Buying Properties Abroad - Why?

Welcome to our Bizwrite blog on Buying Properties Abroad. I'm starting this blog because the more involved I get in this activity, the more excited I get and I want you to share in this excitement!

This blog is to share my experience of buying properties abroad and hopefully to share the experience of lots of other people too. Apart from big-time investors, not many people have more than one overseas property, and everybody's experience will be different! Plus the buying process differs from one country to another and there are lots of tips to pass on. Most people's experience will be fantastic, but some will have tales of woe. We'll pass these on too, so as to provide a warning about pitfalls to avoid.

So why do people get into buying properties abroad - or want to get into it?

Well, there are several different reasons. These include:

• As an investment or as part of your pension plan. This could be either for reselling at a profit, or for a rental income.
• As a holiday/vacation home - to use for yourself and your family, or to rent out, or both.
• To go and live in permanently. British people have been doing this for quite a few decades now - perhaps to escape the British weather?! Now with the problems in the US property market, more and more Americans are looking at the idea.

People need to be clear about their reasons for buying properties abroad. Think it through - don't just do it because you fancy the idea, though no doubt you do! Your reason will largely determine where you buy the property. In the next few posts we will look in detail at each of these reasons. Meanwhile have a look at http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/realestate/propertyabroad.html for more ideas.