To buy a house and a car in ME without being a US citizen (rent, insurance)

[BoarHunter]

Is it possible ? I guess so but what about driver licence, inssurance ...

I am no US citizen, have lived in the US but did not apply for citizenship (I wanted to stay faithfull to my blood but considering how thing are going, I made a mistake).
My son and daughter are US citizen, so I guess even if they don't reside in maine and not even in the US, they could be the official owners.

Note I want to do thing legally and I wan't be a burden to the state, I am soon to be retired and have some good savings, in the US and EU.

Besides, my son is finishing engineering school in both a first class school (master degree) in France and Dublin (he speaks english, french, spanish and learning russian), my daughter just started residency for MD (as this is in french, I know it will be a problem to get it accepted in the US but seems possible in Quebec, one more reason to move to ME).

[tkx7]

I'm not sure if it is legal or not but if it is legal in any state it would be Maine.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

You will not be able to get a loan.

In the public state registry you're name and address will appear. You could be charged with commiting fraud(fined up to 250,000 or 24 months in jail). I do not condone lying to the government. It's NOT in the best interests of your kids. It could also ruin your chance of becoming a legal U.S. Citizen.


Think it over..

[MoMark]

Originally Posted by BoarHunter

Is it possible ? I guess so but what about driver licence, inssurance ...

I am no US citizen, have lived in the US but did not apply for citizenship (I wanted to stay faithfull to my blood but considering how thing are going, I made a mistake).
My son and daughter are US citizen, so I guess even if they don't reside in maine and not even in the US, they could be the official owners.

Note I want to do thing legally and I wan't be a burden to the state, I am soon to be retired and have some good savings, in the US and EU.

Besides, my son is finishing engineering school in both a first class school (master degree) in France and Dublin (he speaks english, french, spanish and learning russian), my daughter just started residency for MD (as this is in french, I know it will be a problem to get it accepted in the US but seems possible in Quebec, one more reason to move to ME).

I don't understand the other poster's statements. I think he or she misunderstood. You state that you aren't an American citizen and you haven't stated whether you live in the U.S. or in Europe at present - though it sounded like you meant you're in Europe now. And, do you have permanent residency status, which you can have without American citizenship, or? Do you have legal residency in the USA? If yes, it's easier, if not, the bottom line is...of course you can buy property, a home and a car in the U.S. and get them insured without being a U.S. citizen. If you don't have residency status, then you'll have to do the six month in/out of country hop, but they'll be just as happy to sell you a house as to anyone else. Most Europeans pay for homes with cash, and if that's your intention, you can bypass the whole mortgage bit. If you need a mortgage, it sounds like you already have a banking record within the U.S. from what you said about having savings in both Europe and the U.S. Plus, if you retire, any pension or retirement payments you are entitled to in Europe you could have wired to a European or American account, so I don't see the problem. Why do you think so many Canadians and Britons own homes in Florida even though they live most of the year in Canada and Great Britain? Getting a U.S. driver's license is becoming more difficult, but it's doable. You can also obtain an international drivers license so that you can use it in the U.S. and Europe.

[tkx7]

basically the only few things you cant do if you are not a citizen is vote or become president

[BoarHunter]

Momak, thanks, it is pretty much what I thought, wanted to double check.

Indeed, I don't need a mortgage and can pay the house up front and yes, I have US bank accounts and can issue checks or use my US cards.

As stated, I would buy the house in the name of my boy who IS a US citizen !
Currently he is studying in Europe.
I guess nothing prevents me to do that and so we could stay in his house for max 6 months in a row.

I suppose just one short trip outside of the US would be enough to start over.

Regarding local taxes, (yeah, I am OK to pay taxes) I wonder, if my son has to be the resident but then how is it determined ? You do not have registrar where it is stated that someone resides in a township no ? Just the mailing and billing adress are proof of residency ?

I lived in the US in the past, had driver licence etc... but moved back to Europe because with the end of the USSR I thought Europe would become great again.
Socialism killed that dream and countries like France are reinventing communism not to mention the spread of islam which is even worse.

Regarding the cars, I will have to check if the insurance offers coverage for bearer of an international driver licence.

You may feel I am trying to cheat, but no !, I just use the legal possibilities (or loopholes if you wish) and in the end it is the US that is the winner, we are no unqualified migrants trying to live out of wellfare and no threat to american culture and security.
True, I and my wife can not qualify as of now for a green card or at least it would take too long to get it.
The only people who have something to fear from us are the Democrats, because as soon as we can vote, it will be against them !
This is the only drawback I see with ME, they seems to vote democrat!

The thing is, we can't wait, the euro is high, the housing market where I live is high. I could get 500 000 USD for my current house, the house I am considering in northern ME costs 250 000, is bigger and in a quiet area.
Besides, I like the country, being a country boy and a hunter (I started to hunt in ME by the way !).

[ontheroad]

With the enactment of the Patriot Act, opening bank accounts and ascertaining residency has become more difficult.

It is best to obtain a residency certificate from the Consul to enter the US, obtain a driving license with your residency and then a bank account and apply for a mortgage. This is true whether you buy a house in your son's name or your own--residency is mandatory these days (or least in my recent experience). Also although you can get some insurance on an international license, it is unlikely that it will be sufficient in the long-run. You can however rent a car with your international license with ease.

I had to get my former State Senator to act on my behalf to open a bank account in one of the Commonwealth States because I had not yet been qualified as a resident. I had my passport, and I am a US citizen, just retired from government service and clearly not a threat--but still I had difficulties.

All of these are do-able with some time and persistence. If you are committed to this idea of a move from France to the US, start making the applications early.

[Acadianlion]

Actually, you will not be able to register an automobile in Maine without a Maine driver's license. An International license will not be sufficient because there is no way that the Secretary of State can check driving records. In addition, since having automobile insurance is mandatory in Maine no insuror will issue coverage unless they can verify driving records. Buying and driving are two separate issues. If you have the money to buy anything then you can. But registering a car for use on the public highways is regulated by individual states, and driving records must be reviewable by insurors before they will issue coverage.

[BoarHunter]

I had driving records in New Jersey and my current french insurance can also issue the appropriate statements. Indeed when I moved to NJ in the past, they considered my european driving records I provided so I could get the cheapest premium. I am not coming from some crappy third world country where bribery is the norm. Insurance companies are represetned both side of the ponds !
I got my NJ driving licence in a few days, just had to pass the theory.

[JWilliams]

If your son or daughter, as US citizens, are 21 years of age, they can sponsor you for a green card/permanent residency. See if you can pull that off, it would be the best approach.