As I often say, if you’re willing to look everywhere, there’s always opportunity somewhere.
It’s a message that bears repeating, especially in 2024. With the U.S. going through a period of real estate scarcity, you could be forgiven for thinking that there are no opportunities left anywhere…
On Tuesday I shared a video with my team showing a tiny Cupertino home, spanning just 384 square feet, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was completely unremarkable but sold for “significantly over” the $1.7 million asking price. (Check out the video here.)
In April, the median U.S. home sale price increased to $433,558…that’s up 6.2% on last year to the highest level on record. And that’s the median price. For a dream home, expect to pay a lot more.
You could buy a beautiful historic home in Normandy, France for around $200,000…or even less. That’s less than half the price of the median home in the U.S., which rose to a record high of $433,558 in April.
But if you know where to look overseas, you’ll discover that you can still buy high-quality real estate for very attractive prices.
My team and I know exactly where to look. The places brimming with opportunity.
So, this week we looked for not just homes, but villas overseas listing for half the median U.S. home sale price or less—that’s just $216,779.
From the mountains of Tuscany to the heart of South America’s wine-growing industry in Mendoza, Argentina, we found incredible homes at astonishing prices. (Note: We haven’t visited these properties or conducted any due diligence on them.)
There’s an abundance of affordable real estate in the hills of Tuscany, Italy.
Charming Villa in Tuscany for €195,000
Tuscany in central Italy is known for its rolling hills, picturesque villages and legendary culinary scene. It’s home to the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa and Florence, one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
Homes on the coast of Tuscany can be pricey. But in rural areas, you can find overlooked real estate selling at bargain prices. This six-bedroom villa with a garden in Tuscany is for sale at €195,000 ($211,700). The villa spans 2,367 square feet, set across three floors, and includes a living room, kitchen, six bedrooms and two bathrooms. There are also cellars to store your wine collection.
The villa is in a rural hamlet close to Caprese Michelangelo, famous for being the birthplace of the renowned Renaissance artist, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, Michelangelo.
This six-bedroom house in Tuscany comes with a spacious garden and is listed for sale at €195,000. Listing here.
A Historic Three-Bed Home in Normandy, France for €180,500
This historic three-bedroom house is in Normandy, in the north of France. This region enjoys temperate summers that are perfect for enjoying an active lifestyle. The average daytime high during the summer months is 80 F.
There is a growing appetite for milder-climate destinations like these. The next generation of migrations want the sun…but they’ll also want temperatures and a landscape that are conducive to being active and being outdoors. So Normandy has been seeing an influx of new second-home owners of late. This region is also popular with vacationers, who come to explore the picturesque villages that dot the landscape and sample its relaxed pace of life.
This home sits on a 1.4-acre plot and boasts a large kitchen with a woodburning stove. There’s a spacious dining room and outdoor terrace perfect for a barbecue or enjoying the long summer days in this region. It’s on the market for €180,500 ($200,800).
This historic three-bedroom house sits on a generous, 1.4-acre plot. Listing here.
Two Homes by a Lake in Rural Sweden for $159,000
Hörby is a municipality in the southernmost county in Sweden. The region is known for its scenic countryside featuring forests, lakes and streams. It also boasts a rich history, with ancient ruins and medieval churches dotting the landscape. This part of Sweden offers plenty of outdoor activities, such as hiking, fishing, and cycling, making Hörby a popular destination with nature enthusiasts.
This two-bedroom home is set close to a lake near the town of Hörby. The home features two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a living room with laminate flooring, and spacious conservatory with views across the garden.
It also comes with a guest cottage that features an open-plan layout, with the living room adjoining the kitchen and a newly renovated loft with space for two double beds. It’s listed for $159,000.
This home in Sweden comes with a guest house that has space for two double beds. Listing here.
A Four-Bed Villa in Cyprus for €200,000
Liopetri is a village in the southeastern part of Cyprus, known for its picturesque setting, traditional architecture, and agricultural produce, particularly its potatoes, which are a major export crop for the region. The village is also home to the Agia Marina Church, a beautiful 16th-century Greek Orthodox church that features well-preserved frescoes and icons.
My team found this detached four-bedroom, two-bathroom villa listed for €200,000 ($216,181) close to the village center, with shops, bakeries, and restaurants within walking distance. Beaches and a marina are a 10-minute drive away.
The first floor of the villa features an open-plan kitchen, living area and a bedroom. Upstairs, there are three more bedrooms and a large family bathroom. The master bedroom features a private balcony. A roof terrace offers views of Liopetri and the surrounding countryside.
This four-bedroom villa features a roof terrace and is a 10-minute drive to the beaches of Aya Napa. Listing here.
Two-Bed House with a Pool in Mendoza, Argentina for $130,000
Argentina boasts every natural advantage a country could ask for—an abundance of rich, fertile land…incredible natural resources including plenty of oil, water, and natural gas…stunning natural beauty…
Yet despite this, it’s been struggling with crippling inflation and economic upheaval for decades. The country is a perennial economic basket case…which is why real estate prices there are so affordable.
Given the constant economic chaos, investing in Argentina comes with risk. However, from a purely lifestyle perspective, the country can be an amazing play, offering a stunning natural environment and incredible value.
My team found this two-bedroom house with a pool in the Mendoza region of Argentina, listed for just $130,000. The Mendoza region of western Argentina is the largest wine-producing area in South America, famous for its Malbec wines.
The home is in a private gated community. On the first floor, there’s an open concept kitchen and living room along with a bathroom. The upper floor contains two bedrooms with a balcony. Outside, you’ll find a storage area and an additional bathroom. At the back of the home, overlooking the forest, there’s a grill where you can try your hand at cooking an Argentinian-style barbecue, or asado.
This home in a gated community in Mendoza, Argentina comes with a private pool. Listing here.
It’s remarkable to think that you could buy two houses on this list for less than the cost of the median house in the U.S. Consider the possibilities…
You could live a life of perpetual summer…staying in Argentina when it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, then moving to France when it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
No more shoveling snow. Instead, you spend December and January hiking along the mountain trails or exploring the wine country on your bike.
Then, as the Argentinian summer comes to an end in April, you hop on a plane to France.
Around October or November, with the wine harvest complete in France, but before the first frosts arrive, you pack your suitcase for Argentina. Back for another summer and Christmas grilling grass-fed steaks by the pool…
When you look outside the U.S., you’ll uncover amazing real estate opportunities like these. And my team and I are constantly putting boots on the ground to find the best ones…
As we approach the halfway point of 2024, we’ve already put boots on the ground in destinations across Mexico as well as Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, France, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro…
Coming up soon we’re planning to return to Portugal, Panama, Colombia, Greece, Taiwan, and more.
Have you been to one of these destinations? Contact us here to let us know what you found, and where you’d like us to scout for you.
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. For more listings of affordable overseas dream homes, click here to follow our Your Cheap Dream Home Instagram account.
