NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - You continue to write in and we listen. Here are answers to five of your e-mails.

Can you discuss the benefits and pitfalls of buying a house abroad, specifically addressing tax issues? -- Tracey

One big benefit many Americans enjoy owning abroad: Lower prices. For example, in California a house on the beach can easily run $2 million, while in Costa Rica the same house will have a price tag of $300,000 to $400,000, says Jeffrey Hornberger, manager of the National Association of Realtors' international business development arm.

CNNfn's Gerri Willis answers viewer e-mails on real estate and student loans. Play video (Real or Windows Media)

Another benefit is that in some countries, especially Latin America, where there is little zoning, homeowners are able to build or do construction on their home to their own specifications. However, the rules vary depending where you are, and doing your homework is key.

Keep in mind, that in many areas of the world the real estate industry is not regulated and agents do not have to be licensed. Also, countries have their own guidelines that could differ from the United States.

For example, in Mexico, if you want to own property within 50 miles of the coastline, you must own it through a bank trust. For information online about buying abroad, log onto the National Association of Realtors' Web site at realtor.org and check out its international section for information on its Certified International Property Specialist Network (CIPS).

Another good site is worldproperties.com. Here you'll find information on the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) that assists buyers and sellers.

As far as tax issues, David Silverman, co-author of "Taxes For Dummies," says if you sell the property and make a profit you will be subject to tax in the U.S. and possibly in the other country as well depending on that country's tax law.

If it's a primary residence and you are married and have lived in it for at least two years of the immediate preceding 5 years, you can exclude the first half a million dollars of the gain when you sell it. And, if you are single, the exclusion is exactly half that amount, $250,000.

If it is not a principle residence and you make a profit on it you'll owe capital gains taxes and if you sell it at a loss, the loss is not deductible. Silverman says the tax issue really doesn't differ much from buying a house in the U.S. You can still deduct interest on mortgage and realty taxes.

Could you give us some information about how to handle this situation? My daughter applied for a FAFSA (government student aid program) online and chose an "easy FAFSA" Web site that charged $49.99 for its services. We've heard nothing from them on the application. When I called the FAFSA 800#, they had no record of my daughter's application on file as of the first of March. What can we do next? -- James

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. And, free means free. There's no reason to pay someone to help you fill out this form which is the first step to getting federal and state aid for college. You can get a copy at www.fafsa.ed.gov or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Jack Joyce, Director of College Planning Services at The College Board, says there are many commercial companies that charge money to "help" families complete the FAFSA, but you don't need it. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education has attempted to shut down such operations but has been unable to do so since these operators were essentially doing what they advertised -- charging families money to complete the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.

Now, if you are one of these people who paid for the help, Joyce says you should contact your credit card company and ask to have an adjustment made to the bill. Also, contact the Better Business Bureau to report the situation.

Joyce also suggests visiting the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov and "click" the link "For Consumers" where they will find an opportunity to "File a complaint."

I just sold my house in Washington DC and moved to Charlotte, N.C. I am renting now for a year while I decide where to purchase a home. I am looking for a year-long investment opportunity. What would you suggest? -- Stacey

Here's the good news: By moving to a smaller market, you should be able to pocket some savings. Median sales prices in Washington are nearly double that of Charlotte, $292,000 versus $161,600.

Even so, you'll want to find a safe place to park your money while you mull where to live. For that reason, you'll probably want to look to a short or intermediate term bond fund.

The key to picking one that will maximize the short window of time you have for investment is to make sure that you're paying low fees for the fund. Vanguard and Fidelity both have low cost funds.

One other option to check out: financial advisor Doug Flynn recommends strategic income funds as a solution. Offered by many of the large fund families, strategic income funds hold a variety of bonds from government debt to high yield. The funds tend to do well in rising rate environments.

When shopping for strategic income funds, check out their performance in '94 and '99, two abysmal years for bonds, to make sure they weathered the storm.

My daughter purchased a condo in Charlotte last year. When it comes to outside maintenance -- shrubs, grass cutting, planting trees -- they say they have exhausted all funds available. Does she have any recourse? She pays extra for this service. -- Disgusted Dad

A lot of people just stop paying maintenance when things go wrong - and that means it will take even longer to get them fixed.

If you really want to change things, Frank Rathbun at the Community Associations Institute suggests starting with complaining to the manager responsible for maintenance at the condo.

If that's not successful, go to the condo board. These are homeowners who oversee the condo and are supposed to make sure that maintenance issues are looked after. In some states, there is a state grievance board. Contact your state attorney general for details.

These are all long-term solutions, not quick fixes. Unfortunately, persistent maintenance issues may suggest that the condo has financial problems.

We got more than a few questions of this sort and it's worth mentioning that if you are preparing to buy a condominium you want to thoroughly scrutinize the condo's budget. Not only should the operating budget adequately cover the basics, like building maintenance, staff salaries and utilities, but there should also be adequate reserves to cover unexpected problems, like fixing the roof.

A good rule of thumb is that reserves should equal 3 to 5 percent of the condo's gross operating budget.

I am in the process of buying a condo at Myrtle Beach, S.C. I am purchasing an ocean-front condo for rental purposes and I'm concerned about lost income from hurricanes. What kind of insurance do I need for this and is there an insurance that would cover my monies borrowed in case of a disaster? -- Danny

First of all, good for you for realizing you will need insurance. Many condo owners think insurance is not necessary.

Robert Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute says this is a high risk property and special restrictions may apply. Therefore, make sure to consult with a local insurance agent/broker.

As the owner, you will need to buy a policy designed for "Unit Owners." This is sometimes referred to as an HO-6 policy. This provides standard coverage for property belonging to the unit owner (the renter of the condo has to have their own coverage for their own personal property).

This type of policy also covers for fair value lost rental income in the event the property becomes uninhabitable due to damage from a covered peril such as a windstorm.

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Hartwig says given that the property is on the coast, you will also likely need flood coverage, which is excluded from most standard insurance policies. Flood insurance is underwritten by the federal government but is sold by licensed insurance agents and brokers.

The policy does not cover "borrowed monies" per se. However, make sure to buy enough insurance so that you're not caught with a large unpaid mortgage in the event the unit is destroyed.

Finally, have a crystal clear understanding about what the condo association's insurance covers. For example, if a hurricane blows the roof off the complex, it is the condo association's policy, not the unit owner's that applies. Hartwig adds that, given the location of the unit, coverage may be rather expensive.

Gerri Willis is the personal finance editor for CNN Business News. Willis also is co-host of CNNfn's The FlipSide, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (ET). E-mail comments to 5tips@cnnfn.com.