The latest city to crack down on pied-a-terres, Paris hits empty apartments with a whopping 60 percent tax

… of attention with its 15 percent tax on foreign buyers as global housing prices skyrocket and precious apartments in … on property taxes for absentee homeowners as Mansion Global reported in late January Previously owners of second … to be that bothered  Knight Franks Mark Harvey told Mansion Global This is just hot air Critics of the new rules also …

By Virginia K. Smith |March 21, 2017 - 2:59PM
Broker fees on rentals are now banned in the U.K., but New Yorkers shouldn't bank on it

… A few months back we wrote about a petition to ban socalled letting fees the UK equivalent of the broker fees many New Yorkers … have to pay anywhere from £80 to £500 or £600 in letting agent fees according to Vicky Spratt editor of The Debrief …

By Virginia K. Smith |December 8, 2016 - 1:59PM
The Italian town of Gangi is giving away houses

… enticed by the fixerupper deals being offered in Detroit or Newark it might be time to pack your bags and head to Sicily The small town of Gangi is generating PR with a pretty unbeatable … mention negotiate with local contractors the town has apparently streamlined the process minimizing red tape and will …

By Virginia K. Smith |June 23, 2015 - 12:59PM