Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands [Hardcover]

Steve Bergsman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0470173300 | ISBN-13: 978-0470173305 | Edition: 1

An exploration of acquiring real estate outside the continental U.S.

Given the costly uncertainties of the domestic real estate market, buying a second home in desirable vacation areas within the United States has become nearly impossible for many. Increasingly, Americans are turning to more affordable regions overseas, some stay close-by in Mexico or Canada, while others are more adventurous, looking to parts of Central America, the Caribbean, and Pacific Islands. In Passport to Exotic Real Estate, real estate expert and travel writer Steve Bergsman offers detailed advice on the benefits and challenges of buying overseas property, including whether or not foreigners can legally own property, tax implications, availability of beachfront land, market trends, investment security, local regulations, and much more. With this book as their guide, readers will be fully prepared to overcome the obstacles of overseas property ownership and discover the benefits of living/vacationing abroad.

Steve Bergsman (Mesa, Arizona) is a real estate, financial, and travel writer with more than 20 years' experience. His news stories and travel articles have been published in more than 100 publications around the world and he has appeared on local and national radio and television. Bergsman is also the author of two previous real estate books, Maverick Real Estate Financing (978-0-471-74587-7) and Maverick Real Estate Investing (978-0-471-46879-0).

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Give the current condition of the domestic real estate market, buying a second home in desirable vacation or retirement areas within the continental United States has become a difficult endeavor. That's why many people are turning to the other regions of the world—from Mexico and Canada to Central America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.

But if there's one problem with investing in properties abroad, it's uncertainty. One never knows when governments will change, if basic services will be available, if ownership rights can be protected, and how secure anyone's legal position is. For the serious second home buyer, there are a number of options to reduce these risks. Certain locations around the globe offer beauty and a measure of security, while others are, in fact, located on American-owned soil.

In Passport to Exotic Real Estate, real estate expert and travel writer Steve Bergsman offers detailed advice on the benefits and challenges of buying property in more than a dozen locations around the world, including U.S. territories such as American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as well as places a little closer to home like Costa Rica, Panama, and the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

Though interviews with “locales” familiar with their real estate market—from developers, brokers, and agents to homeowners, resort operators, and attorneys—and firsthand stories of people who have gone through the buying process, Bergsman answers essential questions about each area, including: Are foreigners welcome? What visas are required? Can loans be secured? What are the tax implications? Are medical services nearby?

Chapter by chapter, you'll be taken on a virtual tour of various lands and discover the pros and cons of each one. Bergsman provides you with timely tips to take into consideration before making any commitments and shows you how to go about purchasing everything from condos and single-family homes to undeveloped land.

The prohibitive cost of desirable vacation and retirement areas within the continental United States, combined with the relative ease of modern travel, has made buying a second home abroad more attractive than ever. Read Passport to Exotic Real Estate and take the first step to securing an oasis of your own.

From the Back Cover

Praise for the PASSPORT TO EXOTIC REAL ESTATE

“The definitive guide to buying a second home in an exotic locale. Bergsman's book is a must-read for anyone looking to buy vacation real estate in the United States, Central America, Newfoundland, or the Islands of the Caribbean or Pacific. A historical perspective provided through interviews with local residents and real estate professionals, coupled with detailed discussion of the legal and financial issues related to buying property in each market, makes this how-to manual required reading for anyone considering the purchase of a second home.” —RICHARD SWERDLOW, FOUNDER AND CEO, CONDO.COM

“Steve Bergsman has taken the questions out of buying a retirement or second home when investing in exotic locations. His ‘ten things to know' about each market analyzed is a tremendous advantage to anyone buying a second home in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or many of the other markets researched in this book.” —DAVID BRECHER, PRESIDENT, TRUMP FINANCIAL

“As a travel journalist who has journeyed to some of the more exotic places on Earth, I am often asked, 'Wouldn't you like to have a vacation home in one or more of those places?' Visiting, even covering, faraway places didn't provide me with the necessary information to answer that question. Would that I had had Steve Bergman's wonderfully informative Passport to Exotic Real Estate.” —TONY TEDESCHI, FOUNDING EDITOR, NATURALTRAVELER.COM

“Steve Bergsman has written an informative and comprehensive profile of foreign real estate opportunities for the adventurous but rational second home buyer. For those looking for an alternative to property investment in the United States, this guide covers all the angles and is a plethora of worthwhile information and ideas.” —ALISA BENTZ AUTHOR, BOOK HAVEN REVIEW BLOG HTTP://NYSSANEALA .BLOGSPOT.COM

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470173300
• ISBN-13: 978-0470173305
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,294,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Bergsman is a real estate, financial, and travel writer with more than twenty years' experience and visitations to 120 countries. His news stories and travel articles have been published in more than 100 publications around the world, and he has appeared on local and national radio and television. Bergsman is also the author of four previous real estate books, After The Fall, Maverick Real Estate Financing, Maverick Real Estate Investing, and Passport to Exotic Real Estate, all published by Wiley.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real estate advise, February 5, 2010

By 

Alan M. Simon DDS - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands (Hardcover)

This book is a good guide for the present economic climate and is highly recommended reading before entering this niche market. I found that the synopsis for each chapter on separate geographical areas is well thought out and should be considered before committing to any purchase. It verified my own investment in a purchase several years ago. The book is well researched/thought out by the author's personal experiences into this real estate venue. A good, and valuable, guide. I encourage its' reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Book For Investors, Retirees and Travelers!, September 7, 2008

By 

Phillip Schrage (Guam, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands (Hardcover)

Steve Bergsman's latest book about the good, the bad and the ugly elements of buying property in exotic places is a must read for anyone considering investing, relocating and/or retiring in some of the most exciting places that you have always wanted to see and even places you may never have thought about before. Steve's extensive travels to these far away (and not so far away) lands has given him not only the facts and fallacies that you should know before taking the plunge, it has also given him an unique perspective and sense of adventure that is contagious. Take a walk on the exotic side of buying real estate. There is no better guide than Steve Bergsman's Passport To Exotic Real Estate IMO.Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands

5.0 out of 5 stars Exotic Second Homes: "How To" on Buying a Must Read, September 5, 2008

By 

Anne Kazel "Wishing to be Somewhere Else" (Palm Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Passport to Exotic Real Estate: Buying U.S. And Foreign Property In Breath-Taking, Beautiful, Faraway Lands (Hardcover)

For years I've toyed with the idea of buying a second home among the places that Bergsman writes about, but I could never quite reach the right comfort zone. Now, Bergsman lays it all out for me with the ins and outs, the pluses and the pitfalls. These second home investment markets have long needed a "how to" guide and Passport to Exotic Real Estate fits the bill. I'm now ready to jump in and consider buying a piece of paradise.

Anne Kazel-Wilcox>