The real estate hat I wear is hard to take off. Imagine me traveling in Italy with another real estate agent and you can see that in addition to the usual tourist stops we also lingered at real estate offices perusing properties for sale. On the side, I was looking at Idealista, my favorite website for searching properties in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It is the closest thing to a European Zillow.
At every vacation rental along the way, we noticed construction, windows, insulation, etc. It’s fun to compare and contrast to American properties but often there are limits as things are not typically built with wood framing the way they are in North America. Some of the buildings we stayed in were from the 14th or 18th century.
Buying a property overseas can be both fun and profitable. But so much to consider. Not only is construction different, but the environmental challenges vary, local laws and steep taxation, unlike the American system. I am back home now but still surfing Idealista looking at crumpled ancient houses in Tuscany, because maybe…