Buying Property in Portugal

My Home in Portugal: Why Ron & Mike bought a property in Portugal

Ron & Mike in front of their new 3-bedroom villa on Portugal’s Silver Coast

Ron, an experienced architect who designed homes for "really famous people" like Jim Carrey and Bruce Springsteen, and Mike, an artist and former actor who played "one of the original Seinfeld villains", had established an incredible life in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. However, after their children grew up and moved out, they realized they needed to begin their "third chapter".

Mike began considering a move abroad in 2016, driven by the feeling that the US was becoming so divisive that he "stopped recognizing where I am anymore". Ron, initially thinking Mike was "completely kidding", finally caught the retirement bug in 2022.

What’s so special about Portugal?

After researching countries like Costa Rica and Panama, they decided on Portugal, planning a 10-day trip to "see if we vibe with it".

They were instantly struck by the lack of chaos upon arriving in Portugal and the relief that the locals didn’t operate at the "teeth-nashing pace" they had experienced in the US.

They also appreciated that here, there is a freedom to be who we are and were amazed that the healthcare system meant people weren’t going to lose their house if they got sick.

Despite Mike having promised on the plane, "we're not getting on a plane and going over there to write a check", they wrote one after just 10 days.

Finding the perfect place to buy property in Portugal

To find the perfect location for their dream retirement home abroad, they rented a car and drove extensively. They decided against Cascais, which they call “cash-cash” saying it felt like "Beverly Hills on the water", and avoided the Algarve, which Ron found "too developed”.

Everything changed when they arrived at the Silver Coast. Ron was drawn to Nazaré because of the surf energy he saw in 'The 100 Foot Wave' HBO documentary, while Mike fell in love with São Martinho do Porto, noting its "little village" charm. Their villa in Famalicão is located right between the two, an area that felt like a dream home.

“I had done some research online and found Dylan and Portugal Realty, because they were doing some modern architecture which is I'm a huge fan of.”

With the assistance of our Sales Director Dylan, they found the perfect place: a 3-bedroom villa in the Encosta do Salgado development, located at the bottom of a hillside between Salgado Beach and the village of Famalicão, in Nazaré.

Praia do Salgado Beach – Nazaré Portugal

A home that blends with the Silver Coast landscape

Ron, drawing on his background in hillside properties, chose a site down at the bottom of the slope with a commanding view over the valley, ensuring the house was "kind of blended into the mountain", adding value to the landscape instead of taking it away.

This confidence was established through thorough due diligence, including staying in a SCH rental home in São Martinho do Porto. A property built and managed by the same companies that operate under our Leisure Launch Group, which allowed Ron and Mike to inspect the construction quality and design of our properties.

As an architect whose professional standards are "way up here," Ron felt assured after examining the finishes and materials. He also found comfort in the online videos demonstrating the progression of earlier units over the years, realizing the operation was a "well-oiled machine" that delivered quality and timeliness.

The 'Simple Life Home Buyer' experience

The complexity of Portuguese bureaucracy — which Ron acknowledges actually helps to keep our country beautiful and the landscape protected — meant they needed complete support. They relied on Portugal Realty and the assistance of our Simple Life Home Buyer team of specialists to navigate the building process.

“It is challenging and you really need to have somebody on the inside. We could never have built a house here without you. I have a hard enough time getting my electric bill in Portuguese and trying to figure out what am I supposed to do and how am I supposed to pay this. I can't imagine dealing with bureaucracy.”

With the help of Ana Silva, the interior designer from our partners at Portugal Interiors, they were able to create a unique home that Mike felt resembled a "New York loft that's been plopped down on a hillside in California".

Upon walking into the completed home, seeing their furniture and completed landscaping, Mike experienced a "reality scale shift", confirming that nothing compares to seeing the final, complete package.

Now settled in their beautiful Silver Coast property, Ron looks forward to learning to surf and paddle board, while Mike is returning to his passion for painting, viewing this new life as a "beautiful blank canvas".

“I just keep feeling like someone's going to come knock on the door and go, "Okay, sir. Thank you for staying. It's time to go back to your other life now."I don't want to wake up from this.”

But as Dylan confirmed, this beautiful reality is now their home.