The over 2 million El Salvadorians who live in the United States had a significant influence on the economy before the 2008 global recession. Foreigners wishing to invest in El Salvador are allowed to own properties and have bank accounts which they can use when seeking financing from the local government. Any land type is open to foreign investment but foreigners using rural land for anything other than industrial processing are not allowed. Expect a return of real estate investment of 8.49%