Shouldn't a huge cash transaction trigger suspicion from IRS/whatever agency interested in knowing the whereabouts of the money? E.g. in Malaysia, the reason why people buy cars (let alone properties) in installments (even they can afford cash) is to avoid tax dept come knocking their door.
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"It's a sophisticated, well-oiled system that rarely requires crude subterfuge. Though U.S. authorities track all transfers over $10,000, a wire into a real-estate lawyer’s escrow account should look perfectly routine. 'A lot of times, I don’t even know where my clients are from,' says the lawyer Bruce Cohen. 'But I know that certain countries are very careful about the money that leaves their country.'
"There is nothing illegal—at least from the destination nation’s perspective—about sending money from an anonymous offshore bank account to purchase property in America. On the contrary, it’s an everyday occurrence. That is precisely why experts say that property investment is a favored route for money laundering, a crime that depends on the outward appearance of legitimacy. The laundering process typically happens in stages: Illegal cash enters the world financial system somewhere and is funneled into a maze of accounts and shell companies, a process called 'layering.' Finally, at the other end, funds are integrated into a seemingly respectable investment—like a luxury condo."
(TFA)
These are not American citizens so the IRS wouldn't care.
I read before somewhere that US estate agents managed to get an exemption from various KYC and money laundering requirements...