actually do it
Most of our UAE clients follow the same path: hold the asset either personally or through a US LLC (a low-cost company structure offering liability separation and privacy), fund the purchase in cash or through a foreign-national mortgage designed for overseas buyers, and complete the entire closing remotely from Dubai, escrow, signatures and all. From accepted offer to keys is typically 30 to 60 days.
Three taxes deserve early attention: annual property tax (set locally, commonly 1 to 2% of value), tax on rental income, and FIRPTA withholding when you eventually sell. None are obstacles; all are manageable with a cross-border accountant engaged before you buy.
Los Angeles or Miami?
The two Gulf-facing gateways serve different strategies. Los Angeles is the scarce, premium market, a median around $1.00M and homes selling in 48 days. Miami is the growth-and-leverage market, a median near $652K, 113 days on market, and nearly thirteen months of condo supply handing patient buyers real negotiating power (Redfin, May 2026). There is no universal “best”, only the right market for your objective.
One firm, both shores
Cresco was built for exactly this corridor: our Dubai headquarters has closed 2,500+ transactions worth AED 6.8B+, and our US office at 8605 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood serves the American end, so the advisor who understands your Dubai portfolio is the same firm executing your Los Angeles or Miami purchase.
Go deeper: our complete step-by-step guide, ownership structures, financing without US credit, taxes in plain language, and the full LA vs Miami data, is on Cresco Global: How GCC Capital Buys American Real Estate: The Complete Guide. Or request our free Global Property Report.
This article is educational and is not legal, tax, or investment advice. Sources: Henley & Partners (2026); California Association of Realtors (May 2026); Miami Association of Realtors; Redfin; Freddie Mac.