Buy House Plans Having

How to Buy House Plans - eHow.com Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything Web eHow.com Home Finance & Business Center Real Estate How to Buy House Plans Having trouble finding an existing house that you want to buy? Consider buying plans and building your own home. That set of blueprints, with or without minor modifications, may well be the first step you take to create your dream home. Steps: 1. Determine the size of the house you can afford to build. The National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org) has information on the average cost per square foot for new homes in any area. Multiply the square footage of the home you want by the average cost per square foot to determine a ballpark cost. 2. Draw up a detailed, prioritized list of what you want your home to include in terms of number of bedrooms and baths, and garage size. What are must-haves and what can you live without? Include outdoor features such as porches, decks and a pool. 3. Ask yourself how you want to use the house now and in the future. Do you like to entertain? Do you want a casual great room or formal dining and living rooms? Will your home eventually need to accommodate aging parents, returning adult children or grandchildren? Do you need a separate entrance for an au pair? 4. Consider your lot requirements, such as sloping, corner or zero-lot line (where one side of the house sits on one lot line). Foundation options (basement, crawlspace or slab) will be dependent on what the lot will allow, based on the grade and other factors. If you've found plans for your ideal home, buy them and then look for a lot on which that particular layout will work. Otherwise, if you find the perfect lot (see How to Buy a Lot ), you'll need to be pickier as you choose your home plans in order to be sure that they'll fit on your land. 5. Browse house plan catalogs and magazines found at home improvement stores or bookstores. Many architects offer plans for sale online. Some sites let you specify exactly what features you want, such as a certain size kitchen or number of bedrooms. 6. Evaluate the plan for overall size, traffic patterns, appealing exterior materials, efficient use of space and materials, and well-planned work and storage areas. Ask a contractor to review the blueprints as well. 7. Expect to spend anywhere from $400 to $1,300 for plans depending on the project size and level of complexity. Buy up to eight nonreproducible sets--enough to distribute to tradespeople, contractors and lenders, or one reproducible master set. 8. Hire an architect to review your plans. He or she can make any modifications you think are necessary. See How to Hire an Architect . Overall Tips: Chances are good that plans will need to be adapted to meet your family's specific needs, so don't be afraid to make modifications with the help of an architect. Seismic and local building requirements will also likely mandate changes. What to look for: Plans that suit your needs Architect to modify plans Lot requirements Please Share Your Tips with Us More Resources: Contribute to eHow: Write an eHow Article Suggest a Topic Give Us Feedback on This Article Related eHows: Hire a Builder Have Your Home Custom Built Buy a Lot Hire an Architect Pull Building Permits Project Details: Skill Advisory: Moderate New! -- Related eHows: Hire a Builder Have Your Home Custom Built Buy a Lot Hire an Architect Pull Building Permits Check out Thousands of How-To Solutions in eHow's Centers Automotive Careers & Education Computers & Home Electronics Family & Relationships Finance & Business Food & Entertaining Health Hobbies & Games Holidays & Traditions Home & Garden Personal Care & Style Pets Sports & Fitness Travel How to: --? Web eHow.com Home | Site Map | About Us | How To Books | Link to eHow Subscribe to the eHow of the Day Mailing List : Have the eHow of the Day appear on your My Yahoo! Page: Add the eHow of the Day to your RSS reader: © 1999-2005 eHow, Inc. How things get done. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .

