# Holiday Home in US advice needed



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

Hi, I really want to take advantage of the foreclosure prices in the US and get a holiday home there for when visiting Disney, areas i'm interested in are Florida or California, anywhere in a safe area and close to DisneyWorld FL or DisneyLand CA as thats where we'll be visiting.

I need to know whats involved in a UK national owning a home in the US in those states, would I need any sort of paperwork and what would the costs be on average on someone living abroad keeping a home there?? 

If I were to buy one we will b there 2-4weeks a yr during school holidays no longer, am I allowed to do that? Any advice is appreciated, thanks


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Welcome! Some ideas for ya:

Owning a home gives you no immigration benefit. It actually raises the level of immigrant intent, which can lead to denied entry. So even though you may own a home, you have no right to even visit it.

House insurance will be higher if you don't live there and also because you will be able to establish a credit history.

IRS will withhold a percentage on sale for capital gains purposes.

Property tax can be steep.


----------



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

I forgot to say, I don't want to live there just visit regularly because of Disney so immigration isnt really a problem as were allowed 3months automatically and I never stay that long anyway just a month at the most during summer hols.
I've been to US lot's of times and although lovely, for me its just a place great for holidays not living, I wouldn't feel safe in a country where guns are so widely available and even carried to schools, not to say UK is any safer but I do feel safer in Europe than I do there. Great place for visiting tho so no offence to Americans.

I'm confused about the denied entry and no right to visit? I've never heard that before, why would that be? Sounds a bit extreme just for wanting a holiday home for somewhere we visit regularly, is there a new law thats come in I haven't heard of? lol.

Insurance and so on is what i'm most interested in, also any permit I might need to own a home there for not being a US citizen etc?
I don't want anything big just a small 1 or 2 bed apartment, somewhere to escape the whole package holiday touristy hotel atmosphere and costs. I wont be keeping anything much in there either, just a working kitchen some furniture bed sofa etc not even a tv as it's only a few weeks and we'll b out most of the time, so I hope should keep insurance low? I'll hav my laptop and mobile broadband to watch any telly on

If I were to buy a place there asides from insurance is there anything else? like tax etc.. If I buy it would also make sense to rent for most of the yr when were not there to cover the costs of keeping the place, what are management companies like and would I b able to get my place managed if i'm a non US citizen living abroad? Thanks


----------



## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Not being a US citizen really shouldn't have much effect on your ability to own a home in the US - other than perhaps making a mortgage a bit more of an issue. If you're only going to be there a few weeks a year, and renting it out the rest of the time, it will be considered (for taxes, insurance and financing) as a business property rather than as a second or vacation home.

You may find it difficult to rent out without a tv, and while there is no tv tax per se in the US, most folks looking for a vacation rental would at least expect a basic cable package.

It might be worthwhile to talk to a rental management company (or even to a real estate agency that does rental management) next time you're visiting the US. They can give you a better idea of the short term rental market and what minimum furnishings you'd need to be able to rent it out when you're not using it.
Cheers,
Bev


----------



## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

Buying in Florida now especially Orlando is madness 

If you are going to use for 4 weeks a year ..just rent a place ...
there are thousand of homes available if that cost $2000 every year 

that would probably be less than the proerty insurance every year you would pay out for you own place .... and on top of that you have property taxes, management fees, HOA fees, electricity/cable/water

Renting out apartment is very difficult... tourist want villas with pools 
and of couse the HOA often do not allow short term rental


----------



## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

blueskies said:


> I forgot to say, I don't want to live there just visit regularly because of Disney so immigration isnt really a problem as were allowed 3months automatically and I never stay that long anyway just a month at the most during summer hols.
> 
> ...
> 
> I'm confused about the denied entry and no right to visit? I've never heard that before, why would that be? Sounds a bit extreme just for wanting a holiday home for somewhere we visit regularly, is there a new law thats come in I haven't heard of? lol.


