Maybe you have a close family member living in Mexico. Or perhaps skiing in Vancouver is your favorite winter vacation spot. Maybe you have a child attending school in London. Or maybe you want to retire to the small town in China that your ancestors are from.

You look at the palm of your hand and you can almost see it, the glistening, sense-of-security-giving key to your new home. You’ve planned out your budget, you’re on track for mortgage loan approval, you’ve thought of neighborhoods, you’ve called the agent, you are pretty much set. But then you figure, wow, what kind of home do I really want, is it a condo or house?