House Holder & Wealthy

The Property & Wealth Blog

Money, property and the path from renter to owner. A fresh, data-driven article every week — real numbers, recent sources, and a free calculator inside each one.

Find a Home

Property Tax After You Buy: The Annual Cost Most Buyers Forget

A $400k US home costs ~$9,200/yr in tax and maintenance. The same home in Dubai: $0 property tax. The country-by-country annual numbers.

22 Aug 2026 · 8 min read

Find a Home

Notary Fees Explained: What You Actually Pay in Romania

Romania has the lowest property-buying costs of any country we track — about 1.5%. Here's exactly how the tariff scale works.

21 Aug 2026 · 6 min read

Find a Home

Notary Fees Explained: What You Actually Pay in Spain

Spain's closing costs run ~10% whether you buy resale or new-build — the highest of any country we track. Here's where it goes.

20 Aug 2026 · 7 min read

Find a Home

Notary Fees Explained: What You Actually Pay in France

French "frais de notaire" run ~8% on resale — and the notary keeps barely a fifth of it. Here's exactly where the rest goes.

19 Aug 2026 · 7 min read

Find a Home

Hidden Home-Buying Costs No One Warns You About, Country by Country

Buy the same €400k apartment in Bucharest vs Barcelona and the closing costs differ by ~€42,000. The full 17-country breakdown.

18 Aug 2026 · 9 min read

Decide to Buy

Rent vs Buy Break-Even: How Many Years Until Buying Wins

The five-year rule was built on American closing costs. In Spain the round trip is 14%. The break-even horizon for 17 countries, calculated.

5 Aug 2026 · 9 min read

Decide to Buy

Renting Forever vs Buying Once: The 30-Year Wealth Gap

ECB data: median euro-area renters hold €17,100. Outright owners hold €298,100. What actually causes a gap that wide.

5 Aug 2026 · 10 min read

Decide to Buy

When Renting Actually Beats Buying

We build calculators that help people buy — and we'll still say it: the annual hidden costs of owning make renting the better maths more often than you'd think.

5 Aug 2026 · 9 min read

Decide to Buy

Stocks vs Property: Which Builds More Wealth After Tax?

Stocks compounded at ~10% since 1928 vs ~5.5% for US housing. So why does most household wealth sit in property? Leverage, rent and tax.

5 Aug 2026 · 10 min read

Investment Migration

Citizenship by Real Estate Investment and Safety Index

20 citizenship & residency programmes tied to property, from $100K to $545K, cross-referenced with each country's Numbeo Safety Index. Sortable data table inside.

30 Jul 2026 · 11 min read

Wealth

Get Wealthy, Stop Paying Rent: The 2025 Numbers

Homeowners are now 43× wealthier than renters. Here's what the latest Federal Reserve data really says — and how to switch sides.

14 Jul 2026 · 7 min read

Saving

How to Save for Your Own House in 2025

The typical buyer now needs ~7 years to save a deposit. A realistic, country-by-country plan to do it faster.

14 Jul 2026 · 8 min read

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