International Living Community

I too am trying to find a permanent home in Portugal. I have visited many times. The South is probably the nicest area if you like year round sunshine and never too cold. Porto is very nice up north but it tends to get high rainfall in Winter. The south is the most expensive place to buy a property. The silver coast has some interesting coastal towns. Lisbon is probably the cheapest Capital City in Europe to purchase property and is a beautiful city. Good Luck. Ian

Thank you Glenda for your thoughts and great insights. We are taking trips around Portugal and so far we agree with a lot of what you are saying.

Great question! I'm not familiar with any sites or organizations in Spain that highlight accessible housing or communities. I would say that major cities would be the most accessible - Madrid and Barcelona. Smaller towns may be accessible in some areas but overall I find much of Spain was not built with accessibility in mind (except for the visually impaired). Most new buildings will have elevators but the units themselves may not be wheelchair accessible. Buses are wheelchair friendly but not all sidewalks are. I hope this helps!

Hello, I spent 5 years living in Spain. I'm there casually now. I don't recommend people to do things the way I do, unless they are single. I was traveling a lot at the time, and after spending three days in Barcelona, I decided to make it home base for me. It was not my first (no last) international move. It was a great city and I quickly made many friends by going to events and co-working spaces. Like every country, there are pros and cons. My recommendation is to really think about exactly what you want. Then go to both Portugal and Spain and visit several areas to find which one will be best for you. Regards, Sally Pederson IL Spain Correspondent

RAY 0 said: Hello from the Land of Smiles (LOS). I'm Ray, residing in one of the quiet suburbs of Pattaya - no, it's not all wild parties, alcohol, and neon. I've come over on a bare-bones budget, so I'm learning how to navigate Visa, housing, healthcare and finance issues quickly, efficiently, and cheaply. So, if you're waiting for everything to be just right, don't. And by the way, if you're a Veteran, you'll also find V.F.W. and American Legion posts in town, with plenty of people willing to offer advice (even if you didn't ask for any- LOL). Enjoy your stay in Thailand. Thank you Ray! This will be a bare-bones budget for me as well! Best of Luck!

Tronadora

Hi Keith, That is a good budget for a long-term rental in Nice so you will have a lot of options. In the center, you could look around the Gambetta neighborhood, or near the Beaux-Arts museum. Try the Le Bon Coin website to get an idea of rental prices. Real estate expert Adrian Leeds is based in Nice and has great tips for the city on her website. Tuula Rampont, IL France Correspondent

Hi Mark and Sue, if you're a member of Real Estate Trend Alert and have bought in one of the RETA member-only deals do also reach out to the RETA Concierge team. They're on hand to help RETA members with any issue and address any concern. You can arrange to speak in person with the RETA concierge team at any time here https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/BSEpCR6r94Fw31JQf9f4C1Oj_N?domain=events-c.mp.realestatetrendalert.com. Or email them at mdoherty@pangearesearchgroup.com

I just wanted to add that Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a very busy time (big vacation time for Ticos) on the beaches and one of the most expensive times too. You may see prices increase during that time. If you have trouble finding something that week or notice prices are super high, it may be a good time to visit some places inland and then return back to the beach after Easter. Just an idea. Have you thought about which beach area you prefer? Choose from the following: Guancaste, Nicoya, the Central Pacific coast, the South Pacific coast, or the Carribbean coast. Guanacaste is the dryest area and the South Pacific and Carribbean are the wetest ones. Yet March and April are the end of the dry seaon in Costa Rica.

ok a I am happy.