Historic Homes in France and Portugal…
and Boots on the Ground in Panama

In this week’s digest…

• Scouting Towns in Portugal and Beaches in Panama

• Own a Home in a French Chateau for €99,950

• Vineyards in Chile, Argentina and Beyond from $285,000

• Your Questions Answered on the Most Affordable Destinations in Portugal

“Boots on the ground” is a phrase my team and I use often…you’ll have seen it more than once if you’re a regular reader!

It’s believed the phrase (or at least a version of it) was first used by a British military officer Sir Robert Grainger Ker Thompson in his 1966 book about his counter-insurgency experiences in Malaya and Vietnam. One of the chapters was called “Feet on the Ground.” The phrase as we use it today, came into popular use in the 1980s.

The fact that “boots on the ground” has military origins is fitting for us…our boots on the ground scouting trips are missions. They are carefully planned and executed. And if we’re successful, the prize is incredible real estate opportunities.

This week, several members of my team have been out “on mission”…

My senior researcher Margaret Summerfield had boots on the ground this week in northern Portugal, following up on my recent scouting trip there. This is one of the most opportunity-filled regions in the world for real estate. And with so much potential here, it’s important to me that we dig deep, and that as many of my team members as possible see firsthand what’s happening there.

I’ll come back to Margaret’s Portugal scouting in a moment.

First, though, let’s hop over to the other side of the world…where three members of my team are on the beaches of Panama.

As I write, one of my senior scouts Eoin Bassett, scout Oliver Lovett, and our Real Estate Trend Alert photographer/videographer Alan Kennedy are on Panama’s “Pacific Riviera”…

They’re spending four days on a breathtaking stretch of white-sand beach…what is by far the nicest, closest beach to Panama City.

A few decades ago, all I knew about Panama was that it had a big canal. Then I spent time there. I did my research. And I bought and sold a property in the capital for a profit of more than $72,000. That was my first big success in overseas real estate investing.

That was 2004. Since then, Panama has boomed…

Today, Panama City is one of the wealthiest cities in the Americas, sporting the world’s 25th biggest skyline, beating out LA, Miami, and Beijing to name just a few. Of its 50 tallest towers, 45 were built after 2000, speaking to the phenomenal rate of development of this global safe haven.

That growth continues. Panama City and the coast west of it, called the Pacific Riviera, are undergoing as big a transformation as you can imagine…

I’ve been scouting the Pacific Riviera and the beach where my team members are staying since 2007.

Back then, it was very different. This beach was basically unknown. The road to the beach—if you could even call it a road—was rough and bumpy. All you’d find there were some discreet beach homes, a few bars and eateries, and a handful of people. That was it.

Most of the land around the beach was owned by just a few families who didn’t want to sell. The rest was all farms. So development leapfrogged the entire area. And while millions of dollars were being spent on development along the coast farther away from Panama City, this area was left a virgin paradise.

I knew this area was something special, though…so it tracked it closely as the years progressed.

By 2015, this area was taking off. The developer I consider the best in Panama had built a road to this long stretch of white-sand beach and was working to transform it into a landmark destination. His achievements over the past decade are truly remarkable.

Visit today and you’ll stunning, modern communities that sit right up on the beach…a outstanding beach club…a luxury hotel…next-level amenities like basketball courts and swimming pools and pickleball courts, all seconds from the ocean…and all just an hour to 90 minutes’ drive from Panama City.

And this is just the beginning of what’s planned here…

From my very first visit when I stepped onto the virgin sand here, I knew the opportunities would be incredible.

Now I’m closing in on a killer deal…

I expect to soon bring members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group an opportunity to own stunning beachfront homes here that are blow-your-mind amazing…spacious with expansive ocean-views. I figure on gains close to $300,000 five years after delivery and owners will be able to live and breathe the Pacific…warm, tropical and close to Panama City.

More on all this to come. I’ll also share updates in the days ahead from my team on the ground.

For now, let’s switch gears and catch up with Margaret in Portugal…

Own in Idyllic Small-Town Portugal From €150,000

Early in the week Margaret became the latest member of my team to visit the charming northern Portuguese town of Caminha…a place I ranked as the second best place to invest in real estate for 2024 (behind only Los Cabos, Mexico).

Back in June, when my scout Ciaran Madden visited this area, he found some astonishing deals and signs that this is a place on the cusp of something big.

I went back there myself last month. I too saw the signs of gentrification that are sweeping through this pretty little town and I was even more convinced that this is a place with massive potential.

So much so, that I’m currently in the process of purchasing an old mansion here…

The buying moment in northern Portugal is now. And what Margaret saw during her time there this week just reinforces that. She found historic homes around Caminha from jaw-dropping prices. And she also came across a new development of modern homes, currently under construction, that to me suggest the rich are already discovering Caminha…and that the crowds will follow.

Read more about Margaret’s scouting in Caminha here.

After spending time in Caminha, Margaret traveled south to the city of Viana do Castelo.

Viana do Castelo is the largest city in Portugal north of Porto and Braga. This was once a hard-working industrial city known for shipbuilding and fishing. Ships are still built in Viana. Trawlers still sit along the banks of the river. But over the past two and a half decades, the city has been quietly gentrifying…

In 1999, the town’s working riverfront was extended and transformed into a vast new public space called Praca da Liberdade, with parks, restaurants, and exhibition venues.

