The first distinction necessary to make in answering this is that co-ops and condos are very different, and the requirements are very different. It is much trickier in dealing with a co-op board when your assets are out of the country, which makes a condo a better choice, though a skilled agent will know how to direct you to the co-ops that are the best options of this type of property. The second most important question is if this would be your primary residence i.e would you be moving here, or would this be a second home. This, again, has much more bearing on a co-op than a condo.
The short answer, however, is yes, you can buy something here and the way to begin is contact a knowledgable NYC real estate agent who will be able to also set you up with good mortgage people and a good NYC real estate attorney.
Hope this helps.

Jenet Levy
Halstead Property, LLC
jlevy@halstead.com
(212) 381-4268

Hello there Carrie,

Both of the answers were good. You will need to talk to a banker to see what type of loan would be available to you, unless you are a cash buyer. Find out if your bank has a branch in New York, if they do not, it's not a problem. I can refer you to someone at HSBC who deals only with foreign nationals and in my firm we have an affiliation with Wells Fargo.
That being said, you will also need to speak with an attorney who specializes with foreign nationals. And you will need a specialist because international laws are constantly changing.
The type of property you will be looking for is likely to be a Condominium.

Feel free to ask any additional questions you may have Carrie.
When do you think this special day is coming?

Dear Carrie,

If you are considering purchasing a dream home now, you should first consider meeting with a bank to find out what their terms and conditions are for pre qualification. You can meet with someone from whicheve bank you use currently as they may be more understanding to your situation. Some factors that are considered includes down payment, job, cosigner, etc. You should also contact a real estate attorney.

Good luck.

Nirmala Caraballo
Cruz Realty
Tel.: 646-479-7873
E-mail: nhcaraballo@yahoo.com

You will need to put a larger down payment (35%-40%) to qualify for foreign national financing programs, it will be considered second/ vacation home or investment property purchase only, since you are not a US citizen. I work with foreign buyers all the time and can guide you through whenever you are ready.