Investing in Portugal, why not you?

<p class&equals;"p2"><img class&equals;"alignnone size-full wp-image-340" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;vivreauportugalconsulting&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2016&sol;01&sol;portugal&period;jpg" alt&equals;"portugal" width&equals;"1350" height&equals;"900" &sol;><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">Since the crisis&amp;comma; real estate prices have fallen by 30&amp;percnt; on average&amp;period; Thus&amp;comma; in 2005 we recorded 300,000 real estate transactions&amp;comma; to count no more than 100,000 in 2013&amp;period; As a result&amp;comma; prices have fallen considerably&amp;comma; and even more in the suburbs than in the city centers of major metropolises&amp;period; Currently&amp;comma; they are stabilizing&amp;period;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1"><strong><span class&equals;"s1">Possible financing by local banks<&sol;span><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1"><span class&equals;"s1">As Portugal is a member of the European Union, a French citizen can borrow from a local bank to purchase a property&amp;period; Moreover&amp;comma; when the target property is owned by the bank&amp;comma; it is sometimes possible to finance it at 100&amp;percnt; whereas&amp;comma; generally&amp;comma; the loan rate is more advantageous when the&amp;rsquo&amp;semi;buyer makes a down payment&amp;period; <&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">However, be prepared to pay high fees&amp;comma; as banks often require proof of income translated by an official translator&amp;comma; approved by the embassy&amp;period; <&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">You should also be aware that home loans in Portugal are generally at variable rates&amp;period; so&amp;comma; before committing yourself&amp;comma; it's essential to understand how&amp;rsquo&amp;semi;monthly payments are indexed&amp;period; Most of the time, they are indexed to the EURIBOR index, i.e. the average lending rates applied by the 50 largest European banks to each other&amp;period; <&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">When EURIBOR rises, the borrower's monthly payments also rise, but some contracts include a clause allowing the bank not to adjust the monthly payment if the index falls. It is therefore essential to pay close attention to this type of clause;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1"><strong><span class&equals;"s1">An advantageous tax system<&sol;span><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">During the crisis&amp;comma; the Portuguese government had to implement a policy of austerity&amp;comma; in order to obtain financial aid from the European and international community&amp;period; Consumption then fell sharply and the banks could no longer find buyers for their housing developments&amp;period; This is why, since January 1, 2013, European private-sector pensioners moving to Portugal for the first time are exempt from paying tax on pensions received in their country of origin&amp;period; <&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">In this way&amp;comma; the government expects to inject "fresh" money into the local economy to help boost it&amp;period;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p1"><strong><span class&equals;"s1">For the record<&sol;span><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><span class&equals;"s1">The cost of living in Portugal is 30 to 40&amp;percnt; less expensive than in France&amp;period; The purchasing power of retirees on an average pension is therefore much better&amp;period; C&amp;rsquo&amp;semi;This is why investing for retirement in Portugal can be&amp;comma; for example&amp;comma; an opportunity to buy a small house&amp;comma; which you can then rent out while you pay off your mortgage&amp;period;<&sol;span><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;<p class&equals;"p2"><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;boursorama&period;com&sol;actualites&sol;investir-au-portugal-a5906c33ad905c4bafa5d3abe96d639d">Source<&sol;a><&sol;p>&amp;NewLine;