Tips For Buying An Overseas Vacation Home
A majority of us have dreamt of owning an overseas home at home point in time. Owning a home overseas represents a different way of life, in a sun drenched tropical location that is teaming with activities and plenty of things to see. For many of us, owning real estate overseas is a dream that we all look forward to at some point in our lives.
If you have been considering buying a home in a foreign land, there are some things you should be aware of. Anytime you decide to buy a home in a far away land, there are traps and pitfalls that you need to be aware of. If you are aware of these pitfalls, you"ll go a long way in securing your home - safely and securely.
If you want to buy overseas real estate for the value, you should always keep in mind that real estate fluctuates - some months the value may go up, while other times it may go down. Not all countries have the same real estate economy, which makes it in your best interest to look into the economy before you buy a home. This way, if you are buying for the value, you"ll know whether or not your purchase will be profitable.
Legal systems are also something you should be aware of as well. Different countries do things differently, which is why you will need to look into the different legal systems before you decide on a property. The last thing you want is to purchase a home and find yourself totally unaware of how the proceedings go in the area you have chosen.
If you are buying your home to make some extra money, such as using it for a vacation or holiday home, you should always pay attention to the accessibility factor. If you plan to visit the home yourself for vacations, you"ll want to make sure that your property is easy to reach. If your property is hard to reach by automobile or plan, it will decrease in value and popularity over time. On the other hand, if your property is easy to access, it will be great for you and anyone else you decide to rent the property out to.
If you want the process to go as smooth as possible, you can always enlist the services of a real estate agent. Even though you may be buying an overseas home, a real estate agent will know the area and he can answer any questions you may have. Chances are that you aren't familiar with most overseas areas, which makes a qualified real estate agent a very worthy investment. Your agent can also make recommendations based on what you are looking for - and show you the homes that you wouldn't be able to locate without his services.
We have seriously considered buying a second home overseas. I have an international, multicultural family and so we have several options to choose from. My sister lives in Australia and we have seriously considered buying a beach house in Queensland. My brother lives in the Philippines and so Manila becomes another option. We have several friends and my brother who have properties in Hawaii. Hawaii would be a convenient location with less complication, though the costs of living are higher. My brother has also proposed we buy some properties in either Mexico or Costa Rica. Mexico has some pretty strict restrictions on non-native home owners. We are still looking into the various laws and regulations for each location. Anytime you consider purchasing a home in a foreign country you must take into consideration the laws and tax burdens involved. Is the paperwork and taxes going to make it worth the effort? Will you be able to easily get the appropriate visas or perhaps residency necessary to utilize your new abode as you wish? It is very important that you have thoroughly researched all the details before making a purchase. And it is a good idea to take several vacations to the potential location to make sure you really want to live there before making it permanent.
International Level: Activist / Political Participation: 32 3.2%
I too have thought of getting a vacation home over seas. I would not want to go far. I was thinking the yucatan penn. or maybe in the caribbean somewhere. I may even look at Hawaii or the florida keys. I would want something that is very easy to get to.
It will be necessary to be financially secure for such an undertaking. I believe one should invest local first and then venture out into foreign territory only when your base is secured. I could not see myself pursuing the option for a house overseas unless my own personal mortgage was paid in full and had no debts. I would only do so if the location was viable and the house could be liquidated easily.
International Level: Junior Politician / Political Participation: 100 10%