foreclosure property Kansas Foreclosure

Kansas Foreclosure Listings Information at Business.com Advertiser Center · Help Web News People Jobs Search the Business Internet ® Kansas Foreclosure Listings Databases and listings of residential, government and bank-owned foreclosures in Kansas. Home > Real Estate & Construction > Property Listings > Foreclosure > US States > Kansas Sponsored Links Stop Foreclosure Now Stop The Foreclosure On Your Home Today! We Can Help. Act Now. www.usahud.com Pre Foreclosure Listings Most up-to-date lists available Az, Ca, Fl, Mi, Nm, Nv, Wa www.defaultresearch.com Foreclosure Listings Find Homes - Up to 50% Below Market! Search Now for Free. www.foreclosurefreesearch.com Kansas Foreclosure Search 500,000 National Foreclosure Reos, Auctions & Trustee Sales Free www.bankhomesdirect.com Kansas Foreclosures Save Big on KS Foreclosures 400,000 properties. Free trial. www.RealtyTrac.com Free Foreclosure Search Save up to 50% on your next home purchase. Start your free trial now www.ForeclosureTimes.com Popular Searches Forclosure property listings in Kansas foreclosure homes in Kansas foreclosure listings in Kansas homes foreclosed in Kansas Kansas foreclose home Kansas foreclosure home Kansas foreclosure house Kansas foreclosure list Kansas foreclosure listing « more more popular searches [x] Kansas Foreclosure Listings Kansas foreclosure properties Kansas foreclosure property Kansas Foreclosure property listing Kansas foreclosure real estate Kansas foreclosures Kansas home foreclosure Kansas house foreclosure Kansas real estate foreclosures Featured Listings RealtyStore: Kansas Foreclosure Listings Save 20 - 50% on Foreclosure and HUD real estate. Ideal for investors, bargain hunters and first timers. Free trial membership (Credit Card required). www.realtystore.com RealtyTrac: Foreclosed Property Listings in Kansas Provides foreclosure search engine for Kansas with daily data updates, tax roll information, and photographs. Free 7-day trial. www.realtytrac.com Sponsored Links I'm Paying Cash For Homes Any Price, Condition, Or Location Sell Your Home Quickly & Easily www.webuyhomesaz.com Foreclosure Listings Buy Foreclosures from 50% off Search 600,000 listings for only $1 www.Bargain.com/Foreclosures We Buy Homes Fast We will buy your house directly from you. No Fees AllHousesAZ.com Fresh Bankruptcy Lists Custom lists. Phone #, address, etc Accurate. Daily Updates. High ROI. www.ClickData.com Listings FederalHomes.com: Kansas Offers state-specific foreclosure listings for residential properties. Includes local mortgage and realtor resources. www.foreclosurenet.org ForeclosureFreeSearch.com: Kansas Free online resource offers foreclosure property listings by state. Includes links to mortgage and real estate information resources. www.foreclosurefreesearch.com ForeclosureNet.net: Kansas Foreclosure Listings Offers bank foreclosure and government foreclosured property listings in Kansas and across the US. Homes, rental properties, and commercial. Free Trial. Free Trial | Search Listings | Foreclosure Info. | Testimonials www.foreclosurenet.net RealEstateForeclosures.net: Kansas Browse foreclosure property listings in Kansas. Click on the map to find listings in that area. www.realestateforeclosures.net RealtyStore: Kansas Foreclosure Listings Save 20 - 50% on Foreclosure and HUD real estate. Ideal for investors, bargain hunters and first timers. Free trial membership (Credit Card required). www.realtystore.com RealtyTrac: Foreclosed Property Listings in Kansas Provides foreclosure search engine for Kansas with daily data updates, tax roll information, and photographs. Free 7-day trial. www.realtytrac.com Registry Line: Kansas Offers a daily feed of foreclosure property listings in Kansas. Become a member to access complete listing details. www.registryline.com Search the Business Internet ® Advertiser Center | Account Login | About Us | Careers at Business.com | Featured Listings Privacy | Terms Of Use | 2000-2005 Business.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Buy Home

