In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- NEW REPORT: Did you get The Real Estate Buyer’s Guide to Mexico?
- Own a South American Vineyard for Half the Price of a Home in California
- Your Questions Answered on Historic Apartments in Europe and Buying Restrictions in Thailand
A home in a stunning converted French chateau for $144,500…
An apartment in a historic French castle with a genuine moat for $178,400…
A luxurious 1,880-square-foot home in a subdivided historic villa overlooking Italy’s breathtaking Lake Maggiore for $433,750…
In a moment, I’ll be sharing these listings in answer to a reader’s question about opportunities to own in converted historic buildings in Europe.
First, though, we begin on the other side of the Atlantic, in a country where I own more real estate than anywhere else in the world: Mexico.
A photo I took recently at the owners’ beach club in the 5-star Quivira Resort in Los Cabos. I spent time at my home here each winter. I bought here in 2015 in an exclusive deal I brought to my Real Estate Trend Alert group.
As I write, I’m at my home in Los Cabos. There are few destinations I’d rather be in winter.
You’ve got the perfect weather with daily highs in the mid-70s F…the glorious golden-sand beaches…the rolling cactus-studded hills…the world-class oceanfront golf courses…
And over the last week or so, I’ve been seeing schools of whales frolicking touching distance from the shore. And I mean literally steps from the shoreline. Check out this video I recorded of whale calves steps from the beach at my home in the 5-star Quivira Resort…
This was a video I took last week of whales just offshore from the beach fronting the 5-star Quivira Resort, where I bought alongside members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group back in 2015.
I bought in the Copala community here in 2015 in an off-market deal I brought to my Real Estate Trend Alert group. The RETA-only price for a two-bed ocean-view condo was $336,156. Recently, I’ve seen similar condos listing for $650,000…that’s $313,844 more.
This is far from my only investment in Mexico…
Over the years, I’ve invested in more than a dozen properties there. Some I’ve sold…my keepers are six condos in Los Cabos (including my Quivira home), another in Playa del Carmen, and a home in Akumal on the country’s Caribbean coast. (I bought all of these in off-market deals exclusive to my Real Estate Trend Alert group. Learn more about RETA here.)
My wife and I have also built a home in the booming cosmopolitan city of Guadalajara as a lifestyle play, since her parents retired there. And I’m getting ready to add even more Mexico real estate to my portfolio. That’s how confident I am in owning here.
Whether you want to own for lifestyle, investment or some combination of both, Mexico is a perfect place to do it.
That’s why my team sent you something special this week…The Real Estate Buyer’s Guide to Mexico.
A shot of the sunset I snapped recently from the beach at Quivira. I own more real estate in Mexico than anywhere else in the world.
There’s a lot to know about buying in and spending time in Mexico and this report, The Real Estate Buyer’s Guide to Mexico, will answer key questions about buying in, moving to, and living there.
Inside you’ll find…
- A guide to the ins and outs of buying real estate in Mexico
- My breakdown of the seven best places to own there
- Details on things like closing costs and capital gains taxes
- Legal dos and don’ts
- Info on Mexico’s low-cost, high-quality healthcare and easy-to-access residence visas
- Plus much more…
This report is a free benefit to you as an Overseas Dream Home reader. Simply click here to access it now. I hope you find it helpful.
This is not the only destination we explored this week…
Own a South American Vineyard for Less Than Half the Price of a Home in California
Owning a vineyard is a dream steeped in romance—sun-drenched rolling hills, strolling through endless rows of grapevines, and sipping wine crafted from your own land.
That notion of producing your own vintage—whether as a business or a passion project—adds to the charm, connecting owners with the land, the seasons, and the centuries-old tradition of winemaking.
Most people would assume that you need a budget of millions to own a vineyard…but as my team uncovered, you can own vineyard estates in destinations across South America, with homes included, for a fraction of the cost of a typical home in California.
As of January 2025, the median sales price of a California home was $773,263…we found vineyards for a third of that price!
The properties my team found range from boutique wineries to luxury estates…and one listing even offers a hands-off approach that allows you to enjoy the vineyard lifestyle but without having to do any harvesting yourself.
Read more about buying a vineyard in South America here.
Your Questions Answered
Have a comment for me or my team? A question about owning in Mexico…something not addressed in the buyer’s guide? Or maybe you have a new 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 recently…
Kelly B asks: Hello Ronan, I’m planning a move to Europe in the future (I say future because I am not in a rush). I am one of those rare people who will decide the location based on the home (vs the other way around).
I am hoping very much to find a “conversion” apartment (that’s what I’m told they are called). A home within a converted historic building (whether a mansion, estate, castle, government building, etc.). Perhaps one that was on the chopping block and was salvaged and renovated or remodeled and divided into housing. So far I have tried connecting with individual agencies or areas to see if anything is on their radar. But I am wondering if you are aware of any specific sites (or other avenues I can explore) to better (and more efficiently) find what I am looking for.
