Second/Vacation Homes

[dunfree]

I’d love to start spending Winter’s in Europe. I’d want small, simple, off grid type cabin/tiny house (composting toilet, woodstove heat, simple water system)like this…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]502386[/ATTACH]

Vendul, Does this exist around Sedrun? Other places? Visa limits me to 3 months, yes? So Jan/Feb/March.

I think one thing that holds US citizens back (me at least) is a perceived amount of complexity and red tape to own property in Europe. Maybe owning a small, simple place isn’t so bad? Maybe better to find a winter seasonal rental for the 3 winter months? Maybe better to buy a rig and vanlife Europe for a few years?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]502387[/ATTACH]

A nice daydream at least.

when I looked previously it seemed easier to buy a home as a foreigner w/o euro residency ability than to buy a car and register it legally w/o euro residency ability.


I was at the cabin that’s been in the family for a very long time this am and I hate it. It’s a decaying boat anchor with too much family drama and a shit location.

[old goat]

Apparently hurricane insurance only covers wind damage. I was reading that Florida's insurer of last resort is denying all but 15% of claims since most of them are for water damage from storm surge and flooding from rainfall.

[fomofo]

Although not the norm was never unusual to see beach houses in the southeast on stilts to allow for tidal surge. Sometimes even on concrete piers, for more storm resiliency. And it's cool they made this new beefed-up design open source. But after yet another season of devastating storms can only imagine the impact this will have on availability and cost of home insurance in that area.

Even if it survives intact who want a beach house in an area whose roads, bridges, businesses, etc get destroyed by seasonal storms on a regular basis?

Anyone who wants a beach house, bro.

As to the rest of your post, you're apparently unaware that your tax dollars have long gone toward developing and publishing comprehensive and authoritative construction specifications for storm and flood zones. We, America, do this for many reasons, not the least of which is to lower homeowners insurance costs by reducing the damage claims involved with big coastal storms.

Since federal storm construction specifications are mostly adopted as local building codes, some here may be more familiar with them as "Burdensome regulations" and "Wokeness".

But the cost of assuming risk in building in coastal zones increasingly impacted by climate change will weed out the weak reinsurers of the world first, and may even prompt innovation and the evolution of new structural and civil design criteria as the old buildings and bridges are taken out. Either that, or the whole situation becomes untenable for even government-backed insurance, in which case we're all in trouble.

I understand in a changing world maybe everyone can't just pick up and relocate, and certain accommodations have to be made (special insurance, building regulations, etc) in order to help folks survive in challenging environments. And I love a beach house as much as the next guy, but even if I could afford one in a uniquely beautiful area I might choose not to if certain realities consistently presented themselves.

Tax dollars go for lots of things.

[vendul]

I’ve heard some tales of the red tape around fixing up old properties in small Italian towns. A move in ready apartment for 80k euros sounds cheap to me coming from the northwestern US.

Any kind of work done to a house has to go through the right process accompanied by a professional... that's true, that's also why Home Depot kind of stores are very different here. But it's also very inexpensive

[Dromond]

I’d love to start spending Winter’s in Europe. I’d want small, simple, off grid type cabin/tiny house (composting toilet, woodstove heat, simple water system)like this…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]502386[/ATTACH]

Vendul, Does this exist around Sedrun? Other places? Visa limits me to 3 months, yes? So Jan/Feb/March.

I think one thing that holds US citizens back (me at least) is a perceived amount of complexity and red tape to own property in Europe. Maybe owning a small, simple place isn’t so bad? Maybe better to find a winter seasonal rental for the 3 winter months? Maybe better to buy a rig and vanlife Europe for a few years?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]502387[/ATTACH]

A nice daydream at least.

It’s 90 out of 180 days so you could theoretically come for three months in the winter and three in the summer. There are long term visas available if you can prove passive income - basically retirement visas. It seems like the really gnarly part can be if you become a tax resident there. Just visiting seasonally and keeping everything based in the US would likely avoid that.

