I’d just like to make a note of this, and warn everyone coming here to this area in Portugal, although it probably applies to most areas.
It is unfortunate that many or at least quite a few people have overpaid for their piece of land that they’ve bought here in Portugal. It has ramifications, because the locals trade amongst themselves, at the going price and then will often try and flog it off to a foreigner for multiple times what they paid for it. It’s a bit like a disease, more like a fever, some kind of rush, that I see happening. It’s precipitated by those who are fooled into believing that what they are buying is a good price. I include myself in this equation. I came in enthusiastically and very naive. I bought at double what the guy who sold it to me bought for. So is it a good price if the guy who you just bought it from has just bought it for half the price he sold it to you for? Or even less? Someone in the middle just got fat, while the two on the outside got done raw. I’ve seen one piece one guy was trying to sell for 20k and I later found out he’d not even bought it yet, but had agreed to buy it for 2000. Another that was purchased by a guy for 3k and trying to flog it to foreigners for 50k, just cos it was on the river. You hear all kinds of incredible stories, but basically it’s like a gold rush in little Africa. You’re the rich foreigner who’s going to line their pockets with gold. I’ve been getting more and more involved with this kind of thing here in Portugal and I can tell you it’s damn frustrating dealing with them (especially as a foreigner). One guy wanted to know who I was going to show his land to. He’d set his price, but If they were going to be Dutch then it would be an extra 5k, and then if they were German it would have been an extra 5 on top of that again. It’s just sickening, but that’s what you have here. Of course, that’s on the negative side of things. It’s not all like that. You just got to know who to deal with and who not to. That’s how I see it.
So just some advice, Do your research, get help (if you contact me I’ll try and put you in touch with good local people that can help you) but most of all don’t rush, and BE PATIENT! That’s how it works here. If you rush, you will only feed the fever and make it worse for others who come after you. The objective is to repopulate rural Portugal with the right people. That includes young Portuguese people, so if you purchase land at extortionate prices then you are only contributing to speculation and pricing the Portuguese youth (or any youth for that matter) out of the market. I personally would like to see A LOT more Portuguese youth return to the rural areas to help regenerate the land, along with youth from all over. Let’s be aware of our actions. I’ve said my bit, but I’m sure I’ll say more when the time comes. Please feel free to comment below.