In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- VIDEO: Short-Term vs Long-Term Rentals: Which Makes More Sense?
- Five Countries Where Foreign Buyers Can Get a Mortgage
- Own an Entire Spanish Village for $174,000
- Your Questions Answered on Deals in the Dominican Republic
One of the things I love about being an international real estate investor and scout is the sheer variety of opportunities I come across.
In any given week I might uncover a new strategy that makes buying overseas easier…or stumble across a truly unusual listing somewhere in the world.
And this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home digest captures that range perfectly.
In a moment, we’ll look at five countries where foreign buyers can access mortgages, making overseas ownership far easier than many people realize.
And we’ll also show you one of the most unusual listings I’ve seen in a long time—an entire village for sale on a dramatic stretch of the Spanish coast.
But first, I want to tackle a question I’m often asked…
Portugal is one of Western Europe’s most affordable countries, and one of the easiest countries for foreign buyers to get a mortgage. More on financing below.
VIDEO: Short-Term vs Long-Term Rentals: Which Makes More Sense?
Did you catch my latest YouTube video?
I recorded it in a lovely (if slightly windy) cactus garden in Cabo, before I traveled to Guadalajara.
In this video, I answer a question that I’m often asked. When it comes to short-term renting versus long-term renting—which makes the most sense?
In the video, I explain…
- Why personal use and lifestyle goals matter just as much as cashflow
- The pros and cons of stability vs higher gross income
- How seasonal renting can maximize revenue and leave room for personal use
- And much more…
Click below to check it out…then share your thoughts in the comments.
In this video on my YouTube channel, I tackle the question of whether short- or long-term rentals are better.
Five Countries Where Foreign Buyers Can Get a Mortgage
Aside from whether short- or long-term rentals are better, a question I hear often from readers is this: Can foreigners get mortgages overseas?
A lot of people assume the answer is no—that if you want to buy property abroad, you need to arrive with a suitcase full of cash.
But that’s not how it works in a number of markets on my global real estate beat. In some countries, banks actively lend to international buyers.
I’ve used local financing myself many times, including when I bought a historic villa in Caminha, in northern Portugal.
And Europe isn’t the only place where this is possible.
In Thursday’s dispatch I shared five countries where you can get overseas financing, and I included one Caribbean destination where this is possible—something that’s surprisingly rare across Latin America.
The most visited island in the Caribbean is also a country where foreigners can obtain financing. Learn about it and four more destinations where you can get overseas mortgages here.
Own an Entire Spanish Village for $174,000
Every now and then, a listing comes across my desk that stops me in my tracks.
This time, it wasn’t a house or condo…but an entire village.
On Spain’s wild Atlantic coast, an abandoned hamlet is currently on the market for €150,000 (about $174,000).
For that price you’re not just getting a single property. You’re getting a cluster of traditional stone houses, historic granaries, and open views across rolling green hills toward the ocean.
The village sits in Galicia, Spain’s rugged northwest corner—a place of granite cliffs, powerful Atlantic surf, and fishing villages where seafood comes straight from the boats.
For the right buyer, the opportunity is extraordinary.
And as I explain in the full post, this village is cheaper than some parking spaces…
Galicia’s landscapes are dramatic and untamed—a different side of Spain entirely. The region has even been compared to Ireland.
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. Here’s a question I got from a reader recently…
Michael J. asks: Do you have any deals brewing in the Dominican Republic other than in the high-end Cap Cana area?
Ronan says: Hi Michael and thanks for your question. As you say, I just brought an incredible off-market deal in Cap Cana to members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group.
With its white-sand beaches and warm azure waters, the Dominican Republic is one of the world’s most inherently desirable destinations. And Cap Cana is the country’s premier luxury destination. This is the Caribbean everyone wants to experience—a place where unparalleled luxury meets the natural splendor of an island paradise.
I spent 12 years looking for a RETA deal in Cap Cana, and I got the first in September of 2024. RETA members could snap up two-bed condos in Crystal Garden from $382,400. Five months later similar condos there were listed by the developer for $470,000. That’s an uplift of $87,600 in five months—a 22.9% increase on the original RETA price.
Just this week, I brought RETA members another deal in Cap Cana, this time in the Azul Garden community. Azul Garden is at the heart of Cap Cana’s luxury core, just a stroll to stunning Juanillo Beach.
With this deal, I’m expecting gains of $319,600 five years after delivery. And I conservatively figure on a gross rental yield of 12% renting short term. Congratulations to RETA members who got in on this deal.
I’m also actively monitoring other destinations in the Dominican Republic besides Cap Cana…
The new RETA opportunity in Cap Cana was a chance to own in the luxurious Azul Garden community, just minutes’ walk from Juanillo Beach.
One place I have my eye on is Las Terrenas.
Situated on the Samana Peninsula on the country’s north coast, lush and tropical Las Terrenas is a little slice of paradise. It boasts 19 miles of walkable, public beach, palm trees, warm breezes, and stars so bright that you could pluck them from the sky.
It’s a laid-back, cultured getaway. A seaside escape, with plenty of beach bars and restaurants right on the sand, so you feel the breeze and enjoy the views. Las Terrenas is low-rise and low-key.
The beachfront in Las Terrenas is the perfect place to watch the water in the shade of swaying palm trees.
Thirty years ago, it was a rustic fishing village. The town didn’t have an electricity supply until the 1990s. But it attracted thousands of Europeans who came as tourists, fell in love with the town, and started businesses: restaurants, cafés, bakeries, art galleries, small hotels…These days, many folks from the U.S., Canada, and beyond are visiting and deciding to settle in Las Terrenas as well. All are welcomed by the warm and friendly (and exuberant) local people. Las Terrenas has a vibrant, active community. And I’m watching carefully.
It’s still early days, but if a RETA deal takes shape here, it will be a very special opportunity.
Stay tuned…
Wishing you good real estate investing,
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, drop me a line here.