[Dromond]

Trust me that if all you are interested are outdoors and skiing, in Italy there are tons fixer upper in gems ski town that can be bought for 40/60000$ or ready to move in apartments for 60/80000... italians are too much into the dolce vita and tend to snob resorts that don't offer life after skiing.
Owning a property in Italy is one of the easiest and safest things (one of the few actually) to do in Italy... at least in northern Italy

I’ve heard some tales of the red tape around fixing up old properties in small Italian towns. A move in ready apartment for 80k euros sounds cheap to me coming from the northwestern US.

[vendul]

Trust me that if all you are interested are outdoors and skiing, in Italy there are tons fixer upper in gems ski town that can be bought for 40/60000$ or ready to move in apartments for 60/80000... italians are too much into the dolce vita and tend to snob resorts that don't offer life after skiing.
Owning a property in Italy is one of the easiest and safest things (one of the few actually) to do in Italy... at least in northern Italy

[singlecross]

I’d love to start spending Winter’s in Europe. I’d want small, simple, off grid type cabin/tiny house (composting toilet, woodstove heat, simple water system)like this…



Vendul, Does this exist around Sedrun? Other places? Visa limits me to 3 months, yes? So Jan/Feb/March.

I think one thing that holds US citizens back (me at least) is a perceived amount of complexity and red tape to own property in Europe. Maybe owning a small, simple place isn’t so bad? Maybe better to find a winter seasonal rental for the 3 winter months? Maybe better to buy a rig and vanlife Europe for a few years?



A nice daydream at least.

[Name Redacted]

Just here to say that HOA fees at Killington are pretty high. A 2BR condo I looked at (maybe 1,000 sq ft) was $900/month 12 years ago (so $10,800/year). And you still gotta pay property tax which was well north of $5,000. St. Moritz sounds downright affordable.,

Our family's condo HOA fees are over $1000 because there is a pool and the insurance on these older buildings is getting outrageous. Many HOAs are well run, but costs are costs. Big buildings require a lot of ongoing maintenance that isn't cheap. Remember, the mechanical guys have to be able to afford to live here too.

[vendul]

Costs are very reasonable, everything is well planned ahead and condos are well kept (In Switzerland). Than if one can afford a SFH in st moritz I think that for him maintenance is not a problem


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando TGR Forums

[Buster Highmen]

Well, St. Moritz is as expensive as it gets over here... and heating, maintenance and so on... its also included. The only thing left out is electricity. I remember crazy prices back in NY

What about taxes?

After seeing my parents get ripped off by their ridiculous HOA condo fees, I confirmed my suspicions about condos. SFH for us so far. Maybe Yurps different?

[MyNameIsAugustWest]

Just here to say that HOA fees at Killington are pretty high. A 2BR condo I looked at (maybe 1,000 sq ft) was $900/month 12 years ago (so $10,800/year). And you still gotta pay property tax which was well north of $5,000. St. Moritz sounds downright affordable.,

[Shredhead]

Can't really correlate HOA fees vs taxes. Too many variables such as amenities, utilities, capital reserves, etc.

I prefer single family homes, because I have more control over expenses. But sometimes multi family offers amenities, that just aren't available/ affordable for SFH.

[Mazderati]

Try Travelers, they took us without a problem and I'm not 50 feet (but uphill) from the FEMA hurricane inundation zone for a Cat. 4 storm.

I wonder how much newer construction helps you. This place is 1960s. Our current rental policy is with Travelers but they wouldn't touch it. The reasons given were within 1,000 feet and not on the (approved?) IBHS homes list. First time hearing of that org.

[LeeLau]

Well, St. Moritz is as expensive as it gets over here... and heating, maintenance and so on... its also included. The only thing left out is electricity. I remember crazy prices back in NY

Oh yes. I didn't even calculate heating + electricity. Whistler and St Moritz are both bling bling for expenses