3 Steps to Determine the Fair Market Value of Foreign Real Estate

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You don’t want to pay excess on a property. So, it’s important to know what a home really costs on the equity scale

Real estate whether home or abroad is a substantial, long-term investment. It is therefore imperative that you research various countries and neighborhoods before choosing one to invest in because economists agree that there is an opportunity cost to investing in a particular property.

Your research should include the existence of changing political and economic scenarios, as these would have profound impact on the housing market, especially influencing central bank rates and lending policies.

Factors Affecting Market Value of Foreign Real Estate

Location is critical. Apart from the real estate conditions existent in the country, you don't want a place with high crime rate and bad transport system. But looking ahead, you have to examine the profitability of your investment. Home appraisers looking at homes consider features like property age, lot size, internal square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities and overall condition. Hence the first step in determining your home's market value is taking an appraiser’s glasses and looking at the home objectively, writing down the principal features of your home.

How to Determine Market Value of Foreign Real Estate

Valuing a home is not an exact science but here are some things you can do to make a ‘scientific’ guess on the fair market value of a property abroad.

1. Check out comps.

Find four or five comparable homes in the area that have sold within the past six months. A local agent should be able to help you with that data. Your research on comparable homes (comps) will give you a good indication of what your intended property might be worth. Comparable homes should be roughly the same size, construction, age and style with the same number of rooms, layout and other features. You want to identify the prices at which these properties sold and how fast they left the market.

2. Calculate the rate per square foot.

For each of your comps, divide the selling price by the square footage of the property. This gives you a price per square foot or PPSF. Find the average value of these homes by adding the PPSF figures and dividing by the number of comps you are using. For example, suppose it has the following compositions:

Property A is 2,000 square feet and sells for $ 420,000. The PPSF is $ 210.

Property B is 2,200 square feet and sells for $ 480,000. The PPSF is $ 218.

Property C is 1,900 square feet and sells for $ 390,000. The PPSF is $ 205.

Property D is 2,000 square feet and sells for $ 475,000. The PPSF is $ 237.

The average price per square foot is $ 217. Multiply this figure by the number of square feet of your home to get a rough idea of ??the market value of your home.

3. Consider the special qualities of your home.

While the PPSF gives a benchmark, it does not take into account the unique features that could raise or lower the value of your home. Improvements like a new bathroom, kitchen or siding tend to add value; On the contrary, it is likely that a home in poor condition will have a lower value than a well-maintained property. There is usually a wide variety of prices per square foot based on these factors. Ultimately, you have to decide if your home is worth more or less than the average PPSF in your neighborhood.

 

 

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Whats the impact of Brexit on London real estate?

  • 25, September 2023

While some analysts believe Brexit has made the UK housing market porous. Others believe Brexit will pave way for a stronger housing market in coming years

 

The interaction between real estate and foreign policy is clear cut and this is more than proved by Brexit. As the March 2019 final Brexit negotiations approach, a precursor has been set, which might influence London's real estate market in coming years.

 

A recent report from international property firm, Knight Frank, puts London as the top favorite destination for global capital. This is due to the fact that London still presents liquidity and stability, factors attractive to investors.

 

Nick Braybrook, Knight Frank London's head of capital markets says ‘Despite the political turmoil surrounding the UK with Brexit, London is once again the most liquid real estate market in the world. It is more popular as a home for international investment than Paris Central, Manhattan, Munich, and Frankfurt combined,’.https://www.propertywire.com/news/global-news/londons-commercial-property-market-top-draw-international-buyers The influx of foreign investors particularly Asian buyers could be due to a weakened pound sterling, which has led to a slow growth in home prices.

 

According to an article by FT https://www.ft.com/content/87b1f284-1452-11e7-80f4-13e067d5072c "home prices have seen slow growth since the 2016 Brexit announcement. In May 2018, prices fell by 0.4% in London from an annual rate of 12% in 2016."

 

The pre-Brexit rise in home prices, which were growing at above 10 percent year over year before the EU referendum has given way to slower price growth. 2018 so far has seen a price growth of only 3% all over the UK. For millennials and London residents, the pre-Brexit rates had kept them on edge with staggering prices. Now the current fair price increases and a residential market that is more or less slow present better odds of landing favorable home deals.

