If you are to buy property abroad there is a need to follow a methodical and systematic process, carried out with careful analysis, planning and execution. But, most homeowners are often overpowered by their emotions rather than their rational considerations, which in turn allow them to make impulsive purchasing decisions. Unfortunately, the ramifications of these actions could be serious. The inability to take appropriate real estate purchasing methods often lead to the procurement of a property without habitation license, refusal of utilities, unable to put the property for resale, poor house construction that may lead to accidents and worst having the house demolished.
The mistakes that one make when he or she buy property abroad could result to legal troubles, stress and uncertainty that could stretch in the future results that any prospective homeowner would not like to experience. Purchase a property overseas heedlessly and you would definitely regret your actions later on. To avoid these mistakes from firing back at you, getting things done properly could mean doing things one step at a time and doing a lot of property-related researches. If you're able to get these things right, you'll certainly enjoy your overseas home without worrying about legal troubles in the future.
It certainly is tempting to look for property investments while you're in a holiday, and it certainly makes sense to buy a property in a place you know and fond of as opposed to purchasing a property in an unknown territory. But, it should also be taken into consideration that holidays are not the right periods for property hunting since you're probably not on your rational mind to do such activity, which means you have to see to it that you would set aside schedules to carry out your property-hunting visits. It is also advisable to search in different locations for varying real estate investments for comparisons that would help you with your decisions. A noteworthy location and property investments that you might want to try are the homes for sale in Guam.
The costs of homes for sale in Guam are comparatively lower than in other countries, though the biggest cost could be accounted to the real estate agent, between 4% to 10% of the value of the property which would be paid by the seller, while the buyer would shoulder all the other fees including the title insurance, recording fees and the escrow fee. There are no constraints in terms of foreign property ownership; however, Guam laws allow foreigners to own only one owner-occupied property under their personal names if they are not citizens of the USA or if they do not have any plans of acquiring permanent residency in this US territory.
Let's just say that you finally found your dream house in one of the homes for sale in Guam, the next thing that you would have to do is to check if there are associated issues with the property you like to purchase that could posit future problems on your side. The first action that you have to take is to have the property inspected and surveyed in order to analyze its physical condition and know if there are structural problems such as subsidence or if roof replacements are needed, which will cost extra finances for you later. Once you are assured that there are no issues associated with your prospective property, the next things that you have to attend to include some form of a title, written documents of who owns what, and series of contracts that fall under two categories: first is the preliminary contract that contains the owners commitment of selling the property and the buyer's commitment to purchase the property along with some form of deposit, and secondly, the completion of the closing contract that would finalize and set the deal. From here, it is apparent that there is a need for you to employ the services of a personal legal representative and not the one suggested by the selling agent in order to ensure that your interest would be represented fairly, the property bounds are clearly outline and you won't be suffering from ownership disputes in the future.
If you would be purchasing a property, for instance in Tamuning, and your main purpose is to use it as a profitable investment, then you should focus more on its financial elements. If you intend to earn an income through rentals, you must look at the local rental market in order for you to properly outline the returns that you should expect. It is also advised to take a consumer research to have an idea about the rental occupancy rate in the area of your prospect property as oppose to nearby locations that offer same property investments as well as the costs of utility bills, taxes and housekeeping to make realistic estimation whether you would profit from such property or not. All in all, purchasing property overseas has many drawbacks and requirements; however, these things should not hold you from owning a property as the rewards you would receive are far greater than the drawbacks you are likely to experience.
If you have the intent to buy property abroad, you might want to check the homes for sale in Guam. The total cost of property investments in Guam, may it be in Tamuning or Tumon, are very competitive compared in other countries. Once you've decided to make a purchase, be sure to follow a methodical and systematic process in order to avoid legal troubles in the long run.
-Alison Ward