The historic center was also revitalized and today it appears pristine…its white-washed buildings filled with upmarket stores and charming restaurants serving cuisine that has a heavy focus on fresh seafood. It’s a captivating place to go for a stroll, with an inviting café and historic landmark around seemingly every turn.

Then there are the city’s Atlantic beaches. On the coasts north and south of the river mouth, you’ll find five or six to choose from. This is an incredible livable city. Yet, like Caminha, it remains largely unknown to the foreign tourists flocking to Portugal.

Margaret spent two nights in Viana, investigating the city as we continue to dig deep on northern Portugal. She shared this short video in our team WhatsApp scouting group offering a flavor of the city. We’ll have more on opportunities in Viana soon. Click below to view Margaret’s video…

Affordable Homes in French Chateaux

Elsewhere in Overseas Dream Home this week, we highlighted the surprisingly affordable cost of owning in a French chateau…

Chateaux dot the countryside of France. According to various counts, there are more than 40,000 chateaux in the country. Since the mid- to late 20th century, a considerable number of them have been subdivided to create apartment/condo communities. And these apartments can be cheaper than you might think.

Earlier this week, I did a deep dive on this trend and on one such listing—a stunning apartment in Château Les Forges in western France.

Château Les Forges is a stunning, stately home. And today it also boasts a range of modern amenities, including a heated swimming pool, two tennis courts, and 27-hole golf course that has a clubhouse and bar/restaurant. Yet there’s a beautiful-looking apartment on the market there listed for just €99,950 ($111,200)…

All details are in the full article here.

Vineyards in Chile, Portugal, Argentina and Beyond

Also this week, we explored listings of vineyards overseas…

Vineyards are rarely cheap. After all, they require a lot of land, machinery, facilities, and equipment. And typically they come with a home as well. Still, look overseas and you’ll find some very interesting options.

In Your Overseas Dream Home, we highlighted four vineyards currently on the market in destinations right across the world. The price points vary from as little as $285,000 to as much as $5 million…showing a full picture of what’s out there.

Check out those vineyard listings here.

Your Questions Answered

Have a question or comment for me or my team? A question about owning overseas? A destination you’d like us to scout. Share it here. I’d love to hear from you. Here’s a question I got from a reader…

Anah T. asks: Hello, my husband and I have been looking for places to retire in Portugal. We want to move from South Florida because we can’t afford to live in Palm Beach when we retire. I thought Portugal would be affordable and interesting to us. It’s looking like we won’t be able to afford Portugal either. Am I wrong?

Ronan says: Hi Anah. I’m happy to say that you are wrong about Portugal. Let me explain…

Portugal has become one of the most popular destinations among vacationers, expats, and real estate investors in the last few years. Once overlooked and overshadowed by its Spanish neighbor, today it’s a red-hot spot. And that has inevitably resulted in a rise in the price of lots of things…real estate included.

You’re correct that the more popular parts of Portugal have become more expensive recently. Prices have risen sharply in the Algarve, Lisbon, Porto and the Silver Coast. That’s why my team and I have been scouting northern Portugal so extensively this year.

This region is where the people will go next in Portugal. But for the moment it remains largely undiscovered. That’s why Margaret was on the ground there this week. And it’s why I’m in the process of buying an old mansion there. You can get historic homes for insane prices like $90 per square foot!

I encourage you to read the article on northern Portugal that I shared this week in Overseas Dream Home.

Also in June, RETA members also got a full northern Portugal scouting report…which includes images, maps, video walkthroughs of properties, video overviews of the best destinations, and more. (If you’re not a RETA member, you can join here and you’ll get access to that report.)

I’m also in the middle of planning something very special—an online event where I’ll discuss exactly how you buy in this region of northern Portugal. I’ll share the agents to call…the lawyers to use…the bank where you can get financing…everything you need to know.

There’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity here…now is the time to act. And I’ll be showing you how.

I’m still fine-tuning the details of this event but will be ready to share them very soon. Stay tuned…

Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert

P.S. If you’re interested in any of these listings you should hire an attorney and do your own due diligence. I haven’t visited these properties in person or done any due diligence on them.

P.P.S. For more listings of affordable overseas dream homes, click here to follow our Your Cheap Dream Home Instagram account.

Your Daily Dream Home

Chianni, Tuscany, Italy

$139,000

This cozy one-bedroom apartment is fully furnished, and newly renovated. The apartment has a living room with sofa bed, kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom, along with AC, heating, and views of the village and hills.

The apartment is in Chianni, a charming hilltop Tuscan town with cobbled lanes, stone houses, piazzas, and historic churches. The town is 40 minutes from Pisa airport and close to a train station.

Chianni is nestled in the picturesque Valdera region, surrounded by rolling hills covered with olive groves and vineyards, offering stunning panoramic views of the Tuscan countryside. The town’s layout follows the typical medieval hilltop design, with concentric circles of buildings cascading down the hillside.

Chianni is renowned for its high-quality olive oil and hosts an annual olive oil festival in November. The town is also famous for its wild boar festival in December, celebrating the local culinary favorite.