Frequently Asked Questions -

• Who were the Moores?
• How do you get around in Portugal?
• Where should I visit in Portugal?
• Who will take care of our property, when we are not in residence?
• Is it a good idea to rent a property out, when we do not occupy it ourselves?
• Are off-shore properties OK to buy or should we avoid these properties?
• Which extra purchase-costs should I consider, buying a property in Portugal?
• How stable are the price-levels in Algarve on property?
• How good is the quality of construction here in Portugal?
• Is there a lot of criminality here in Algarve?
• Our children need to attend an International school. Where would it be good to live?
• We have a boat and would like to make use of a marina. Where do we find a good marina?
• What is the general procedure in buying a property in Portugal?
• Is it difficult to find a good lawyer, who can speak our language?

Question:
Are off-shore properties OK to buy or should we avoid these properties?

Answer:
First of all, there is absolutely nothing bad or illegal about owning a property in a company – on- or off-shore. It is totally legitimate. Whether it is an advantage or not for the individual, a tax advisor could answer for you. A general saving you have here is the avoidance of the IMT tax and notary fees, since you are in actual fact not selling/buying a Portuguese property put you are selling/buying shares of a company owning a property. Recent years´ added costs to companies holding property, might, on lower-valued properties, outweigh the advantages of the off-shore concept. Again, it is a very individual issue and might/might not be an advantage. “L”