Mortgages for international properties?

[peterept]

Some background:

Several years ago I moved here to Seattle from Australia. I don't have a green card, just a temporary working Visa.

I bought my house in Australia back in 2003 which turned out to be around the top of the housing bubble there. Now fast forward 5 years and the property prices are almost exactly the same as 2003.

Contrasted to the US, the banks in Australia generally only offer long-term adjustable mortgages; about the longest fixed term would be 3 years. They take the opposite approach for jumbo loans over $500k and offer discounted rates (usually 0.3% off).

The policies started in 2003 to avoid the bubble bursting have been to slowly raise interest rates to stem the desire for credit. Add to that some raises by banks due to the international credit crunch the rates have dramatically increased:

In 2003 the adjustable rate was 5.75%. Today the rate is 9.7%.

So, I am wondering, is there any insitutions in the US that would re-finance an international property (in Australia) that would have lower rates?

Thanks

[sniglet]