They've always had the right to deny entry. They've been doing it more and more recently. If you own a property here, it will be more of a problem if you're denied entry than if you've just lost a holiday. Once you're marked with the flag of intending immigrant, that's visits to your new property finished. I doesn't matter what your intentions are but rather how the powers that be perceive your intentions.



blueskies said:


> also any permit I might need to own a home there for not being a US citizen etc?


None needed.



blueskies said:


> If I were to buy a place there asides from insurance is there anything else? like tax etc.. If I buy it would also make sense to rent for most of the yr when were not there to cover the costs of keeping the place, what are management companies like and would I b able to get my place managed if i'm a non US citizen living abroad? Thanks


Very few will make any money on this in the current climate. Everyone and his wife wants to let their Florida villa. It will be much cheaper to just rent one.


----------



## TONYTHS (Dec 27, 2009)

blueskies said:


> Hi, I really want to take advantage of the foreclosure prices in the US and get a holiday home there for when visiting Disney, areas i'm interested in are Florida or California, anywhere in a safe area and close to DisneyWorld FL or DisneyLand CA as thats where we'll be visiting.
> 
> I need to know whats involved in a UK national owning a home in the US in those states, would I need any sort of paperwork and what would the costs be on average on someone living abroad keeping a home there??
> 
> If I were to buy one we will b there 2-4weeks a yr during school holidays no longer, am I allowed to do that? Any advice is appreciated, thanks


No paperwork required or need to be in the US. Transactions can be carfried out by e-mail and final paperwork by FEd Ex.

I can assist in Orlando,Florida as l already have a second home there. What are you after?


----------



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

> Very few will make any money on this in the current climate.


I'm not really looking to make any profit on this if I did get one, just enough to cover all costs of keeping it otherwise it wouldn't b worth it.



> No paperwork required or need to be in the US. Transactions can be carfried out by e-mail and final paperwork by FEd Ex.
> 
> I can assist in Orlando,Florida as l already have a second home there. What are you after?


Not really sure yet, we go to Disney so regularly I thought it'd b nice to have our own place there, it'd feel like more of a family holiday if we didn't have to pass hotel reception everyday. I've never rented a villa there before but I kno id rather have our same place there every yr rather than rent a different villa every yr, especially if it wouldn't cost any more than it would to rent in the long-term, meaning regularly once a yr. I know it might at first but I would also have the value of the home which I could resell later?

I wouldn't purchase one if it weren't at a very low foreclosure price, it's that which attracted me to the idea, there are houses going there for a small percentage of the actual value.We've been going to Disney for 3yrs now, twice to Orlando and once to CA though I prefer the Orlando one i'd be ok to settle for CA if I get a nice place at a good price very close to disney in a rentable location as my son also likes that one just as much, he's still very young so I can see at least another decade of annual visits there as its his favourite holiday, once he's outgrown it I would want to sell it.

I'd pretty much just want somewhere as close to Disney as possible and at foreclosure price otherwise not worth it. Thanks


----------



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

Bevdeforges said:


> Not being a US citizen really shouldn't have much effect on your ability to own a home in the US - other than perhaps making a mortgage a bit more of an issue. If you're only going to be there a few weeks a year, and renting it out the rest of the time, it will be considered (for taxes, insurance and financing) as a business property rather than as a second or vacation home.
> 
> You may find it difficult to rent out without a tv, and while there is no tv tax per se in the US, most folks looking for a vacation rental would at least expect a basic cable package.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info yep will have to contact some agencies over there to get advice and some quotes, was just waiting to figure out if it's worth it in the long run and which state etc, but yes if I get all this advice from the agencies now it'll help get the info i'm looking and to make my mind up lol.
True about the tv too, i'll hav to see if rental would cover getting cable etc.


