Purchasing Your International Dream Home: An Insiders' Guide

Does that sound like a familiar sentiment?

Eileen and Kevin Conlin — vacationing in Belize — decided to make their dream a reality. Like many of us on idyllic breaks, they studied storefront real estate ads, imagining the pleasures of having their own tropical hideaway. Unlike most of us, though, the Conlins decided to act on their vacation-inspired musings, and in January 2000, they purchased a condominium on the Belizean island of Ambergris Caye. (They recently sold that unit and traded up to a larger condo in a new development nearby, now nearing completion.)

Though few of us get past the dream stage, the Conlins are hardly alone in their continued enthusiasm for their Central American getaway. Large numbers of US citizens are looking — and buying — in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and other countries in the region, lured by warm climates, lower living costs and affordable real estate.