International real estate investor—and member of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group—Patty Farmer first looked at Lagos, Portugal because the numbers made sense.
What followed surprised her.
Lagos not only delivered bigger and faster capital appreciation than Patty expected. It also charmed her into packing up her life in the U.S. and moving there.
She has bought, sold, and bought again in Lagos.
Today, Patty shares her journey from the U.S. to the Algarve—and why she’s still buying real estate in Lagos.
Read on…
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. This Wednesday, January 28, at 1 p.m. ET, I’m opening up a brand-new, off-market RETA deal in Lagos. This is an exclusive chance for RETA members to own blue-chip condos on the most prestigious street in the heart of the town’s luxury marina district—steps from the marina itself, and a short walk to the beaches, historic core, and dining. And I expect gains of €292,500 just three years after delivery alongside gross rental yields over 13.1%. (More on this deal below.)
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Why I Moved to Lagos—and Why I’m Still Investing Here
By Patty Farmer
My experience is perhaps not the norm. I’m an international real estate investor and a RETA member, and I’ve followed Ronan’s advice for many of my investments.
About eight years ago, Portugal began appearing on investors’ radars, so I started my due-diligence process. Whenever I evaluate a country, I look closely at fundamentals like tax structure, ease of entry, GDP growth, employment trends, availability of trusted real estate professionals, and more.
Portugal checked all the boxes.
I rarely visit where I’m investing. If the numbers work, they work, and there’s no need for me to get personal with the property. This formula has served me well worldwide and around the U.S. in all my deals. But with Lagos, I had the chance to visit and when I did, I fell in love with it.
The beaches…the marina…the historic old town…the walkability—it’s a truly special place.
On the coast in and around Lagos, you’ll find a network of coves dotted with stunning, golden-sand beaches.
I always dreamed of living in Europe and at that point thought: “If not now, when?” So, I made the decision quickly and moved halfway around the world to Portugal.
The home I chose was an off-plan condo, which gave me time to sell my U.S. property and prepare for the move. I’d read countless stories online about how complicated relocating overseas can be, but that simply wasn’t my experience.
I decluttered aggressively—sold or gave away most of my furniture—and brought mainly clothes and a few cherished items. I think many people make the mistake of bringing far more than they’ll ever need.
My initial business plan in Lagos was straightforward: buy a home to live in—a beautiful three-bedroom penthouse in the Adega community—plus some other properties to rent, and others to hold for appreciation.
The stunning Adega community where Patty initially lived in Lagos.
What I didn’t anticipate was just how quickly prices would rise. Values appreciated faster and further than expected. I took profits—substantial profits—on every investment. I even sold the penthouse I was living in.
Because I believe strongly that Lagos’ appreciation story is far from over, I reinvested those gains into additional properties, including a new personal residence: a four-bedroom penthouse with spectacular views in the Dona Maria community overlooking the marina.
I chose not to buy a car after moving to Lagos—something that’s been great for my health—and the location by the marina made that easy. Lagos is exceptionally walkable. And when I don’t feel like walking, Uber and Lyft are readily available.
Within a few blocks of my home I have major supermarkets, a twice-weekly farmers’ market, a train station, doctors, pharmacies, churches, a vet, and more excellent restaurants than I could ever exhaust.
Lagos offers a rare mix of modern marina, immaculate old town and stunning beaches. It’s welcoming, walkable, and charming…the kind of place you visit for a week and end up staying for a lifetime.
People often ask what risks concerned me before buying. Honestly, I didn’t perceive any more risk than purchasing back home. I found no meaningful difference between buying real estate in Portugal and in the U.S.
The properties I’ve bought in Lagos have been in the €300,000 to €1.5 million range. And one of the pleasant surprises—which I confirmed by research before buying—was how reasonable property taxes and ongoing ownership costs are, even when you own luxury properties here.
It sounds trite but one regret I have is not investing here sooner. It was the perfect time to relocate—but I would have bought even more property earlier if I’d fully appreciated how this market would unfold. So now, I’m making up for lost time.
RONAN SAYS: Lagos is one of the most livable beach destinations in Europe. As Patty says, you don’t need a car here. Everything connects on foot in a way very few European coastal towns can claim.
From the marina, you stroll straight into the historic old town, past cafés, markets, and galleries. Meia Praia unfurls just minutes away in one direction. Go the other way through the old town and sheltered coves and cliff-backed beaches invite you to linger.
Lagos is designed for living—and that walkable concentration of beach, marina, culture, and everyday life is exactly what has turned this beautiful town into a top-tier, blue-chip destination.
My RETA group and I have long been ahead of the transformation of this incredible, with a host of incredible deals. Not thanks to our deep local relationships and the collective buying power of all RETA members, I’ve been able to negotiate a new deal here…and it has the potential to be our strongest ever.
Take a tour of our delivered RETA deals in Lagos and the incredible uplifts they have secured for members.
With this new opportunity—called Marina Residences—RETA members have the opportunity to own blue-chip luxury apartments next to Lagos’ expanding marina in what will be a landmark building.
Think high-spec, state-of-the-art, and large terraces to make the most of outdoor living. And there will be incredible rooftop amenities with Atlantic and marina views—something unheard of in Europe’s coastal luxury destinations.
With this incredible deal…
- I expect gains of €292,500 just three years after delivery.
- I figure on gross rental income of roughly €76,500 per year.
- And Portuguese bank financing is available to foreign buyers like us—up to 70% loan-to-value, at rates as low as 2.3%.
The deal opens exclusively to RETA members in two days—that’s Wednesday, January 28—at 1 p.m. ET. If you’re a RETA member, now is the time to get ready.
A rooftop pool, firepits, lounge area, jacuzzi…with marina and Atlantic views. It’s rare among Europe’s prime beach destinations to have rooftop amenities. Marina Residences will also have a gym and spa and indoor pool. (Developer renders shouldn’t be considered final.)
