THE END OF THE PORTUGUESE GOLDEN VISA? At the 2023 Web Summit, Portugal’s Prime Minister threw the cat among the pigeons stating that it was time to re-evaluate the Golden Visa program, and that it probably did not justify retaining the program. Real estate agencies and associations were up in arms, arguing that the program had not played a role in distorting the market and that it would cut off an...

DÉJÀ VU… THE END OF THE PORTUGUESE GOLDEN VISA…again? It feels like ground hog day (or week) writing this… In September of 2022, I penned a 3-part article that can be found here: The changing portuguese real estate market ( Part 3 ) - ALL ABOUT RETIREMENT OVERSEAS, analysing the factors that had contributed to the change in the real estate landscape. I also pointed out the need for structural...

Emerging sources of clients, supply versus demand imbalances and much more. The chasm between cost and access to accommodation by local people, and the cost of delivering new inventory In a report by CIA Landlord Insurance in the UK, published in March 2022, Lisbon is ranked as the third least viable city in the world in which to live, if you are renting. This is due to the discrepancy between...

  Emerging sources of clients, supply versus demand imbalances and much more.   The increase in the presence and importance of the North American market The Portuguese borders agency, SEF, has reported a large growth in US citizens choosing Portugal as their residence. While admittedly from a tiny base, the growth of this market underscores the increase in relative wealth of the average...

EMERGING SOURCES OF CLIENTS, SUPPLY VERSUS DEMAND IMBALANCES AND MUCH MORE   The growing popularity of Portugal     Some would say that it is ironic that the international market and investment has done what Portugal and the Portuguese could not find the courage to do themselves, namely value their patrimony fairly. With decades of cheap real estate culminating in the financial crash...

I have yet to meet a person who does not wish to put 2020 behind them. In fact, I recall a post from the son of one of our friends, a young man in his early twenties, who was able to take one memorable overseas trip, and explore his own country, as the single spontaneously optimistic write-up of 2020 that I have read. So it is natural that all of us are looking for positive news at the end of a difficult...

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that accessing real estate deals, and doing in-situ due diligence on opportunities, is no longer as easy as hopping on a plane to check them out. The importance of having a reliable local partner, agent or friend is now key to reducing risk based on incomplete information, or taking the wrong decision. As not everyone has a friend in their preferred retirement or investment...

Accessing Portugal during a global pandemic Coronavirus, as everyone knows, has changed the world. Economic impact the likes of which have never been seen before. Unprecedented restrictions on travel. Suddenly, a world that had appeared so small, now seems just a little more difficult to criss-cross. For those in North America, chomping at the bit to get to Europe, these are frustrating times....

The UK government is putting my life at risk...again Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. As I write this article, I am entering my fourth period of self-isolation, or as it is now called, quarantine. Since March 1st, I will have spent a full two months isolated from society including my closest family. But this time it’s different: I am entering self-isolation as someone who poses little threat...

The post-lockdown period is starting to show up the tensions between supply and demand in traditional tourist markets. This short article explores how important it is for smaller countries such as Portugal to resist deflationary pressures and the tendency to deep discount. How can a nation so in need of income get its tourists to show solidarity by paying fair price for accommodation? Coronavirus, as...