Buying a home abroad is similar to marrying a foreign lady. It's rare to meet a foreign lady in the bar and get married the next day. It requires some investment of time and effort from the first meet. It might take weeks, months or years to know each other first. Then if she says yes, you tie the knot. Hopefully, you're not going to spend years before you make the 'buy decision, though. That'd defeat the purpose of buying a home abroad. By, using the 'marriage' analogy, buying a home abroad requires knowledge; of the area, country/local rules and the property itself. I hope the analogy sounds pleasant. Marriage is actually more complex.

On how to buy a home abroad, you want to ask some critical questions to determine if the person at the other end of the table isn't just telling outright lies; trying to elope with your cash. This is because sadly, there are few or no safeguards in place to protect you. You want to find an answer to these questions:

* Is the property a good fit for me or my investing strategy?

* What are the zoning laws that apply?

* How trustworthy is the seller?

Once you find answers to these questions, you should follow the below steps to simplify your overseas property buying.

HOW TO BUY A HOME ABROAD

This is just a summary of steps you have to take when you want to buy a home abroad. But, it's important to know that making an overseas property investment might not be a systematic process, there would usually be hoops and turns. A crucial advice for new overseas property investors: don't be in haste or as the saying goes, you might have the opportunity to repent at leisure.

1. Browse properties in a good location. You should check properties online that match your criteria. But don't just browse properties online. Go check out the property physically. Although technology makes it easy to show much of a property online, it is not to be compared to physical examination. If you'll be buying property without physically seeing it, get an agent or any neutral person to take as many photos as possible of the property from many angles so you'll be convinced it'll make a good investment

2. Research the market. While researching the market, make sure you find out about the possibility of getting good ROI on your investment. Developers might pressure you to make a deposit on a new property while you are on visit; promising you quick ROI. You should always wait until you have returned home and had a chance to think about it before deciding.

3. Legal checks. Legal checks and processes can be a major cause of headache when buying property abroad. The process of buying property in many countries follows the same pattern as that of Britain. There is a title which states who owns what and there are contracts to be filled, specifying the owner's commitment to sell the property and the buyer's commitment to buy it. However, legal systems and lingo varies throughout the world and the people involved in the process also vary. It is important that you find out these legal nuances and deliberate on your ability to meet them.

4. Financing. How will you fund the purchase of your property? The two most common ways of funding property abroad are mortgages and taking out a HELOC or home equity loan on your current home. Read this article to find out more on financing foreign property investments (3 Ways Top Investors Finance Their Foreign Property Investments).

5. Invest or buy. If you're investing, you need to be more focused on the financials. Buyers of second home, might also consider letting out to holiday tenants. In both cases, the balance between supply and demand needs to be assessed.

Buying a home abroad can be a life transforming experience or a tragic one. Therefore, you need to make rational considerations and not be ignorant.

Your overseas property purchase doesn’t need to be stopped by financing. You can apply for a mortgage. However, getting mortgage for foreign property isn’t like getting a mortgage at home. This article considers some ways to tip the balance in your favor.

Why bank financing isn't always available for overseas property

When it is available and comes with no string attached, bank financing is the best option to buy foreign real estate. But alas, it’s not usually available. In many markets, it's hard to get loans as a foreign buyer. In Colombia for example, banks don't care if you're a legal resident, as long as you're a foreign buyer, you're not getting mortgage. It's easy to see why this is so. A foreign buyer isn't tied to the country; he can up and leave at any time, taking the bank's money with him. Banks wouldn't want to take this risk. Hence the hassles of getting mortgage for foreign property. This is one of the things stopping passionate investors from traversing foreign lands.

Resident and non-resident bank financing

So, let's say bank financing is available; it most likely would come in one of the following categorizations:

Ø  Resident financing: Except for countries like Colombia, most local banks would treat your loan application as they would treat that of a citizen if you're a legal resident. You'll have to prove credit worthiness just like any citizen and may not have to go through any other process or requirements. This is called resident financing.

