The U.S. government owns about 3,500 properties overseas at more than 220 locations, including embassy and consular office buildings, housing, and land. The Department of State is responsible for acquiring, managing, and disposing of these properties. In 1996, we reported that the State Department did not have an effective process for identifying and selling unneeded1 overseas real estate, and that decisions concerning the sale of some properties had been delayed for years because of parochial conflicts among the parties involved. As a result, the State Department was retaining millions of dollars of unneeded real estate. To address this problem, we recommended that the State Department establish an independent panel to decide which properties should be sold. The Congress, noting our recommendation, directed the secretary of state to create an advisory board on real property management. In April 1997, the State Department created the Real Property Advisory Board to review disputed properties and make recommendations to the under secretary of state for management.
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