Petfinder.com: Adopt a pet and help an animal shelter rescue a puppy or kitten. animal adoption Adopt a puppy dog form the animal adoption shelter. Setting aside all of the arguments for buying a puppy from a breeder , Sternberg emphatically pronounces that you should adopt a dog from a shelter because, as she says, its the right thing to do."Go ahead. Buy that puppy in the window. Yes, that beautiful, adorably winsome creature whose huge, soulful eyes cry, "Please, take me home. Our animal adoption services put great pets in loving homes. I'm full of love and affection and I know you are too." The only thing you should know before you make this purchase is that in doing so you will he contributing to the livelihood of an inhumane puppy mill breeder. You will actively be condoning the wretched existence of thousands of breeding stock dogs who lead lives of misery and desperation. Do you really want to a high price for your pet? Can you live with the fact that half million puppies die annual they even make it to a pet store? And are you ready to deal possibility that your new pet will soon manifest one or more of illnesses, viruses, congenital defects or temperament problems so rampant in puppy mill dogs? If you wish to adopt a dog , please visit our website to obtain more information on it.Petfinder's Post-a-pet is full of great pets that, for some reason, can't stay in their current homes. People also list pets here that they find as strays as an alternative to taking them to the shelter. These pets are usually currently living with a foster family or their original family. Purina signed on as the Web site's premier sponsor. Purina provides nutrition and pet care information for Petfinder.com's online libraries and a breed selector to help visitors decide what breeds are best for their family. Purina will also be assisting in marketing efforts, helping to spread the word about the thousands of pets that need a new home. Adopt a pet dog or cat from animal welfare organizations across the country. Buy different cat breeds that are for sale. If you have questions or would like to know how to buy a puppy , please visit our website. We love to hear your Petfinder happy endings! In fact, we all stay glued to our computers just waiting for them to arrive every day! Each month we will choose one lucky new Petfinder family to receive a free one-year subscription to The ASPCA's Animal Watch magazine.* Simply tell your pet's story as she/he went from homelessness to happiness click the submit button below. We would like to have your permission to share your story in our press releases so that more and more people will see that homeless pets deserve a second shot at being part of a family. If you agree to let us share your story, please include your name and phone number so that we can contact you. Thanks! You can find out more about our cat adoption program by visiting our website. We're waiting to hear from you! Petfinder is an on-line, searchable database of animals that need homes. It is also a directory of over 7,000 animal shelters and adoption organizations across the USA, Canada and Mexico. Organizations maintain their own home pages and available pet database. Our mission: to use Internet technology and the resources it can generate to 1) increase public awareness of the availability of high-quality adoptable pets and to 2) increase the overall effectiveness of pet adoption programs across North America to the extent that the euthanasia of adoptable pets is eliminated. Visit our site if you are interested to buy a dog .Petfinder.com is free to use. Animal shelters and rescue groups can register to join Petfinder.com online and can start entering pets the same day. "The site is a virtual shelter," says Jared Saul. "It is being able to sit down with your family and visit hundreds of shelters, get to know the pets, and not have to drive all around to do it. When someone finally does go to meet a pet because of Petfinder.com, they are more likely to be well suited for each other. What better use of the Web?" Rescue a free kitten for a pet. Please visit our site to find our about our kitten adoption services. From the comfort of their personal computers, pet lovers can search for a pet that best matches their needs. They can then reference a shelter's Web page and discover what services it offer. Petfinder also includes classified ads, discussion forums and a library of animal welfare articles. Petfinder is updated DAILY. Organizations wishing to participate should register. A contact person should be responsible for direct communications with Petfinder. Only nonprofit organizations will be included. We have a dog rescue program that you can find more information about it right from our website.Petfinder is made up of animal-care professionals and regular people volunteering for their local animal welfare organizations all working together to maintain active and accurate homeless pet lists. Most animal welfare volunteers have "real jobs" by day. The success and the magnitude of this project is largely due to their tireless efforts to make a difference. f you have a Website and would like to help us promote shelter pets as the #1 choice for a new pet, you may right click on