WHEN buying a piece of real estate in Portugal, there are lots of factors to consider. Of course, you may want to retain the services of an English-speaking Portuguese lawyer. The advantages of having one are enormous. First, he or she can understand the native language of the potential buyer which is English of course. Second, the lawyer is adept not only with Portuguese culture but also with the real estate laws in the country concerning foreign ownership of real estate and taxes that accompany owning one. Typically, the government will only require from you the annual income tax of the property and the monthly garbage collection tax to be deducted by the local government.

The first tax payment is usually made during the transfer of the title of the property which is of course during the closing of the sale. If you don’t have a personal lawyer, then you can select from a list of reputable lawyers which is readily available from the Internet or even at the local town hall where you intend to buy real estate here. Bringing a lawyer on board means that you will pay him or her three percent of the total cost of the property. When you hire the services of a realtor, make sure to get one that is licensed by the government. Unlike in other countries where accreditation of real estate brokers are usually undertaken by a national association, the one in Portugal is being undertaken by the government itself. When you want to buy a home here, do you intend to construct a swimming pool? Or do you want to buy a vacant lot? These and other concerns are the job of the real estate agent that you’ve hired.

Together with you or your lawyer, the real estate agent will embark on a property hunting trip and scout pieces of real estate one after the other. You must also explicitly tell the real estate agent on whether you want to buy a villa or merely a condominium unit. If you want to buy a vacant lot, then you must seek permission later on for a building license from the town hall where the property is located. But whether you’ll be purchasing a vacant lot or not, it is important that you have the proper documents at hand.

Just like Spain which is of course located in the same Iberian peninsula, Portugal enjoys a relatively warmer summer than the rest of Europe with maximum temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius. This climate makes for an ideal place for other Western Europeans like the British to live in. Some buy real estate here to retire here; others come only every summer. To make an extra income, these summer retreats are usually leased out to travelers. But don’t just come here during summer and eventually buy a piece of real estate. Live here during the winter too for even just a couple of days. Portugal is usually stripped of tourists during winter and activities are usually confined in the mountainous regions where skiing and other wintry sports abound.

PORTUGAL is located in the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 92,152 square kilometers, making it the 110th largest country in the world. Its water area is only 0.5 percent and this comprises its Atlantic Ocean western and southern borders. It is bordered by Spain to the north. And it has a population is 10.6 million, making it the 75th most populous country in the world with a density of 114 persons per square kilometer making it the 87th dense country in the world. Its GDP is $229.881 billion making it the 40th richest country in the world and its GDP per capita is $23,464. Its current prime minister is Jose Socrates.

If you come from another European country, you don’t need to have a visa to go to Portugal. You can always land at Lisbon international airport. There are daily flights coming from all European capitals and a few major US cities like Philadelphia. If you want to travel by land, then you can always hop a train from anywhere in the continent and enter via Spain.

Just like the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal is a summer destination among tourists from the rest of Western Europe like Britain. Most of the British tourists who come here are retirees who want to enjoy the rest of their lives tanning in both nudist and otherwise conservative beaches. Because Portugal’s coastline is extensive, there are also other remote beaches uninhabited by tourists where you and your lover can enjoy skinny dipping without inhibition. Just make sure that you don’t stay alone by these remote spots because these are not patrolled by lifeguards. And since Portugal is part of Europe, its beach resorts are inspected every now and then by European Union operatives for its tap water quality. That’s why Portuguese tourism authorities are so strict in implementing its ecological laws that they constantly remind tourists not to litter around in these beaches.

When you intend to buy a piece of real estate in Portugal, don’t make your decision in haste. Otherwise, your money will just be waste. The first thing to do is to visit the country twice – during summer where Catholic festivals abound and the youth crowd all the bars that they can find, whether in the city or by the beaches. The second time that you must visit the country is during winter where there are only few tourists and only the expatriates tagging along their family or their new-found Portuguese wives remain. Winter can be pretty cold in Portugal and you need layers of clothing. Once you’ve had a taste of how living in Portugal in both seasons looks like, you can now decide what real estate you want to buy. The most ideal one is to buy a lot with an erected structure already albeit not furnished yet. A non-furnished house is perfect to give room to internal décor where you can collaborate with your interior designer on how to arrange your desks and tables in a particular room in your new home.