The first thing to check is which ownership rules apply to foreign buyers. Certain jurisdictions allow freehold ownership of built housing while restricting land; in other places, the authorities demand a corporate vehicle or a leasehold arrangement instead. Such restrictions are revised periodically, so verify them at the time of the deal, rather than from a dated article.
What follows is due diligence on the property itself. A local lawyer you hire yourself should examine the registered title, any mortgages or liens, building permits and whether the vendor can legally transfer it. In many markets, unpaid local taxes transfer with the buy property in portugal, not the person who ran them up.
The funding requires planning of its own. Setting up a local account tends to be a precondition for the purchase, and compliance departments typically ask houses for sale in broward proof of the source of funds. Moving money across borders can shift the final figure noticeably, so treat it as a real line item.
The preliminary agreement usually comes first: a holding deposit reserves the unit for an agreed window. Check carefully what happens to that deposit if the legal review turns up a problem. A well-drafted clause returns the money when the defect comes from the seller.
Completion normally takes place in front of a notary or an equivalent official, depending on the country. The transfer is only complete once it is registered, which can take weeks in some countries. Keep every document — the purchase deed, tax receipts and the registry extract. You will need them at resale.
