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There are a lot of factors. I'll point out two:

1. Negative real interest rates.

2. It's easier to protect your identity/privacy. Notably, real estate agents and title insurers are exempt from having to file Suspicious Activity Reports with the Treasury Department.




I'm not sure about #2.

When you buy a home the information on the title is public knowledge. Sure, you could create a holding corporation, but the officers of a company are also public information.

Also, real estate agents and title insurers don't handle cash at all. If you buy a house from me in cash, I'll kindly ask you to deposit it and send me a check. When the buyer goes to a bank with cash or other suspicious sources of money, the banks will fill out a SAR.




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