Real listings, real neighborhoods, no obligation. Browse what's actually available in Hội An before you commit to anything.
Know the city before you search
Hội An isn't one place. The right neighborhood depends on how you want to live — not just which one looks best in photos.
East of the Ancient Town, on the higher ground between the Thu Bon and the sea, Cam Chau is rice paddy edged with lanes of low houses — a working neighborhood rather than a pretty one, and the most affordable place foreigners actually settle here. A local market and small shops sit a short bicycle ride away, the town hospital is about ten minutes west, and Da Nang's larger hospitals are roughly forty minutes north. The catch: village loudspeakers start before six, and farm life is right outside the gate.
Tan An sits a short ride from the Ancient Town on newer streets that stay dry when the river comes up, which is the practical argument and why it costs more than the paddy lanes. Roads are wide, gates are solid, the market and pharmacies are minutes away, and the town hospital is about ten minutes east in the center, with Da Nang's bigger ones forty minutes north. The honest catch is that little happens here; you ride into town for company. Cam Ha, further out, is quieter still.
The amenities version: An Bang puts the beach, the cafes and a row of small restaurants within a walk, and it is where Hoi An's longest-staying foreign residents cluster, in lanes of walled houses behind the sand. Groceries mean a village shop or a ten-minute ride into town; the town hospital is about fifteen minutes southwest and Da Nang's larger ones forty minutes north. The catch is competition — holiday lets take much of the stock, so long leases are scarce. Cua Dai, south, is more resort than neighborhood.
Know the building, not just the listing
Central Vietnam is a coast of houses rather than towers, and its storm and flood season arrives late in the year. Here's what's standard, what isn't, and what the paperwork will show.
At the last census, only about one household in twenty-two in Da Nang lived in an apartment building, and in surrounding Quang Nam province almost none did; nearly everyone else lived in a house of their own. Comforts vary more than a US buyer might expect. In Da Nang, a little under half of households had air conditioning or a bathroom water heater. In Quang Nam, only about one household in ten had air conditioning and one in seven a water heater. Don't assume either: ask which rooms are cooled and which bathrooms have hot water.
In central Vietnam, typhoons and tropical depressions tend to arrive late in the year, most often from October through December, and heavy rain can bring several rounds of flooding in a single season. Low-lying ground near rivers is most exposed. Hoi An's old town sits on the Hoai River, a branch of the Thu Bon, and floods often enough that the heritage management plan puts drainage, flood-adapted restoration and riverbank protection first, alongside a termite-control program for the old timber houses. Ask how high water has reached, what is kept on the ground floor, and view after heavy rain if you can.
Foreigners can buy apartments and houses only as new commercial housing in approved development projects, outside defense and security zones, and together may hold no more than 30 percent of the apartments in any one building. An individual's ownership runs up to 50 years from the date of the certificate, renewable once, and that term must be written on the certificate itself, locally called the sổ hồng or pink book. Buying a new apartment adds a maintenance fund of 2 percent of the unit's value, listed separately in the contract. Ask, too, for the building's design service life, which the law says must be recorded.
The big decision
This isn't financial advice — it's the consistent experience of the expat community: don't buy before you've lived somewhere for at least a year.
The path most expats recommend
Worth it for the right circumstances
Before you sign anything
The US taxes worldwide income regardless of where you live. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) and Foreign Tax Credit can help, but this is complicated when you add Social Security, pension distributions, and investment income. An advisor who specializes in US expat taxation is not optional — this is different from standard tax prep.
Vietnam's property laws have opened somewhat: foreigners can own apartment units for 50-year terms (renewable) in designated areas. Land ownership is not permitted. Most expats rent, which is straightforward and affordable. Vietnam does not have a retirement visa category — most use a business visa, tourist visa extensions, or a temporary residence card.
Given the complexity of foreign property ownership in Vietnam, most American retirees begin by renting — which is typically straightforward even where buying is complex. If you eventually want to buy, a long-term expat attorney who specializes in property for foreigners is essential. Don't rely on real estate agents alone to navigate ownership structures.
This is context, not legal or tax advice. Property ownership, residency, and US tax obligations in Vietnam require professional guidance from a local attorney and a US expat tax advisor.
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Don't stop here
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