the logos below and save them for use on your home page. You may also want to check out our Featured Pet Module which allows you to show Petfinder pets from your community on your own home page.Find out how to obtain a free puppy by visiting our website. In June of 2000, Petfinder.com was named one of the 300 best websites by Forbes magazine, and in October, Petfinder.com was named one of the top 100 sites by Family PC magazine. The site has also been featured on Oprah, in the Industry Standard, Mademoiselle and is frequently noted in major newspapers such as The New York Times. Adopt a dog or cat from the animal shelter. Stores for pets that are on sale.Can you live with the fact that half million puppies die annual they even make it to a pet store ? Shelters and rescue group members also have their own home pages on the site. Many of them attribute over 50% of their adoptions to Petfinder.com. Some have reported that their euthanasia rate dropped significantly within months of joining Petfinder.com. They also report that Petfinder.com adoptions are more successful, with fewer pets returned. This may be because the adopter's choice is more informed. "Many people find visiting shelters traumatic, especially those who feel guilty when they can't take all the pets home," says Betsy Saul of Tucson, Arizona, who developed the site with her husband, Jared, in 1995 as a New Year's Resolution to help homeless pets. "Petfinder.com allows you to focus your search from home, which makes finding your new best friend much easier." The site went national in August 1998. Petfinder.com, a labor of love for the Sauls, was the first searchable directory for homeless pets. attention is what its sponsors want, attention is what they'll get. Petfinder.com, whose founders are scientists by training, not business people, is among the busiest sites on the Internet. The Sauls attribute their site's success not only to hard work, but also to the press. "We never had to spend a dime on advertising," says Betsy Saul, who admits it was a good thing since, at the time, they didn't have any dimes to spare. "As soon as we launched and the press first got a glimpse of the site, we've been in a race to keep up with ourselves."Visit our website to find our about our puppy adoption services.The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ( SPCA ).The SPCA is now actively involved in helping shelters join Petfinder.com, as well as helping educate shelter personnel once they become members. QUICK PET SEARCH ANIMAL Please select BarnYard Bird Cat Dog Horse Pig Rabbit Reptile Small&Furry BREED [click for list] AGE All Baby Young Adult Senior SIZE All Small Medium Large Extra-Large GENDER All Male Female ZIP or CITY, STATE/PROV PIC PREVIEW? SEARCH RANGE Regional Expanded National SEARCH TIPS SITE MAP • PETS -advanced search -breed index • SHELTERS -local shelters -by state / prov • LIBRARY • MESSAGES • CLASSIFIEDS -postapet -pet wanted -lost & found • EVENT CALENDAR • HAPPY "TAILS" -monthly drawing • KIDS HELP INFO PRESS ADVERTISE Hurricane Pets Search reports of found, rescued, and sheltered pets in the Animal Emergency Response Network On Petfinder.com You Can: Search adoptable pets with our advanced search or our Quick Search (left). Locate shelters and rescue groups currently caring for adoptable pets. Browse our resource library and learn more about how to care for your pet. Post classified ads for lost or found pets, pets wanted, and pets needing homes. Sign up to be a volunteer to help your local shelter or rescue group. HURRICANE ALERTS CLICK HERE for the Animal Welfare Disaster and Emergency Response Resource Page >> Animal Hurricane Victims still need your help! Make a tax-deductible donation to the Petfinder.com Foundation Disaster Fund. The Petfinder.com Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN #87-0964641. A Christmas Carol Joanne and Jim Thompson of J and J’s Homeless Pet Rescue in Washington, NC, had just about given up hope of finding a home for Carol Anne, a friendly Labrador retriever they’d had since she was a baby. But glad tidings! On December 26, the one-year-old (now called Savannah) went home with her new family, Debbie and Ralph Whatley of Greenville, NC, who found her on Petfinder.com. For information about dog care, visit the Petfinder.com library . To enter your happy ‘tail’ in our drawing see below. Have a Happy Tail? Send us your Petfinder pet's happy ending story , and you'll be entered to win a six-month supply of FRONTLINE ® Plus or FRONTLINE Top Spot ®! Have a Web Site? Use our Petfinder.com search banner to allow your visitors to search our homeless pets right from your home