Ø  Non-resident financing on the other hand is difficult to secure. Wherever it is available (countries like France, US, Mexico, Panama, The Dominican Republic, Portugal and New Zealand), it comes with a number of restrictions and requirements. Also, the rate you get may not be favorable, except in France, where it's possible for a non-resident with good credit to access a 20-year mortgage at a rate of just 2.25 percent.

Tips To Get Mortgage When Buying Foreign Property

So, here are some tips to help you secure mortgage when buying foreign real estate

1. Don't go it alone.

Even professional property investors get professional assistance when buying foreign property; this could be through experienced local agents or friends. They understand that investing overseas is a much different ball game. If you're in the UK, you can seek the help of an agent selling property overseas through the following bodies:

1. The Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) and
2. The National Association of Estate Agents International

2. Find a bank that has a presence in your country and the country in which you want to buy a property.

According to Glenn Carter, a Canadian investor who works for Condo Capital "The problem is a foreign credit score does not count for anything, it's just like having no credit score”. This means the interest rates you’ll be quoted will be that of someone with no credit. But a bank with presence in your home country will offer favorable rates. "The interest rate I was quoted from a US Bank was 9%, versus the 3% we got from a Canadian bank with branches in the US.” Carter says.

3. Get an Agreement in Principle

Before signing any contracts or paying deposit, get an Agreement in Principle. Learn more about Agreements in Principle. If you're planning on getting finance on the house, make sure this is explained in the contract, and seek an 'opt-out clause' if the loan is not agreed. This will ensure any first deposit paid is refunded.

Despite the ease of access created by the internet, buying a home is still a complicated process. You need third part assistance when making this very important financial transaction. Navigating the complexities of home buying or selling can be especially tough if you're going at it for the first time. While we do not dispute the fact that you can buy or sell your home yourself. Facts reveal that buying or selling a home through a real estate agent would net you more money.

For sellers, 4% of the sales price is charged for real estate agent services. This might be thousands of dollars that you would otherwise count as profit. Statistics however reveal that going it alone can cost you more in profits. The average FSBO seller makes $40,000 lesser in profit than an agent-assisted seller.

When you hire an agent, you're paying for expertise and information. Real estate agents have an exclusive database, the Multiple Listing service (MLS), which shows them how the prices of properties have changed over time. As a buyer, you might be paying more for a house that you feel attracted to. Without an agent, you might be buying a house that will turn out to be a money pit and paying more than you should for it. Experience, access to the MLS, knowledge of the marketplace makes agents invaluable to new buyers and sellers. Still not convinced? Look at these 3 ways buying or selling real estate on your own will cost you more.

1. Shortened range. If you’re going on your own as a seller, buyers with agents might not want to work with you, which limits your reach. Having a real estate agent creates a sense of convenience. The real estate agent's job is to act as liaison between the seller and the buyer. When one party has an agent, the other does not, the party with extra help has the upper hand, since the agent is working in his or her best interest. Also, buyers looking for homes will have a shortened range. Apart from the MLS access, an agent has connections with other agents and can easily match home buyers with a wide range of houses that meet their tastes. A real estate agent will track down homes that meet your criteria; get in touch with seller's agents in charge and make appointments for you to view the homes. You have to play this tag yourself if you're buying on your own.

2. Slip ups. An agent's job sells or buys houses full time. A seller looking to sell on his own probably has a job and cannot be 100% committed to the business of home selling, which does require much work. You have to answer calls from interested parties, answer questions and make appointments. There could be occasional slip ups, which will cost you money. Note that potential buyers are likely to move on if you tend to be busy or don't respond quickly enough.

3. Tricky negotiations. Buyers and sellers do not always have an easy relationship as each is looking for their own best interests. As a buyer, you might not know how well to express the fact that you find the wood-paneled walls and shag carpet contemptible. Your real estate agent can express your concerns to the seller's agent. Acting as a messenger, he would likely be in a better position to negotiate a discount without ruffling the homeowner's feathers.

Buying or selling a home is not a straightforward task, buyers and sellers want to niggle about price, contracts are hard to handle, mortgage issues might crop up. A professional real estate agent can help you achieve a smooth transaction while saving you money in the home deal.