Did you fall so much in love with Europe

Eli, this is one of your questions that I am not following. What are you asking?

It seems clear to me. Has anyone liked where they've visited so much that they've bought a home there.

I'd love to own somewhere in Britain, but it's not terribly realistic for me. Instead, I'm counting on marrying someone from there. ;)

I should have been clearer I guess, but someone figured the question out. You get an A+ for that!!

It just seems like so many have fallen in love with Europe, that I figured they might have taken the plunge to "buy" a little piece of land/home somewhere.

I wonder if Rick has done this?

I would love to own a wee bit of England myself. I tiny cottage maybe. I'd settle for that :-). Or perhaps a small house in France, outside of Paris or even in Brittany.

Unless I win the lottery (and a large sum), I will have to continue dreaming.

Yes.

Did Tornado Alley Get Sucked Up So Now You Are Lost In Space?

If we are fortunate - MAYBE upon retirement. That's a big maybe though.

Now lottery dreaming, for sure! If you really want to dream - you should check out this magazine (or web page) for Christie's Greatest Estates. Multi Million dollare castles, Apline cottages, French mansions....oh it makes me drool.

We clipped one out and put it on our fridge.

I like to travel and wander and see new places. My requirement for where ever I live is that it be near an international airport.

We've thought about it, but decided against buying property in a foreign country.

However, we are structuring our retirement so that we can spend between 3-6 months a year in Paris, our favorite city.

Sacrifice now for the future.

I keep telling my wife that we aren't buying a vacation home anywhere until we've been everywhere.

I came back from Paris the first time wanting to move there....after teh second time I wanted to move there....so I am sure after this trip that won't change.
one day....

Eli,
I think Rick already owns all of Europe.....just kidding Rick.

So no one actually took the plunge and bought property in Europe?

I guess it's normal to visit a place and start dreaming about buying a house/condo apt?

The downside I guess is that you would be stuck visiting the same area.

The downside is that it is very complicated to own property in Europe. Years ago we subscribed to a real estate orientated magazine that promoted purchasing property in France and G Britian. I think the magazine was a cover for a massive marketing effort by a hand full of real estate companies but it contain many articles on the purchasing process. It is especially complicated in France because French law is based on the Napoleonic code and not English common law which the US is accustom to following. It can be done but legal fees in France could approach the price of the property. England would be easier. Don't know about Italy or Spain.

Eli you dream about it but leasing something would be cheaper.

A friend of mine did it. He bought an apartment in Nice. When he wasn't there, he leased it out to tourists. It paid for itself. He sold it awhile back when he decided to make the U.S. his permanent home...again.

I was thinking of doing the same thing then, as the price for the apartment was very low. He had a realtor take care of all the paper work and also lease and manage the apartment in his absence.

In the long run, I decided against it.

Frank, I would definitely lease. I'm too chicken to actually buy property abroad. We came close to buying in Mexico (Cuernavaca) because we lived there (leased for a year), and have been back several times.

Just wondering how many on this board actually took the plunge.

No, Rick never bought a home in Europe. He said he has been tempted, but never has bought property in Europe.
As for myself, I wouldn't because I don't have that kind of money. I would rather put in the money I do have just to explore all over Europe, and not be tied down in only one small part of Europe.

Yes, I own a 5th floor apartment on the Isle St. Louis. (In my dreams)!

We have friends from Britain that came to the U.S. to work. They got a divorce and the woman wants to move back but she says housing prices have skyrocketed the last several years and she can't afford it. She's stuck here now.

We've dreamed many a time when we walked past land offices. Mostly in the UK you are getting a 99 year lease- property purchasing over there is VERY differnt from here. And taxes are very high. Even renting is expensive! But we still dream about moving over there. My husband jokes that he wants to buy a cottage in the highlands and see other people when we come "down" to buy groceries twice a year!!! We actually looked at postings in York, Cardiff, Stratford-upon-Avon and Aviemore. 0.3 to 0.5 million Pounds for a small 2 bedroom place! And that was about 5 years ago. Oh well-- dream on.

I've always thought about it, but every few visits (to England) I fall in love with a new place. For years I thought I could happily end my days in Yorkshire..Then I visited Dorset. We'll see what this September brings.

If I could, I would.

I can't afford to buy and live in Europe but I have considered being buried there. ;)

Lori, buried there? Now that's a new one!! Which country would you want to be buried in?

Ah to dream. The Mexicans say that it cost nothing to dream (Soñar No Cuesta Nada).

So true my fellow Europe travellers. Maybe we should get together and buy a grand mansion and share the cost? Now there's a thought...or a new dream.

But where? Now let the fighting begin!

BTW, I guess Rick visits often enough, plus he wouldn't want to be tied to one area.

My brother lives in London and about 5 years ago they bought a small apartment in Arr 5 in Paris. We stayed there last year. He plans to retire there in the next couple of years, but for now...its alll mine..whenever I want to go!
On the downside, there have been numerous articles in UK papers about Brits that have bought properties in France/Spain as retirement/investment homes but when the Euro reached near equivalency with the pound their are lots of Brits having a hard time making ends meet.
On the other hand, I came to Canada in 1988 for 4 years. Love it so much emigrated in 1997 and bought a house here, love the country, love the people and love the nearness of the U.S as it makes holiday travel so much easier [off to Cape Cod this September]
Pete

A word of advice: don't buy real estate in Northern Cyprus. Some people, mostly from Northern Europe looking to buy something cheap and in a warm location for their retirement have suddenly found themselves faced with a Greek Cypriot knocking at their door saying "This is my house" (A lot of people from both sides of the island were dispossessed in 1974 and are claiming compensation via the European courts).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/cyprus/5242294/Landmark-court-ruling-means-Britons-could-be-forced-to-return-homes-in-Northern-Cyprus.html

Eli... I'm not sure where to be buried yet, so I must travel more for research.

My dream is a part-time home (after retirement) in the Algarve of Portugal!

When I first moved over here, I remember just looking out of my kitchen window while doing the dishes of all things and just getting goose bumps. Sort of an "I cannot believe I am living in Germany!" sort of feeling. I was simply thrilled, even though we were in this teeny 40 sq.meters apt. with 3 people! Just something about being here made me feel like I had come home, that I belonged somehow. Not to say that I haven't ever thought of leaving, or not gotten mad at the Germans on occasion, or found some of their ways to be bizarre. I just like living in this historical place. I like being able to pop over to another country for the weekend, or hearing a dozen different languages on the train going to work, and I even like the idea that I actually became fluent in a foreign language at the advanced age of 31.

Have often thought that if we win the lotto, we could buy a house in the states and one here and just go back and forth every few months. Have the best of both worlds.

I think renting would be easier than buying. Especially in Germany. Especially in Berlin. The housing market there is wide open, with tons of places available. Due to the fact that so many Americans and British were/are here on the military bases, there are a lot of agencies set up to help English speaking people buy or rent in Germany. So if you are thinking about it, it is possible.