Land Ownership and Naturalization?

[sacesta]

Would it have been, or is it now, possible for a non-citizen to own land in the United States?

I'm wondering if this is the case for one of my great grandfathers.

Steve

[kencwalker]

There's no requirement to be a citizen to own property in the US.
In fact, lots of non-citizens buy property here as a safe haven.
That said, there may have been citizenship requirements for the early homesteading opportunities (that precedes my family's migration to the US).

[erudita74]

Would it have been, or is it now, possible for a non-citizen to own land in the United States?

I'm wondering if this is the case for one of my great grandfathers.

Steve

Steve
In 1930, my husband's maternal grandfather owned a house in the Bronx, NY, but he had alien status at the time and did not naturalize until 1939. My paternal grandfather also owned a home in the Bronx by 1930 but did not naturalize until 1938. So, yes, it was and is possible for a non-citizen to own land in the U.S. There were, however, alien land laws that were passed in various states throughout the years-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_land_laws

Erudita

[sacesta]

Thank you both! I was curious because I have not been able to find naturalization documents for my paternal grandmother's father. He came to New York in 1902 and owned a six-family apartment building in Brooklyn.

So, it's possible he may not have naturalized.

Steve