windy1

We have CPM 143 visas already validated but have not yet sold our UK house and upped sticks to live full time in Aus.

Is it possible to buy a house in Aus withut being present in the country?

Reason for question:

After many visits over the last few years staying with family we have got to know the property market pretty well in that location where we will be buying. The internet realestate.com is a powerful tool with good pics of house interiors etc and we have Google earth and streetview, admittedly not up to date.

Our daughter could do the negotiating and the viewing etc so - provided we were happy to take the risk - we could theoretially make a purchase decision from the UK.

However, that is not the ssame thing as proceeding through the purchase process contractually and legally. Can that be done at a distance?

I have heard that the Aus Foreign Investment Bureau would take an interest and the process could become very complex.

Any comments?

Sherlock Holmes

Hello there,

I can't answer all of your questions but the body of which you speak is the Foreign Investment Review Board and their website is here: http://www.firb.gov.au/content/default.asp

I bought a vacant block whilst here on holiday before I had any type of residency visa. I may have hit lucky but the person I dealt with at the FIRB was completely helpful. I think the only condition was that I had to spend 10% of the purchase price on "improvements" within 2 years.

There are different rules regarding vacant blokes / new builds and pre-owned properties.

Hopefully someone will be along with the rest of what you need to know.

In any event, I don't think the situation will become very complicated. The FIRB is mainly concerned with preventing large scale buy up of land / property by foreigners whose only thought is a quick profit.

You could email them to ask a few questions.

You would need to be here to sign contracts I would think.

Kiwipaul

Not neccessarly as I sold a house in NZ recently and everything was done via the internet.
Agent emailed me the contract I printed and signed it and then scanned it and emailed it back as an attachment. Same process was done by my NZ solicitor for all documents. Make sure you get a solicitor who is internet aware as my first choice didn't even reply to my request even though he was the one the dealt with the purchase.

lesleys

Likewise, we sold a house we owned in Australia without leaving the UK. It was before the internet so stuff got posted but it didn't take long.

louie

If CP143 is a permanent visa, as I believe it is, you don't need to involve the FIRB - see http://www.firb.gov.au/content/Exemp...exemptions.asp.

And yes, it is perfectly possible to buy a house whilst not in Australia. We bought our unit by auction over the phone (we had an agent bidding for us) and the whole process was pretty straightforward.

SillyOldBag

I have nothing useful to add to the thread but this bit did make me laugh

windy1

Many thanks to all - very helpfu;