Looking abroad for a new home

"However, they have a higher than average mortgage rate of between 6.5 percent and 7 percent compared with that in China of 5 percent, between 4 and 5 percent in the US and between 3 and 4 percent in the UK, which means more cash pressure on investors," Tian said.

Higher yields in markets such as the US, Canada, the UK and Europe, possible permanent residency depending upon the type of investment - such as a green card - and comparatively less expensive investments, plus the fact that Western governments are very eager to attract investment and so have friendly overseas investment policies, combine to make certain overseas property markets enticing, said Macdonald.

The number of overseas real estate companies attending the annual Beijing International Property Immigration and Investment Expo/Spring this week will surge 30 percent from last year, lured by China's ballooning wealthy population, the expo's sponsor told China Daily.

"More than 200 booths have been booked by overseas companies, hitting a new record," said Wei Kefei, director of the expo's international department.

In addition to the traditional exhibitors from the US, Canada and Australia, there are new participants from East Europe this year, such as Lithuania, Latvia and Bulgaria.

The tightening Chinese measures, according to Wei, may further strengthen some people's determination to buy property overseas.

"But the recent policy impact will not be huge because most Chinese buying overseas properties are not doing so purely for investment purposes," said Wei. "There is an increasing number of purchases because of the polluted environment at home."

Analysts also remind investors looking to emigrate that there is hardly any country that guarantees a green card simply for investing in a property within its borders.

The effects of a flurry of Chinese buying homes abroad is being felt outside the Chinese mainland, pushing up real estate prices in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, according to a report by Knight Frank.

Partly fueled by inflows of Chinese investment, prime real estate values in Jakarta rose 38 percent in 2012, compared with 20 percent in Bali and 12.7 percent in Auckland, New Zealand. Even Hong Kong, where legislation designed to limit foreign real estate investment came into effect this year, saw gains of 8.7 percent in the prime sector, the report showed.

Top markets worldwide such as London and New York remain as havens for investors from around the world. Analysts are seeing signs of a resurgence in prime markets elsewhere as well following inflows of capital from emerging economies in Asia and the Middle East, according to the report.

Contact the writers at wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn and huyuanyuan@chinadaily.com.cn