Price in itself does not determine the value of an investment property. When purchasing a property, you look at whether it’s in concert with your goals, and other factors such as appreciation and cash flow. And then there’s the actual cost of the acquisition, which is important to take into account. Price is what first attracts you to the deal—and it is negotiable. But almost without exception throughout the world, the agreed-on price does not include the costs to complete the purchase. In the United States, you can easily calculate the costs because they are generally consistent with a HUD-1 closing statement. Outside the United States, the costs vary from country to country. Many of the elements are similar, so you can translate the knowledge you’ve gained from U.S. transactions, but some you may not have any experience with. For example, in France, the fee level can be affected by the age of the property—new properties have lower fees. Some countries have stamp duties, value-added taxes, and a variety of registration and conveyance fees. In addition, when you are investing beyond your backyard, double taxation, currency rates, and international mortgage rates can make the purchase more expensive than anticipated.