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Money back home

Your money and property in the US while you live abroad: mortgages, renting out or selling your home, gifts and inheritances, brokerage accounts and health insurance between countries.

The guides

Property

US mortgages from abroad: why lenders balk and who still says yes

Foreign pay, a foreign address and no US credit activity make many US lenders nervous. Here's why, which lenders still say yes, and what paperwork they want.

Property

Refinancing your US mortgage from abroad: rates, occupancy and signing

Refinancing from overseas works, but your home is probably no longer your primary residence. Here's how that changes the loan, and how to close from abroad.

Property

Your US home after you move abroad: keep it, rent it or sell it?

Renting out the house stateside can pay the mortgage while you're overseas. Here's what changes with insurance, your lender, a property manager and taxes.

Property

Buying a US home from overseas: financing, remote closing and timing

Buying a house in the States while you live overseas takes a good team on the ground and careful timing. Here's how financing, remote closing and POAs work.

Tax

Rental income from a US property: how Americans abroad get taxed on it

Your US rent gets taxed by the IRS, often by the state where the house sits, and usually by your new country too. Here's how the pieces fit.

Tax

Selling your US home after moving abroad: the three-year clock and the tax

You have roughly three years after moving out to sell your US home and keep up to USD 250,000 (or USD 500,000 married) of gain tax-free. Here's how the clock works.

Tax

Currency gains on a foreign mortgage: the US tax nobody warns you about

Pay back exactly what you borrowed in pounds or euros, and the IRS can still see a gain in dollars. Here's how the phantom gain on a foreign mortgage works.

Money

Gifts and inheritances: what Americans abroad owe, report and can give

A big gift from your in-laws usually isn't taxable in the US, but missing Form 3520 can cost up to 25% of it. Here's how gifts and inheritances work across borders.

Money

Your US brokerage account abroad: why it gets frozen and what to do

Moved overseas and got a letter from your broker? Here's why US firms restrict expat accounts, what the limits look like, and how to keep investing stateside.

Money

Managing US affairs from abroad: powers of attorney and notaries

Someone back home needs to sign for you. Here's how durable and limited powers of attorney work, where to get them notarized abroad, and where a POA won't help.

Money

Wills across two countries: why one will may not be enough

Your US will may not control what you own abroad. Here's how two-country estates work, from forced heirship to executors and guardians who live overseas.

Health insurance

Health insurance between countries: covering the move, visits home and the return

Most coverage stops at a border. Here's how to stay insured on the move abroad, on trips back to the States, and when you come home to the ACA marketplace.