Dear Agents, My family and I are looking for a Vacation home to buy. So our dilema is how do we go about this since we are from Bermuda?

There are no restrictions on the purchase of residential property by foreigners. The issues you will face are twofold. The first is purchasing/financing. If you are planning on paying cash then financing is not a problem. If you plan to finance part of the purchase price then you will need to work with a lender who is willing to finance for non nationals. Usually a higher downpayment is required. RBC has two branches here and works with Canadian buyers and may well be open to working with you. The funds you will use either as a downpayment or for the purchase price will need to be transferred here. To avoid the delays and costs associated with internatrional bank transfers, those of us who work with internartional buyers recommend using Moneycorp. It is a company based in the UK that allows you to lock in an exchange rate and is always less expensive that international bank transfers. The second issue will be the time limit on a visitor visa to use and enjoy your property. Three months is the time limit except for Candians who can stay up six months. When choosing an agent those of us who have our CIPS designation (Certified Internatioanl Property Expert) will be most familiar with these issues. Greg Burton, www.gregburton.com

Hi Patricia, I have many out of the area buyers. They let me know what the criteria are in what they are looking for and I will send them listings via email. If you can give me an idea of what you are looking for, I can email some to you. Let me know how many bedrooms you would like, condo or single family home, areas of interest and maximum price you are willing to pay. When you see something that looks good to you, I can view the property for you, take extra photos and do a virtual tour. We can negotiate a contract with a contingency that you will view the property within 1-2 weeks. I have had many clients purchase without ever viewing the property in person. They have been thrilled with their purchase. I would be happy to send you some properties for sale. Let me know your contact information and I will be happy to send you the listings. You can contact me via email at JaniceLitke@Hotmail.com or call my cell phone 727-403-1814. Looking forward to hearing from you! Janice Litke, Prudential Palms Realty.