Buying A Dream Home Abroad? Look At The Hard Realities First; Research foreign customs, currency rates and tax laws before signing the papers.(INSIDE REAL ESTATE)

Byline: DONNA HOWELL

An idyllic castle in France with sprawling grounds, price upon request.

Maybe that's how the musing starts, with a for-sale ad seen on vacation.

Fewer people purchase foreign property than harbor pipe dreams about doing so. Since it takes more than standard real estate expertise to get a good deal on a foreign home, such caution is well-placed.

Drafty castles with enormous upkeep needs aside, what are some of the options and pitfalls when buying abroad?

"Because we take our way of doing business for granted, one really has to examine in quite specific detail what the rules are for ownership in that country, …