- Get Your Legal Questions Answered on Owning Real Estate in Mexico
- Traveling from Spain to Ireland by Ferry
- Dream Homes on Portugal’s “Hidden” Coast
I’ve just arrived at my home in Ireland, near the southern city of Cork.
As I shared in Sunday’s Overseas Dream Home, I used a novel method to get here, driving from my condo on Portugal’s Silver Coast to the city of Bilbao in northern Spain, where I took a ferry to the port town of Rosslare in southeastern Ireland.
In a moment, I’ll tell you a little about this 30-hour ferry journey, since opportunities to slow travel like this are one of the great benefits of owning an overseas dream home in Europe.
Also today, I’m going to share some of the real estate opportunities I uncovered after spending a week at my condo on Portugal’s Silver Coast.
But first, I want to hear from you…
Portugal’s stunning Silver Coast boasts pristine golden-sand beaches that stretch on for miles. I recently had boots on the ground there and below I’ll share some of the opportunities I uncovered…
Get Your Legal Questions Answered on Owning in Mexico
As I write, several members of my team have boots on the ground in the thriving beach city of Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
My team are there to track the latest developments in Playa, one of the key destinations on my global beat, and I’ll be sharing more about those later this week. While my scouts have boots on the ground, they’ll also be meeting with the attorney I use there, Ivan Castillo.
I’ve known Ivan for years and he’s helped me and many members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group buy real estate in Mexico. I know lots of readers have questions about owning in Mexico. So, coming up soon in Your Overseas Dream Home, I’ve asked Ivan to sit down for a special Q&A interview to answer your questions on buying and owning real estate there.
This is an excellent opportunity to get answers to your most pressing questions on owning in Mexico. Maybe you’d like to know what a fideicomiso is and why you need one to buy real estate there. Or perhaps you have a question about visas and residency…or legal do’s and don’ts when it comes to renting out your property.
All questions are welcome…
Click here to submit your question for Ivan now and we’ll answer as many as possible.
Since I first scouted Playa del Carmen two decades ago, it has evolved into a thriving city and world-class beach destination. Do you have a question about owning real estate in a desirable destination like this in Mexico? Submit it here now.
Traveling to Ireland by Ferry
Switching back to Europe…
One of the joys of traveling in Europe is the diversity of ways you can get around the continent. Beyond its extensive and cost-effective flight connections, Europe has a vast and advanced train network, with overnight high-speed rail links connecting many major cities.
Then there are the ferry services connecting mainland Europe with island destinations like the U.K. and Ireland.
In the case of both trains and ferry services, the total journey time may be longer than going by air, but these are far more civilized ways to travel. When you travel by ferry, you skip the hectic passport lines and tiresome airport security checks.
My journey from Spain to Ireland is a case in point. I recorded a video at the port in Bilbao to tell you about the process. Check it out below…
I recorded this video before boarding the ferry from Bilbao in northern Spain to Rosslare in the southeast of Ireland to explain how the process works. Click to view.
Dream Homes on Portugal’s “Hidden” Coast
One of the reasons I chose this slow travel option is because it gave me the time to review and compile all my latest boots-on-the-ground research from Portugal’s Silver Coast.
Before traveling to Ireland, I’d spent a week at my condo in the Praia D’El Rey Golf and Beach Resort on the Silver Coast.
This is an amazing place to own real estate…
The beaches here are long, wild, and sandy—ideal for walkers. The world’s surfers gather here to ride waves the size of a multi-story buildings. And you’ll also find amazing fishing, hiking, and paddleboarding right on your doorstep, alongside world-class golf courses and incredible restaurants.
The Silver Coast boasts long, wind-swept Atlantic beaches…perfect for walking and surfing. This region has been growing in popularity among foreign buyers as they look for quieter alternatives away from Lisbon and the Algarve.
Unlike Lisbon, Porto or the southern Algarve region, the Silver Coast was not an internationally well-known destination. In fact, this region was once so little-known outside Portugal, it was virtually “hidden” to foreign buyers and vacationers. No longer…
Since I bought my condo here several years ago, this wind-swept region of Atlantic coastline has seen an influx of foreign buyers and renters. Demand for rentals in this region has been stronger than I anticipated when I bought my condo. But it’s the resales market that really has gone from strength to strength as vacationers and second home owners look for quieter escapes away from Lisbon and the Algarve. My condo in the golf and beach community of Praia D’El Rey cost me €300,000. Last year, a local real estate agent wanted to list it for €450,000.
That said, not everything is rosy on the Silver Coast or indeed across Portugal…
The influx of overseas buyers has pushed up rental and resale prices. This, in turn, has made housing more unaffordable to locals, sparking new government regulations including a measure to ban new licenses for short-term rentals in many popular areas across the country.
This is not to say the opportunity has passed in Portugal. Far from it. Overseas buyers and renters continue to flood into Portugal. But as prices rise in destinations like the Algarve and Silver Coast, and as the government introduces new rental control policies, the opportunities here are changing in significant ways…
Over the coming week, I’ll be sending a series of special alerts to members of my RETA group, offering a complete overview of all the key developments across Portugal. In this series, I’ll be addressing issues like…
- The rise of the Algarve…and whether there’s still an opportunity to buy in there.
- What the ban on new short-term rental licenses means for investors.
- Where to find the next opportunities in Portugal…
The first of these special alerts drops later today and will explore the opportunities on the Silver Coast. (Not a RETA member? Sign up here with this special offer.)
The first of these special alerts drops later today and will explore the opportunities on the Silver Coast.
This is a destination worth keeping on your radar…
Though the Silver Coast has seen an influx of buyers, you’ll still find incredible dream homes here at reasonable prices. Here’s an example of what you’ll see on the market in the best-in-class Praia D’El Rey Golf and Beach Resort where I own…
This three-bed first-floor condo spans over 1,400 square feet. It doesn’t have ocean views, but it’s walking distance to the driving range and clubhouse. It’s on the market for €295,000.
This first-floor condo is close to the community pool and the clubhouse. Listing here.
If your budget stretches a little further, you could own a penthouse nearby.
The three-bed, two-and-a-half-bath home is on the third floor. It spans more than 1,700 square feet and has terraces with an built-in barbecue offering ocean views. You’re also just a minute’s walk from the beach. It’s on the market for €395,000.
This overhead shot of the penthouse’s community building show just how close you’d be to the beach. Listing here.
If you’re looking for out-of-this-world luxury, you’ll also find it in Praia D’El Rey. Villas here sell for high six figures or even millions of dollars. Here’s an example of one currently on the market.
Located in the heart of Praia D’El Rey, this five-bed, six-bath detached home spans more than 2,100 square feet across three floors and comes with a private pool. It’s listed for €895,000.
This spacious villa has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and a two-car garage. Listing here.
Having been an owner in Praia D’El Rey for several years, I have no doubt each of the properties above would be exceptional lifestyle plays.
The question of whether they would be exceptional investments is more complex.
For that we need to examine the variety of factors—from the continued influx of foreign buyers and renters, to the termination of new short-term rental licenses—that are reshaping destinations across Portugal.
I’ll be tackling all those in my in-depth special Portugal series beginning later today in RETA.
RETA members stay tuned for those… (Not a RETA member? Sign up here.)
RETA members stay tuned for those…
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. Have a question about buying and owning real estate in Mexico? Click here to submit your question for Ivan now.