page. Or feature pets from your local shelter by placing our Featured Pet Module (like the one above) on your own home page! Promote Adoption with Petfinder.com gear! Petfinder.com Best Friends Kids' T-Shirt * $12.95 Outfit your little "best friends" in a comfy tee showing their love for their pets of all types! Lime green or vibrant orange tees read "Petfinder.com" and "Best Friends Forever," so your kids can help spread the word wherever they go. Visit the Petfinder.com shop for caps, t-shirts, and car magnets and more! Happy Holidays! Petfinder.com wishes all of our visitors and their furry (and non-furry!) families a very happy and safe holiday season. FREE Petfinder.com Bumper Sticker! Send a self-addressed mailing LABEL (no envelope) and a $0.37 stamp to: Bumper sticker PO Box 51 Carterville MO 64835 WHILE THEY LAST! Your Ad Here -- © Petfinder, LLC 1999 Artwork © Judie Bomberger 1998 Petfinder's privacy statement

Land For Sale In

LandAndFarm.com - Land for sale, Farms for sale, Rural Property for sale Advertise here Search Properties Wanted Auctions Newsletter Quick Start Register About My Properties Number of visitors online now: 217 Thursday, December 29, 2005 Ad Prices Help Contact Login Subscribe to Rural Property Bulletin Last Few Listings Most Viewed Least Viewed Recently Updated Search by USA Map Rural Property Sites Tool Box Get new properties in your email box! Newsletter Sign-up: yourname@xyz.com HTML TEXT For fun: old listings Contact Us Community Stats Seller emails: 102,892 Property emails: 110,227 Property Views: 13,028,620 Newsletter Subscribers: 14,850 Site Statistics Property 1761 Brokerage 15 Finance & Mortgages 3 Wanted 1 Businesses For Sale 7 Livestock 1 Rural Living 16 Miscellaneous 3 By Land Use: commercial land : 117 dairy farm : 22 fish - aquaculture : 15 forest - natural : 283 forest - planted : 116 historic : 41 horse farm : 380 hospitality : 61 hunting property : 610 livestock operation : 129 mobile home park : 4 oil or minerals : 7 orchard : 17 organic uses : 20 pasture : 319 permanent crops : 43 poultry farm : 33 recreational property : 677 residential land : 844 row crops : 107 undeveloped land : 377 vegetable farm : 15 vineyard : 15 waterfront : 152 By Country: United States : 1709 Canada : 39 South Africa : 34 Zambia : 5 Botswana : 5 Chile : 4 Argentina : 2 Belize : 2 Brazil : 2 Mozambique : 2 Australia : 1 Namibia : 1 Kenya : 1 By Price Per Acre: <$100: 8 $100 to $500 : 34 $500 to $2,000 : 280 $2,000 to $5,000 : 402 >$5,000 : 734 By Acres: <50 : 991 <200 : 1460 200 to 500 : 182 500 to 1,000 : 78 >1,000 : 108 By State/Province: Alabama : 24 Arizona : 11 Arkansas : 14 California : 20 Colorado : 29 Connecticut : 4 Florida : 88 Georgia : 283 Idaho : 12 Illinois : 29 Indiana : 7 Iowa : 9 Kansas : 17 Kentucky : 58 Louisiana : 13 Maine : 32 Maryland : 6 Massachusetts : 7 Michigan : 7 Minnesota : 16 Mississippi : 14 Missouri : 76 Montana : 6 Nebraska : 4 Nevada : 6 New Hampshire : 5 New Jersey : 16 New Mexico : 7 New York : 75 North Carolina : 59 North Dakota : 38 Ohio : 61 Oklahoma : 9 Oregon : 6 Pennsylvania : 6 South Carolina : 64 South Dakota : 22 Tennessee : 293 Texas : 27 Utah : 11 Vermont : 11 Virginia : 123 Washington : 11 West Virginia : 49 Wisconsin : 18 Wyoming : 6 Alberta : 1 British Columbia : 3 Buenos Aires Capital Federal : 1 IV Coquimbo : 1 Manitoba : 1 Mendoza : 1 New Brunswick : 11 Nova Scotia : 12 Ontario : 3 Para : 1 Quebec : 3 Queensland : 1 Saskatchewan : 5 VII Maule : 1 XI Aysen : 2 Not In USA or Canada : 1 Properties by: Land Use Country State/Province Acres Price Per Acre Florida RESULTS Sort by: price size Total records: 88 Showing records: 1 to 20 Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 New Search Secluded Home On 5 Acres ( residential land, horse farm, pasture) A 5.00 acre property with an asking price of $489,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Hillsborough. Awesome Acreage in NE Florida ( forest - planted, undeveloped land, hunting property) A 21.40 acre property with an asking price of $295,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Nassau. Walker Springs Auction ( hunting property, forest - natural, undeveloped land) A 1,257 acre property. This property is to be AUCTIONED . Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Jefferson. 87 Acres With Hunting Lodge ( hunting property, recreational property, residential land) A 87 acre property with an asking price of $699,900. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Wakulla. 12 Acres Fenced ( horse farm, residential land, pasture) A 12.00 acre property with an asking price of $599,550. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Lake. Land For Sale In North Florida ( residential land, forest - natural, recreational property) A 5.00 acre property with an asking price of $74,900. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Columbia. 40 Acre South Florida Ranch ( residential land, livestock operation, pasture) A 40 acre property with an asking price of $1,950,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Okeechobee. Mims - Florida 40 Acres+additional acres ( residential land, pasture, horse farm) A 40 acre property with an asking price of $1,600,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Brevard. Serenity Arabian Farms ( residential land, waterfront, horse farm) A 47 acre property with an asking price of $1,700,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Putnam. 5.0 Rdfront Pasture Trees ( pasture, residential land) A 5.00 acre property with an asking price of $65,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Hamilton. Jupiter Farms Jewel ( horse farm) A 1.25 acre property with an asking price of $349,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Palm Beach. Cedarpond Farm ( horse farm, residential land, forest - natural) A 35 acre property with an asking price of $750,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Putnam. Willows ( residential land) A 7.50 acre property with an asking price of $1,350,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Brevard. Grant Property ( residential land, horse farm, pasture) A 24.25 acre property with an asking price of $1,100,000. This property is for sale. Country: Other. State/Province: Florida. County: Brevard. 160 Acre Farm Walnut Hill Fl ( pasture, forest - planted, forest - natural) A 160 acre property with an asking price of $999,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Escambia. Saddle Club Estates ( horse farm, pasture, residential land) A 22.00 acre property with an asking price of $839,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Volusia. Tampa Bay Area 20-40 Acres ( horse farm) A 40 acre property with an asking price of $1,700,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Pasco. Country Living So Close To Jax ( residential land, undeveloped land, mobile home park) A 16.00 acre property with an asking price of $185,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Charlton. 4.69 Acres With 5 Stalls ( horse farm, residential land, pasture) A 4.69 acre property with an asking price of $669,900. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida 64 Unrestricted Acres ( forest - natural, residential land, undeveloped land) A 67 acre property with an asking price of $275,000. This property is for sale. Country: United States. State/Province: Florida. County: Holmes. Total records: 88 Showing records: 1 to 20 Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 LandAndFarm.com SPONSORED RESULTS 1. Hollywood Beach Marriott Located on the beach and boardwalk of the world famous Hollywood Beach, Florida, the brand new Hollywood Beach Marriott with 229 oceanview rooms is your perfect destination. http://www.hollywoodbeachmarriott.com 2. Looking For FLORIDA? Find Florida and more at Lycos Search. No clutter, just answers. Lycos ? Go Get It! http://www.lycos.com 3. Find FLORIDA at eBay Looking for Florida? eBay has great deals on new and used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods and more. If you can?t find it on eBay, it probably doesn?t exist. http://www.ebay.com 4. Shop for FLORIDA Looking for Florida? MonsterMarketplace shopping directory has Florida and everything else you?re looking for at one secure online location. Click to view top selling Florida. http://www.monstermarketplace.com 5. Research FLORIDA at HighBeam. View free full-text articles and free premium archive previews at HighBeam Research. Find, organize and share information from 1,000s of trusted business, consumer and reference publications. http://www.highbeam.com ©1998-2005 - LandAndFarm.com - Contact Us - Privacy Notice - Disclaimer - UserAgreement - Advertise With Us

Buy Property

