In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- On the Ground in Viana do Castelo—A City on the Rise
- VIDEO: The Truth About Real Estate in Portugal
- Sicily Is Calling Again… And the Deals Are Still Extraordinary
- Your Questions Answered on Short-Term Rentals in Portugal
Dear Reader,
As you read this, I’m back in my home country of Ireland, specifically in the capital of Dublin. I’m here to speak at a conference—the Global Intelligence Future of Wealth summit.
Yesterday I spoke on where I see the best opportunities in international real estate today and the role of real estate in wealth creation and diversification. And today I and International Living Founding Publisher Bill Bonner are due to speak on how to build a “multi-base internationalized lifestyle,” as I’ve done by owning income-producing properties in Los Cabos, Portugal’s Silver Coast, and beyond.
I know lots of members of my Real Estate Trend Alert club are in attendance. If you’re in Dublin for the event, I look forward to seeing you at the event today.
This weekend I’m back in the Irish capital of Dublin to speak at a conference…and while here I’ll also be taking a close look at the real estate market.
Being back in Dublin, I can’t help but reflect on the current state of Ireland’s real estate market. It’s one that’s been dysfunctional (to say the least) for a number of years now…and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon.
While here, I’ll be analyzing the market and later this week I’ll send you my thoughts on the Irish market: what’s been happening…why pricing here has reached almost record levels…and what the future might hold if you’re a real estate investor interested in Ireland.
Stay tuned for that…
On the Ground in Viana do Castelo—A City on the Rise
On Friday I flew into Dublin from Porto. I spent last week scouting the area around Caminha (where I’ve been staying at my historic home).
When I first scouted this region of Northern Portugal in 2023, it was a complete secret. Few expats, few tourists…just incredible beauty, authenticity, and value.
Now, things are beginning to shift. The word is getting out. And nowhere is that transformation more visible than in Viana do Castelo, just 30 minutes south of Caminha.
Although officially a city, Viana do Castelo has a charming small-town vibe.
Once a hardworking port town, Viana has quietly reinvented itself into one of northern Portugal’s most livable small cities—where restored medieval streets meet sleek new waterfront developments, and golden beaches stretch for miles beneath rolling green hills.
This week, I put boots on the ground there to see what’s changing—and to uncover opportunities before the crowds arrive and prices start to rise.
You can read about what I found in more detail here.
VIDEO: The Truth About Real Estate in Portugal
Speaking of Portugal…
In my newest YouTube video, I talk about something that’s personal to me…Portugal’s real estate market.
Portugal has been on my international real estate radar for many years. I’ve bought properties here (as well as my home in Caminha, I also have my condo on the Silver Coast) and I’ve seen first-hand the explosion of tourists and expats visiting this wonderful country.
But I’ve also noticed recently that there’s a lot of misinformation online about buying, owning, and living in Portugal.
I’ve seen social media posts saying the opportunity in Portugal has passed…videos that claim foreigners aren’t welcome anymore…and that real estate has gotten too expensive…
Most of this is completely untrue…but there is some truth in there too.
And that’s what I talk about in The Honest Truth About Portugal.
What is really going on in Portugal right now? I discuss the truth about the real estate market here in my latest YouTube video. Click to view.
If you have any questions or insights, please do drop them into the comments section under the video.
Have you scouted Portugal recently…what was your experience?
Have you already bought here?
Let me know. I’ll be checking in to answer any questions you might have.
And in case you missed any of the other videos I’ve posted to YouTube in the last few weeks, you’ll find them all here.
Don’t forget to subscribe too so you don’t miss any upcoming videos…I have lots more coming soon…
Sicily Is Calling Again… And the Deals Are Still Extraordinary
Sicily has been calling to us again.
Last year, my scout Ciaran Madden crisscrossed the island—from the rugged heartland to the glittering northern coast—and what he found was extraordinary: centuries-old homes in sun-drenched villages selling for the price of a used car in the U.S.
Now, the word is getting out. More and more international buyers are catching on to Sicily’s potential—both for its incredible lifestyle and the incredible real estate value. So Ciaran’s going back…
This time, he’s focusing on Sicily’s west and south—regions that still feel untouched by mass tourism but are beginning to attract expats and travelers seeking the “real” Italy.
These are places where you can enjoy world-class food and wine, sweeping sea views, and a pace of life that hasn’t changed in centuries…all while buying in before the crowds arrive.
My scout Ciaran is heading back to Sicily to scout more of the island of real estate bargains.
In advance of his return trip to Sicily, Ciaran has been doing his research and has once again come across some incredible real estate bargains.
In one of the towns Ciaran will be scouting on his return to the island, you can find large sea-view apartments for under €150,000.
In a city of ancient Greek temples and Mediterranean charm, homes with views of the sea list for less than €100,000.
And in the hill towns of the Ragusa region, stone houses with sweeping views can still be had for €40,000–€50,000.
Read more about what he has uncovered so far here.
What Ciaran is seeing in the course of his research has me excited about his upcoming trip. Stay tuned for boots-on-the-ground updates from him coming soon…
Your Questions Answered
Have a comment for me or my team? A question about owning overseas? Share it here. I’d love to hear from you.
My YouTube channel has been buzzing with some interesting questions and comments this week. In one of the videos I talked about the best 3 locations on my beat for rental returns…you can watch that video here.
Spoiler alert, one of those destinations was in Portugal and I got the following question…
I thought new short-term rentals were banned in Portugal?
This is a good question. Portugal’s short-term rental regulations went through a number of changes over the past year or so.
In order to rent a property short term in Portugal, which includes guesthouses of under 10 rooms, hostels and Airbnb-style properties, you need an license called a Alojamento Local (AL).
In November 2024, the Portuguese government introduced new restrictions on ALs. Under the rules, new licenses were not going to be issued for these kinds of properties in high-density areas (Portugal’s cities, coastline and the Algarve) until 2030.
The goal of the regulations was to bring more properties onto the long-term rental market. Due to the country’s recent popularity among expats and foreign buyers, home and rental prices have risen and locals have been priced out of the market.
In March of this year, a new government took power in Portugal and it revoked these rules. The decision to grand new AL licenses now rests with local authorities. That means it may be possible to get a new AL license on your property, if the local government in your area decides to issue them.
Also, AL licenses are once again transferable and so can be transferred to the new owner if a property is sold.
So if short-term rental income is part of your strategy for owning in Portugal, before you buy, it’s important to get clarification on whether new AL licenses are being granted in your area from a local attorney with real estate expertise.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
