ABOUT
If we could do it,
so can you!
We're Americans who spent years dreaming about owning a house in Europe, researching different countries and making short (economical) trips. When we passed through Portugal's Beira Baixa region, with its majestic mountain views, historic castles, fertile farmland, captivating villages and vibrant cities where the people and the culture celebrate the best things in life, we fell in love.
We found our stone house at the foot of a mountain in an ancient village bursting with life and we knew we had found our new home. Our massive renovations are almost finished and our dream is now our everyday life. We're enjoying it so much, we want to share the feeling. So if you're serious about owning property in Europe, and you're considering Portugal, reach out to us.
Why Portugal?
Because we did not want to leave...
With family in Europe and help from generous parents, we were blessed to be able to travel internationally, about once every five years experiencing different countries. We visited Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Italy, and France and found something to love about each location. Every trip, we found a city or a region that stood out as a place or a culture that we'd like to revisit. We began to dream about buying a small property somewhere in Europe as a vacation home base for future adventures.
Fast forward some more years and we began to research whether or not we'd ever be able to afford our dream future. We did thousands of internet searches, watched hundreds of hours of documentary, TV and YouTube programs, and talked to anyone and everyone who might offer insight. Portugal kept coming up in our research, so we planned a whirlwind scouting trip, touring Lisbon, Porto, Nazare', Obidos, Evora, Madeira, Castelo Branco, and Fundao with stops in between. When we drove through the Beira Baixa district bordering Spain, we found an overwhelming sense of peace. As we explored the smaller cities and towns, wound around untouched mountains to find medieval castles at the top, or meandered through friendly villages and tranquil farmlands, we found ourselves slowing down. Smiling more. Breathing more deeply. And experiencing a new sense of awe at the scenery, the culture and the pace of life.
We didn't want to leave.
We began searching online more seriously for properties available in the Beira Baixa district around Castelo Branco and Fundao. It offered the perfect balance between city amenities and rural peace.
We found many, many properties that excited us. We learned that Portugal has no centralized real estate listing service, and very many properties for sale are marketed primarily through word of mouth. We also learned that property ownership and inheritance laws are very different from what we were used to. Our first two property offers fell through, but the third try was most definitely the charm. Everything about our new home in Portugal made us re-think our original plan and instead of a vacation home, we are now making it our permanent home. Not only for us, but for family members who spend varying amounts of time with us here when they can.
Our journey is not over and we do not claim to be experts about anything Portuguese. We are still learning the language and many, many things about the culture and our small part of Portugal. But we've learned a lot so far and have resources and connections that we can share to make your journey a little easier.
So if you're considering your own property in Central Portugal, complete this short questionnaire to let us know where you are on your European property journey and how we might help.
We look forward to hearing about your adventure!