Sure they play it smart, but they— not just the foreign investors, but US investors get way, way more from government than anyone— a simple example is how Trump paid no taxes and got credits he could use to offset taxes into the future, avoided sharing in losses born by his investors, and left his creditors broke— and puts the tax burden on us. Investors developing and selling real estate to foreigners at prices too high for USA investors take advantage of liberal foreign laws that enrich foreign investors as well. Changes congress made to the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act “FIRPTA” also helped foreign investors and thereby those trying to sell to them.  Now some congressmen are seeking to completely abolish FIRPTA and provide tax reductions enjoyed by US investors to foreign investors. With the focus on Abigail Kawananakoa, look at how many Billions her Trust for her and her family has made without paying Federal income tax on $ Billions in real estate deals.