Thank you so much for your time and expertise. I appreciate all that you do, and am very much looking forward to my new place (facilitated by RETA) in Montenegro!
Ronan says: Hi Kelly, first off, congratulations on getting in on our Montenegro deal. Kotor is by far my biggest discovery in Europe in years. And our community, Royal Town Kotor, is in an ideal location. In easy reach of Kotor old town, the swanky marinas of Porto Montenegro, Porto Novi…the historic towns around the bay…and all the incredible leisure activities you or your renters could want.
And prices like ours are unheard of. I figure the two-bed condos we got from a RETA-only €348,356 will be worth €550,000 five years after delivery. That’s a huge gain of €201,643,
Congrats again!
Now, to answer your question about “conversion” apartments, France is one of the best places in Europe to find these kinds of apartments. There are more than 40,000 chateaus dotted around France and a considerable number of those have been subdivided to create apartments. It’s a really affordable way to own a little part of French history.
Here’s some examples of these types of apartments that are on the market right now…
Located in western France’s Deux-Sèvres department, Château Les Forges is set on an estate of 21 acres. The river city of Poitiers, with its Romanesque architecture, is a 40-minute drive east (Poitiers is just 90 minutes from Paris by high-speed train).
Currently on the market in Château Les Forges is this two-bed, two-bath, ground-floor apartment. It has a fully-fitted kitchen, oak floors, a marble fireplace in the dining room and French doors that lead outside. There are 27 owners here who all share the large swimming pool, tennis court and common areas in the chateau.
You could own your own piece of this French chateau for less than $150,000. Listing here.
This apartment is listing for €139,990 ($144,500) and you can see the full listing here.
Just over an hour’s drive from Paris, at the edge of the Loire Valley, is this two-bed, one bath apartment in a chateau that’s set on 15 acres and even has a moat.
The apartment also has a dining room, kitchen, marble fireplace, and oak parquet floors. Theo town of Chambord is just a 20-minute drive away) The listing price is €172,800 ($178,400) and you can see the full listing here.
Imagine telling your family you’re going to live in a castle with a moat! Listing here.
If you’d prefer Italy, you will find some historic apartments om the market, though you’ll have to do a bit more digging to find them.
My team found this charming apartment in a historic villa on Lake Maggiore. The villa, originally built in 1900, has been divided into four apartments. The apartment for sale has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, study, a fully equipped kitchen, and living space of about 1,880 square feet.
There’s a communal garden and a private car park for residents. This one is currently listed for €420,000 ($433,750). Full listing is here.
Note that we haven’t done any due diligence on these properties. I just asked my team to do some digging on the kinds of listings available at present. I hope you find them helpful.
Helen B. asks: My husband and I are in love with a house you highlighted in Thailand recently in Your Overseas Dream Home! How does a U.S. citizen buy a house in Thailand?
Thank you.
Ronan says: Hi Helen. Thailand has a lot going for it…powder-soft white sand beaches, stunning beach-fringed islands, incredible cuisine, a vibrant and exotic culture, and incredibly welcoming people. But the one thing that’s not so great about Thailand, is the property buying process.
Many Asian countries, including Thailand, have restrictive laws regarding foreign ownership of real estate. Many allow foreigners to own condos and apartments, and even homes, under certain conditions. However, land—even land a home sits on—is often off limits and must be leased.
Laidback, inexpensive, and beautiful, Thailand has something for everyone. But it’s important to know the rules when buying a home here.
In Thailand, foreigners cannot directly own land or homes. Long-term leases of land are the most common way to purchase a house and land in Thailand for foreigners today. As long as it is registered at the Land Office, the current law permits a 30-year lease with a prepaid option to renew for a further two periods of 30 years each and lots of people have successfully done that.
Many foreigners choose to buy condos. You can own your condo unit but there are quotas as to how much of the building can be owned by foreigners, its usually about 49%.
As with all real estate transactions, it’s important to have a real estate agent and a lawyer working on your behalf who are familiar with the laws and restrictions around foreigners buying in Thailand.
If you’d like to learn more about buying a home in Southeast Asia, you should check out this special Overseas Dream Home report: Dream Homes in Stunning Asian
Beach Towns from $50,000.
In it, you’ll find more information about the laws and restrictions around foreigners buying in this part of the world. You can access it here.
P.S. If you have a question about buying real estate overseas or have suggestions for destinations my team and I should put on our scouting list for 2025, drop me a line here.
Your Daily Dream Home
San José, Costa Rica
$149,500
This cozy one-bed, one-bath apartment has 355 square feet of living space with amenities including a movie theater, three-floor gym, kids’ zone, dog park, co-working space, rooftop terrace, and an eighth-floor pool.
San José is Costa Rica’s lively capital, sitting high up in a gorgeous valley surrounded by volcanoes and coffee farms. Situated around an hour and a half from the Pacific beaches, the city is worth checking out for its historic spots like the National Theater, buzzing Central Market, and excellent museums. The grand colonial architecture dates to the 19thcentury when the city built its wealth on coffee exports.
