James Kershek, a young American, used to work for a leading software company’s million-dollar investment fund.

Working under severe pressure, Kershek became overweight and suffered from stress and sleeplessness.

One day he decided to quit the job.

He has since chosen a new job that is not related to finance: teaching people, especially children, to make pottery products.

He has decided to settle down in Phu My Hung City Centre in District 7 of HCM City to develop his new career with a shop named Spin and Gosh.

“I love the local area, which has many trees,” he said.

“I want to help reduce the influence of gadgets on children and also develop patience, creativity and responsibility.

“I feel very happy when I see their faces when they finish a task.”

Kershek is one of many foreigners living and doing business in the Phu My Hung City Centre in HCM City’s District 7.

By 2015 the number of foreigners living here jumped to 15,000, and they now account for nearly 50 per cent of the total population here.

Around the centre, it is commonplace to see foreign owners serve customers in their restaurants and service establishments.

Thus, Phu My Hung is the only place in HCM City where services and products from many countries and territories are available.

Many foreigners living here are registered workers, and whether owners or employees they bring their family along with them.

As the population in the area increases, many foreigners have set up businesses to sell services and products from their countries to their communities as well as others living in the area, including Vietnamese.

Seeing the potential, many famous brands in various sectors have flocked to the Phu My Hung City Centre to enhance their visibility.

Since the day Vietnamese laws were changed to allow foreigners to buy house in Viet Nam, they have become the key demographic for Phu My Hung Development Corporation.

When buying houses for living or leasing out, the most important factors for foreign buyers are prestige, legal status and the background of the developer. These are also the strengths of Phu My Hung Development Corporation.

Beautiful looks, full amenities and steady growth are factors that make Phu My Hung City Centre an ideal destination.

Since it began to build Phu My Hung City Centre in 1993, Phu My Hung Development Corporation has developed it to a self-contained city center with full amenities following international standards.

Two decades later the city has become an ideal place for both local and foreign residents to work, live and rest after a hard day of work.

In the last two years the number of foreigners moving into the city centre has been increasing.

It was most clearly demonstrated at a new development called Phu My Hung Midtown launched in 2017.

The developer has so far held three sales events and sold nearly 1,000 condos. Of them, 20 per cent were bought by foreigners.

At the third sales event when the developer sold units in The Signature in Phu My Hung Midtown, the number of foreign buyers increased by 20 per cent from the second event (The Symphony) and 45 per cent from the first (The Grande).

At the end of this month Phu My Hung Development Corporation will again sell units in The Signature, and many foreign buyers are keenly waiting for it.

The company said it limits registrations by foreigners to ensure they buy a maximum of 30 per cent of the units in accordance with the law.