Buying property abroad.

[Irongrip400]

I live in the states, and am looking to buy a piece of property in St Maarten. Anyone have any experience with anything like this?  I would also like to buy some property in Germany or northern Italy. Any experiences there would help also. Thanks.

[ozman]

Look into a little island called Australia

I hear it's going cheap

[Irongrip400]

Too far. I can't do anymore than 10 hours on a plane.

[bighead]

i have had friends that investeed in property and it go horribly wrong. make sure you know the laws concerning real estate and whatever, avoid mexico. I have friends that invested quite a bit in canada when the us $ was strong and when it started going down it was hard to get out without being taxed to hell.. canada has been made a good investment for canadians by canadians.

[Irongrip400]

Yeah, no Mexico. I know someone who has a home there, but it is his because his wife is Mexican. From what I understand, there is a period of time after you buy hat the govt can take it from you, and you can't live on the beach. I have a timeshare in St Maaten, so know a bit about it. Plus it's European owned so you don't have to worry about the third world bullshit.

[Irongrip400]

no spain, no italy, no turkey, no balkan states.

i can tell you stories from there, youd faint.

Go on....seriously though, I'd be interested in what you know bad about Italy. I have no desire being in the Balkans, that place has always been a tinder box. But, I am thinking northern Italy, like Verona area, so it's close to Bavaria and mountains.

[BayGBM]

I live in the states, and am looking to buy a piece of property in St Maarten. Anyone have any experience with anything like this?  I would also like to buy some property in Germany or northern Italy. Any experiences there would help also. Thanks.

What are your specific concerns?

[Irongrip400]

What are your specific concerns?

Essentially the type of thing galeniko was talking about. I thought that only happened in third world countries. St Maarten is only a short plane ride for me, so that would be easy to keep an eye on, but I guess European property would not, so going by what he just told me, I would may e think twice. And, I understand Verona isn't close, but we took a train which was pleasant, and it only took 41/2 hours, so that's not bad. Is Germany the same as Italy when buying as a foreigner?

[Irongrip400]

no, germany is straight and fair.no need to worry there

Yes they are. Probably from the lack of Jewry (no racist) . Seriously though, I like that area. Northern Italy and southern Germany were almost identicle. In Italy, they even had the two languages at all the Christmas markets. Just a different breed abroad, America is getting stupider.

[_bruce_]

Buy land in eastern Austria - you can have our garden.

[Irongrip400]

Anyone know anything about Bollingen, Baden-Wurttemburg?  Berlin has a bunch of cheap places, Munich is out of control expensive, but this place seems somewhat reasonable.

[mantronik]

Buy something in Indigo Bay of you consider property in St.Maarten.
They have big plans and it might be a big hit.
I can't afford it but would love to live there if I look at the plans what they want to do there
http://www.studiomart.nl/portfolio

Sandy doing the talking here

[Irongrip400]

Why the fuck is property in Bavaria so damned expensive, and Berlin so cheap?

[BayGBM]

Please explore all of the options available in the U.S. (it is a huge country) before considering buying overseas. Really, the country is quite expansive and there are a variety of climates, political cultures, and so forth such that there's bound to be somewhere you'd enjoy having another property at. Also, based on the rent price/buy price ratio, prices are very close to bottoming out (buying keeps getting cheaper relative to renting until eventually people's behavior shifts and they begin buying again, igniting a recovery in prices). Thus, it is an optimal time to buy.

Alternatively, if you rush into buying overseas you may not realize precisely what you are getting into in terms of potential for getting taken advantage of, whether you'll even enjoy owning overseas property, whether it is in fact a sound investment decision, and the headaches to be had from the complexity of a variety of international laws. Finally, there is the fact that overseas travel (including extended stays) can be achieved without any need to purchase property. So at the very least you're eating the opportunity cost of having a cheaper and less complicated way of spending time overseas.

x2.  I think buying overseas only makes sense if you are a (dual) citizen of that country, are from there, and/or otherwise go there very regularly with strong family ties.

[POB]

^this,the Mexican thing is true to,if your not a citizen they can take it from you. Think alot of the Latin countries are like this

[El Diablo Blanco]

Mexico gives you a 99 year lease if you are not an American Citizen.  Great places to buy right now.  Roatan, anywhere in greece.  Imagine a nice cheap villa on the med for pennies on the dollar now.  Spain is another.

[POB]

Too far. I can't do anymore than 10 hours on a plane.

X2