Buying Property in France Web TransitionsAbroad.com Home Work Study Travel Living As seen in Transitions Abroad Magazine March/April 2000 Related Topics Living Abroad Related Articles Legal Living in France Moving to France Buying a Home in France Property in France How to Find It, Buy It, And Live in It By Phyllis Cohen Buying property in France is not just for movie stars and celebrities. Ordinary people with a passable knowledge of French (or a friend who speaks it) and a lot of patience can acquire a bit of magic too. But before you attempt it, arm yourself with knowledge of how to find your special place, how to buy it, and how to live in it. Finding the Place As you look for what you want, here are several things to bear in mind: Don’t expect American state-of-the-art appliances, floor layouts, or conveniences. Part of the charm of old buildings is that they are old, and that includes the kitchens and plumbing. Decide if you want a pied-à-terre (a small place where you can comfortably stay for several weeks or months at a time) or a year-round residence. Generally, an apartment is sold with an empty kitchen—four walls and a water outlet. There are stores that will help you design and install your own kitchen, ranging from pre-fabricated cabinets at IKEA to a kitchen created by cuisinistes . Get at least three estimates as well as references before selecting your vendor. If you will be in a city, decide whether or not you will have a car. Parking in Paris is difficult; having a parking place can greatly increase the resale value of your place. France offers a wide variety of locales. Before you go to the effort of buying something, you really need to explore. Paris itself is divided into 20 arrondissements , each with its own character. If you are willing to live in the banlieue , or suburbs, prices drop dramatically. Properties in the countryside are considerably cheaper. Finding the right house or flat is more complicated than in the U.S. There is no such thing as Multiple Listings in France. Only 30 percent of real estate transactions occur with the help of realtors; the rest are directly between buyer and seller. As a foreigner, you might be more comfortable working through an agent, or agent immobilier , who knows the laws of France. Getting Started Let’s say you’ve decided to buy an appartement in Paris. Walk the streets to find an area you like, then hunt down some agencies that look promising. You can also check out the listings and realtors in various magazines, newspapers, and on the Internet. There is relatively little new construction in Paris. Those apartment complexes that are being developed are usually sold when ground is first broken; in other words, you basically buy an apartment two years before it is completed. Occasionally, you will find almost-completed apartments listed in newspapers and real estate magazines.If you are truly brave, you can buy a place at auction. Notices appear in newspapers such as Le Figaro and the International Herald Tribune. Let the buyer beware. At least take an architect with you when you go to look at the offering. Reading Listings No matter where you find your listings, they will all be posted as À Louer (For Rent) and À Vendre (To Buy). They will also tell you what arrondissement (if in Paris) or département (if in the rest of the country) the property is located in. Perhaps most importantly, they will give you the size in square meters and the number of rooms. Most apartments in Paris are small. Studios are 100-200 square feet, some smaller. Three-bedroom apartments are frequently under 1,000 square feet. Listings will tell you how many rooms there are other than the kitchen. A studio is one room. A one-bedroom apartment will have two pièces, or two rooms, plus the kitchen. Bedrooms are almost uniformly small, while the living rooms are comparatively large. Bear in mind that the French follow the European convention of counting the first floor as the ground floor (Rez-de-Chauseé or RdC); the second floor in American terminology is the first floor in Europe. Generally, the higher the floor, the more expensive the property. Closing the Deal Once you have decided on a place you like at a mutually-agreed upon price, you and the seller sign a document known as a promesse de vente . This is a legally binding document that confirms that the seller must sell the property to the buyer. The buyer, however, has 11 days to change his mind. The seller must also provide to the buyer an accurate floor plan of the apartment or house. All sales in France are conducted with notaires. Both the buyer and seller has his own notaire and they confirm that all aspects of the sale are done according to law. If you are buying a condominium, there will be a set of rules that govern the building. As an owner, you are a co-proprietaire and are bound by the laws of the building. Owners collectively determine such things as whether you are allowed to install a satellite antenna on your balcony, whether the building as a whole will subscribe to cable TV, how often and how much money will be spent on repainting the walls, etc. Do not make the mistake (as we did) of not personally reading all regulations before you sign. As a foreigner, it is advisable to hire an avocat , or lawyer, who specializes in real estate. In case of a disagreement, you are far better off having someone who knows the law and knows how to speak French. Tax Considerations Before buying property in France, you should know that the Government of France has very specific inheritance laws. By law, on your death your property is divided equally between your spouse and your surviving children. There are some steps you can take to ensure that the surviving spouse can continue to live in the house or flat. Speak with a lawyer about this before you buy the property. You will pay between 8 and10 percent in taxes and fees. If you buy an apartment less than five years old, however, you will pay only 3 to 5 percent or less. Ask also about property taxes, which tend to be less in Paris than in the country. Generally, you will be responsible for both a land and a habitation tax. A larger question is your residency status. If you reside in France full time and earn a living here, you will become part of the French social system. The taxes are extraordinarily high (more than 50 percent). Again, you should seek the advice of a tax attorney who is familiar with both the American and French taxation systems. You can get a list of attorneys from the U.S. Consulate. Financing If you are able to pay cash for your new home, you will not need a mortgage, and many properties for sale in the country might well be within reach of your savings kitty. If you need a mortgage, things become a bit more complicated. A French bank will issue a mortgage to expats as long as you can show regular income. By French law the total of all of your mortgage payments worldwide cannot be more than 30 percent of your total income.Lastly, you must have mortgage insurance for a large mortgage and a physical examination at the bank’s expense. If you do not fall neatly into an income category (e.g., you are retired without a fixed income), Banque Woolwich is a good resource. The staff are used to dealing with expats and speak excellent English (Banque Woolwich, 9, rue Boudreau, 75009 Paris; 011-331-42-684-221, fax 011-331-474- 203-23; www.woolwich.co.uk ). Mary Fort is branch manager.The good news is that mortgages in France currently have excellent rates. Most mortgages (or “prets”) are for 15 years and currently run 4.5 percent annually. Once you are here in France, an excellent book to read is At Home in Paris , published by the Junior Service League of Paris. It gives all sorts of hints on differences of living in the States versus France (like how to make sure your laundry pipes don’t clog up with deposits). Living in France is a free publication, in English, that gives useful information on housing, employment, banking, insurance, etc. It can be found at various establishments around Paris that cater to foreigners. To absorb the flavor of a buying experience, read Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence or Francis Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun. Both give agonizingly accurate pictures of the adventure of buying property abroad. All in all, buying property in France might seem like a daunting experience, but it is not an unpleasant one. Contrary to France’s reputation of being inhospitable to foreigners, we have found the opposite to be true. With the notable exception of a few surly cab drivers, we have found the French to be polite and helpful. And as we take our evening walks across the Alexander III bridge we can’t help but be amazed that a small part of this City of Lights belongs to us! Real Estate Listings De Particulier A Particulier (From Buyer to Seller), published weekly on Thursdays, is the most popular nationwide resource. L’Hebdo Immobilier (Weekly Realtor), published weekly on Wednesdays, also has an Internet site at www.immobilierenfrance.com . Demeures de France, a bi-monthly publication that specializes in upscale offerings, is in English and in French and also has an Internet site at www.demeures.com . Demeures de Charme is similar to Demeures de France, and is also in English and in French. FUSAC , a bi-weekly free publication for English-speaking residents of Paris, has advertisements for rentals, purchases, and agencies which can help you do either. FUSAC is available at many locations around the city including W.H. Smith and Brentano’s, two English-language bookstores. PHYLLIS COHEN and her husband Bob have taken a year off from their software company, packed their bags, and moved to Paris (See " Moving to France " in the January February Issue of Transitions Abroad Magazine). Web TransitionsAbroad.com Home Work Study Travel Living Disclaimer ©Transitions Abroad