 

Currently, London's economy is great. There is a low unemployment rate and inflation rates are down. Speculators, however, believe that the thriving economy will lead to higher interest rates soon. This means that first-time homebuyers would need to pay higher down payments on mortgages.

 

And even though foreign investment has decreased in most sectors, due to the uncertain climate surrounding BREXIT, real estate foreign activity is at its peak. Even the tax hikes introduced on foreign landlords, renting out their houses, hasn't diminished London's foreign real estate activity.

 

2019 will definitely be an interesting year for the UK's housing market, depending on the outcome of the final negotiations between the EU and the UK. However, an abrupt Brexit will do no one any good. Mark Carney, the governor of the bank of England has warned that a "disorderly" Brexit will lead to interest rate hikes which might greatly affect the property market.

 

According to FT, Theresa May’s government is actively seeking to avoid such a scenario. The prime minister has softened her position on Brexit in recent months and has agreed to a transition period that would maintain much of the status quo until at least 2021.

 

What changes do you think might take place before 2021? Leave your thought

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Tips To Get Mortgage for Your Overseas Property Purchase

  • 26, July 2023

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.

 

 

 

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5 Additional Costs to Budget For When Buying Property Overseas

  • 08, July 2023

Knowing the extra costs and preparing ahead will help reduce the stress of overseas property investing. Much of this boils down to targeted research. However, here is a brief overview of the extra costs you have to face.

Buying property overseas is both an exciting and a frightening prospect. The most frightening aspect is the cost. Most buyers are delving into relatively uncharted lands personally and knowledge-wise, hence they don't really have a 100% certainty about price. There are extra costs lurking here and there and the chief is foreign taxes. Foreign taxes represent the largest share of extra cost for foreign property buyers. It is important to get the advice of a property specialist on property taxes in your destination country. The key to successfully investing in foreign housing is knowing how to budget for extra costs. Putting money down for these extra costs will put you at ease and the remaining specs will come together smoothly.

Additional Costs To Budget For When Buying property overseas

Extra costs can be overwhelming and have the capacity to snuff the life out of your foreign property venture. Preparing ahead is your best bet. You will need to budget for the cost of travelling back and forth, annual carrying costs and in some cases, stamp duty when the property is eventually sold. And combining these costs can add up to 15% of the home's market value. In many cases, additional costs on foreign property investing will fall into these categories:

1. Mortgage Arrangement fees.

Your bank or private lender will charge a fee for arranging funds for your mortgage. These fees will vary according to your mortgage. In some cases, they will be added to your mortgage. You don't want this (so ask upfront). In which case, you will have to pay interest on that amount.

2. Property Purchase Taxes.

·         VAT (Value Added Tax): Property owners fail to take this into account. But it is mandatory in many countries. The VAT is similar to a sales tax for property owners in the United States or the goods and services tax that Canadian property owners have to pay.

·         Stamp Duty fee (on new properties in some countries) fluctuates relying upon the locale the property is in. It is calculated as the percentage of the price tag which varies but is normally in the range of 0.5% and 1.5% of the price.

·         Miscellaneous: In Spain, for instance, when purchasing a property from a private owner, Transfer Tax (ITP, Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) is paid rather than VAT. The ITP rate differs from place to place, but is in the range of 6% and 10% of the purchase price. In Quebec, there is something called a welcome tax, It usually costs about 1 to 1.5% of the underlying price tag, although the cost generally depends upon the value of the property.

3. Legal fees.

Legal fees also vary from country to country. It is common for Spanish lawyers to calculate their commission for the purchase of a property based on a percentage of the purchase price of the property (generally this is 1%, subject to a minimum fee of around € 1000).

4. Notary fees and Land Registry.

These rates will also depend on the purchase price and the complexity of legal documentation. You can expect to pay around € 750 for land registration fees and € 1,000 for notary expenses.

5. Maintenance.

Beyond the issue of foreign taxes, homeowners should also plan the cost of hiring a property manager to oversee the maintenance problems and concerns of renters, especially if they plan to rent the property year-round.

By investigating all the costs associated with foreign owned property, potential buyers can focus on enjoying their home abroad without having an unexpected blow to their pockets. If a buyer does their research and saves upfront, they can eliminate stress and prevent extra costs from adding up.

 

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