US mortgage guides for people moving from Europe

Clear finance and purchase guidance for people living in the EU or the UK who plan to buy a home in the United States.

Moving on a visa or a green card?

In the United States the loan follows your immigration status, not the other way round. Establish which loans your status allows, then work out the cash you need, and only then narrow the search.

Plan your US home purchase

Tree-lined street of brownstone houses in Brooklyn, New York
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra14 October 20268 min read

Financing a New York co-op or condo as a European

How lenders approve the building as well as the buyer: co-op share loans, the tests on a building's finances, flip taxes and what makes a building ineligible.

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Historic red-brick town houses in Boston, Massachusetts
Calculator
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20265 min read

US mortgage calculator: monthly cost and cash needed

Loan payment, local property tax, insurance and fees in one figure, with tax rates for 30 US locations and the cash you need at closing.

Open the calculator
Boston skyline reflected in the pond of the Public Garden
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20269 min read

US mortgage on a work visa: H-1B, L-1 and O-1

How long each visa lasts, whether your partner may work, and what a lender checks about your status, income and credit when your employer moves you to the United States.

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Aerial view of homes and tree-lined streets in Lake Mary, Florida
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20268 min read

US mortgage on an E-2 investor visa

Why a house never counts as the investment, why income from a new business is hard for lenders to count, and the residence rule for British nationals.

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Colourful wooden houses and palm trees on a street in Key West, Florida
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20268 min read

Foreign national loans: US mortgages for buyers living in Europe

Why standard US loans are closed to buyers who live abroad, what the alternative is, what lenders ask for and the questions to put to them.

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Rosslyn skyline in Arlington, Virginia, seen across the Potomac River
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20268 min read

US mortgage without a US credit score

European credit history does not transfer. The routes lenders can use for borrowers with no score, and how to build one in six months.

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Shingled houses and a lighthouse on the Cape Cod shoreline
Funding
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20268 min read

How much down payment and cash you need for a US home

Minimum down payments for a main home, second home and rental, plus closing costs, prepaid items, reserves and the rules on gifts.

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Tree-lined street of brownstone houses in Brooklyn, New York
Buying process
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra3 October 20269 min read

How long a US home purchase takes, compared with Europe

From accepted offer to keys in 30 to 45 days: each step of a US purchase, the waiting periods the law sets, and how the rhythm differs from buying in the Netherlands, Germany, France or Spain.

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Aerial view of a beach town on the North Carolina coast
Financing
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra15 September 20268 min read

Getting a US mortgage after moving from Europe

Green card, work visa or no US residency yet: how each status shapes the loans a lender can offer, what changed for FHA loans in 2025, and why your European credit history does not come with you.

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Waterfront homes with private docks in Sarasota, Florida
Funding
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra15 September 20268 min read

Funding a US home with European savings or home equity

Moving a down payment across the Atlantic: deciding when to convert euros to dollars, borrowing against or selling a European home, and building the paper trail a US lender will ask for.

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Sailboats in San Diego Bay with the downtown skyline behind
Buying process
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra15 September 20268 min read

Buying a US home as a European: closing costs, title insurance and selling

What closing costs cover, why a lender insists on title insurance, how escrow and local property tax shape the monthly bill, and the FIRPTA withholding that applies if you sell as a foreign person.

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Boston skyline with the harbour and city buildings
Buying process
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra2 October 20268 min read

ITIN and US bank account: what a European buyer needs

Can you buy a US home without a Social Security number or US bank account? What an ITIN is, who applies, and how to move your money safely.

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White beach houses with tropical gardens in Alys Beach, Florida
Insurance
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra29 September 20268 min read

Home and flood insurance when buying in the US

Do you need flood insurance for a US house? When lenders require it, why home policies exclude flood, the 30-day wait and when to get quotes.

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Colourful wooden houses and palm trees on a street in Key West, Florida
Rental
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra24 September 20268 min read

Renting out your US home from Europe

Can you let a US home from Europe? How the IRS taxes rent for nonresident owners, 30% on gross rent versus the net election, and how lenders see a rental.

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Single-storey stucco house with a stone entrance, a palm tree and a lawn on a suburban street in Florida
Tax
Made, reviewed and approved by Bas Terpstra19 September 20268 min read

US estate tax for European owners of a US home

Do you pay US estate tax on a house in Florida? What nonresident owners face, the $60,000 filing threshold, treaties and what to ask before you buy.

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Reading is a good start. A personal review turns it into figures you can search against.

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