Hello Canecorso,

I am an American married to a Portuguese man after making some USD we moved to Portugal to live out the rest of our years……………
I am retired but my husband still works full time.

One point I wanted to make was we purchased a new home in a sleeping town, eleven years later it is considered a city; our home at the moment is worth double the value according to local real estate agencies.

As to the language; in Lisbon, Cascais and Algrave you may find many Portuguese who can speak English, not that they want to.
The other areas of this country you may find children and young adults who have been taught English in school but have such little experience outside the classroom are reluctant to speak it.

In rural areas of this country you can forget the idea of surviving without the language “Portuguese”
We live smack in between Lisbon and Setubal 40 minutes away by car from each of these cities. The beaches in the Caparica area; Fonte Telha, Praia Rainha are wonderful and we receive rain about one to two months a year.

Diane aka Mamacats
Ragdoll Breeder
Portugal

why anyone could think they can move to portugal and not learn portuguese is beyond me!
initially it seems impossible - but portuguese isnt so hard to learn.

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Property & accommodation in central portugal:
www.pureportugal.co.uk

I think that to live in Portugal, at least some understanding of the lingo is a must.

I am French but spend some time in Scotland ( 1 year in Edinburgh), Spain ( 1 year in Barcelona ) and for sure France ( More than 25 years in Paris ).

But here I am In Aveiro. Why? I Love the place, the Ria, the sea, the location ( between Porto and Lisbon, 1 h from Porto, 3h from Lisbon), I like that as they say it's the Portuguese venezia. Why should I buy a 300 000 euros 30 sq meters flat in Paris when I bought a 90 sq meters flat in the best area of Aveiro last year.

So yes I love the place. All my friends that came to visit me are in love for the place.

Now speaking about properties. So much to do........

you are dreaming about a LOFT! I can get you at least 10 buildings to transform in a loft ( all of them in the center of the city )Because i still consider Portugal as a land of opportunities. So much to do. I don't like to say that but Portugal is still so late in many things.

dreaming about a FLAT near the sea ( Costa Nova, Barra, Vagos, Mira, Espinho ) are still great locations to look for flats, maybe more than 50 offers in each city.

Maybe an old stone house in the country side to refresh or to rebuild ( so many of them that making a choose will be hard). For example yesterday I was driving to Oliveira de Azemeis and I was looking at some beautiful but old houses that the typical Portuguese don't like anymore but we do. They are thousand of them.

So yes....still so much to do here about real estate and the buyer is in a dominant position now because the market is down. So make sure you see lot's of things and not from only one agency.Always take your time.
For my flat I visited more than 40 properties in a 2 kilometers area and believe it or not but on a 95 000 euros investment I saved 15 000 euros from some other offers. It's true that I took one full time month ( everyday biking around, speaking directly with owners, visiting agencies etc) to look but saving 15 000 on a 95 000 euros investment is quiet a lot. And not speaking only about money, I bought exactly the flat I was looking for.

If you need any help in my area, mostly Aveiro, Porto, Espinho I will be glad to help you make the best deal, I am starting to work as an independent real estate consultant.

Take care and enjoy Portugal.

I adored its commentary.
E since Mr. if goes to dedicate to sell properties in Portugal, I thank its aid to sell my property:

http://www.totallyproperty.com/portu...t-complex.html

The price is negotiable and accepted a small part in exchange.
Beste regards
Luis Miranda
+351917264651 (luis.miranda@zapp.pt)

Maybe you bought your property already, if not Silver Coast and Beiras are a good choise, good value for your money, evrything available including tranquility and nature :-)

take a look at
w w w propertiesforsaleinportugal com

enjoy Terras Lusitanas

Hi I am considering an off plan apartment in ariea branca the silver coast what do you think of this area and do you reckon on increase in value

Hi Frediokl

It is simple really. If you can not afford to buy a property in the Algarve, the best option is the Silver Coast. Just remind you that the climate is different, Algarve climate is unique in Europe and that is mainly the reason why I and many other non portuguese have choosed to actually live here. Of course there are other issues as well, but the climate is for me the number one issue. My partner is from the Lisbon area and we lived there for a short time, so I definitly know that there are a huge different between Algarve and the northern part of Portugal. Just so you go in to this with open eyes and accept the fact that you buy a different consept than the Algarve, but you might prefer that? The prices are lower that is a fact and there are reasons for it as well.

Algarve will always be number one in Portugal, that is the prime location and that is why you pay a bit more.

Good luck

You are right when you say that property is going up fast on the Algarve. But not in the East Algarve! There is still a lot of capital appreciation ahead for this region.
And it has the same climate as the West Algarve!
I have a Portuguese friend in the business, take a look at his site - Rentabilizar - Mediação Imobiliária, Lda.
Hope this helps, Mac.

Hi Jodoyle

Have you checked São Martinho do Porto or Nazaré at all!!??