Interested in investing internationally?

[Sarah Hartstein]

Investment Info:

Single-family residence buy & hold investment.

Purchase price: $184,000
Cash invested: $92,000

This is an international investment in Split, Croatia NOT Santa Barbara, California. Cute, modern 1 bedroom 1 bath apartment in one of the best areas in Split, Croatia. Sea and mountain views, nearby public transport, the hospital, restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, 5 min walk to the beach and 20 min walk to old town.

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

My partner at the time and I were nomads traveling long term. With Airbnb prices rising, we loved the idea of investing in a few different small apartments scattered around the world so we would have a virtually free place to stay, and when we were not there we would make money off of sites like Booking and Airbnb. We also looked at it as a place to escape America if we ever needed to and if our jobs went sour, we still had income coming in. It was my first property purchase, and ZERO regrets.

How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?

More than happy to discuss this with anyone who is interested in doing the same or genuinely curious about our journey investing abroad.

How did you finance this deal?

We paid cash. However there is one bank in Croatia that helps foreigners with loans. Also happy to share this with someone who is interested.

What was the outcome?

We took a huge risk. We were in Croatia for 8 days when we had the offer in and did not go to Croatia planning to buy an apartment. If you want to hear more about our story I would love to share! We now own three apartments in Split.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

More fun than buying in America if you ask me :b However, there are some things to look out for when thinking of buying property abroad.

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Yes.