----------



## TONYTHS (Dec 27, 2009)

*Orlando*



blueskies said:


> I'm not really looking to make any profit on this if I did get one, just enough to cover all costs of keeping it otherwise it wouldn't b worth it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Buying a property is the easy part. Depending on size of property, prices start accordingly. Generally, 1 bed flats, communal pool etc around $50,000. 3 bedroom detached houses with a pool around $130,000. If you are a cash buyer then some exceptional deals can be had, but you need to move fast.

In 12 years of owning property in the US, not yet found a good, reliable rental company. So l rent my property out myself. It does what l want it to, covers costs such as real estate property tax, insurance, maintenance and community service charges. Difficult to make money, so if thats a motive, not recommended in the short term. Long term will see a good capital growth.


----------



## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

You are not "allowed three months automatically". You may be able to use the privilege of visa waiver program and ESTA to enter up to 90 days. Your actual stay depends on the immigration officer at point of entry.


----------



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

Don't know what the 'exact' law on that is was, just going on my personal experiences. 
First time I went to US was yrs ago with my parents for a wedding of relatives who live there, don't know what visas my parents got at the time but we were there for the entire summer. I myself have been going to the US regularly for 3yrs now and I filled in a waiver form on the plane each time, at the airport I always got stamped 3months despite telling them I was only staying for a fortnight. Once I even pointed out to the guy that I didn't need 3months only 2weeks as I wouldn't b there that long but he told me it was standard procedure that I could leave earlier but he had to stamp 3months.


----------



## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

The normal time given is 90 days 
I think it was just being pointed out that the POE can give less if they decide to
and it does happen ...


----------



## Zoom (Jul 7, 2008)

Awwww, come on, this isn't a real post..... "we go to Disneyland so often I want to buy a house" - say what !?!? Disneyland ?!?! WTF, this is a big April Fools thing but Bluesky got his holidays mixed up (it's New Years mate, April Fools is 1st April). I'll bet my left testicle this is all bullsh*t - hahaha, good one Bluesky, popped open the alcohol a bit early....... I understand........... (a bit of "herb" and some pain pills too, yep, know the drill) BTW, what be your favorite ride at the big "D" ? I bet just on pure gut instinct.... boom, boom, boom.... wait for it, OK, here it comes...... "It's A Small World" - Right? Eh? (Love it too - "it's a World of laughter/a world of pain/a world of tears/a world of rain/It's a small world after all/it's a small world after all.... yeah, yeah - ROCK IT !!! ....god, just love that sh*t !!!...) Happy New Years Lad, Zoom

PS Tell Mickey to "Keep On Chooglin" from Zoom


----------



## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

You don't live in florida do you ... 1000s do it every year ...


----------



## Guest (Jan 2, 2010)

I moved to the US in 99. If you have the money you can buy a house, they will ask for you social security number for identification but because you don't have one you can use your UK passport number instead. Whether it is worth buying is another question and it seems to be a UK thing that you need to buy, but even for Americans living and working there buying isn't always the best option for lots of reasons. Whether the immigration will let you in is another one too, because illegal immigration is a major issue.


----------



## Davis1 (Feb 20, 2009)

happy bunny said:


> I moved to the US in 99. If you have the money you can buy a house, they will ask for you social security number for identification but because you don't have one you can use your UK passport number instead. Whether it is worth buying is another question and it seems to be a UK thing that you need to buy, but even for Americans living and working there buying isn't always the best option for lots of reasons. Whether the immigration will let you in is another one too, because illegal immigration is a major issue.


And more ... you do not need a SSN to buy a house ...


----------



## Guest (Jan 2, 2010)

Davis1 said:


> And more ... you do not need a SSN to buy a house ...


I bought a house and land in the USA without a SSN I write from personal experience.


----------



## blueskies (Aug 10, 2009)

Thanks for the replies am still in two minds about if I should, I like the thought but it sounds like although I feel it might be a good investment both for our holidays and financially in the long term, I think it might be too much of a hassle in the short term to be worth it, so still thinking on that one thanks for the replies

and yes zoom it is a real post and I thank other members for their maturity and intelligible replies. You should try it sometime


----------

