Barcelona House Hunting

Ok, there is obvious day-dreaming involved in this – but since I think about it nearly every day, I might as well share it with you and maybe pool a group of investors together?! 🙂

As a realtor in San Francisco, maybe I just naturally gravitate towards thinking about properties, investment potential, architecture, design flow, value….but no one can argue with location, location, location when it comes to both SF and BCN . I enjoy scouring the realtor listings in Barcelona and following pricing, trends and beautiful displays of history – all for the price two San Francisco garage spots.

TIP: There are the obvious pros and cons in a more serious contemplation of this – such as, what are the added costs on top of the purchase (up to an additional 15% for transfer tax and legal fees and then the yearly property tax for a foreign investment – wealth tax, personal income tax and property tax….oh and hire a lawyer to make sure you can legally rent out your place if that is the goal). But a big pro is that an investment over 500,000euros will entitle you to a Golden Visa – ie a residency visa. But I guess a basic thought, which came up in discussion today with a friend, is how often do you think you will be able to visit and make use of the property if this is not a full-time move? Well, let’s just acknowledge that Barcelona is very very far away from San Francisco, but the dream is still alive! 🙂

Let’s start with dreaming-big (and though no palatial French Chateaus for $1-million here – these properties are move-in-ready and in the heart of a bustling international city) – Disfruta ! (Enjoy!)

Located on one of the most coveted streets in Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia, this apartment of over 7,000sqft was built the same year of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo, 1906 and is a true representation of a Catalan architectural masterpiece. For a mere $6-million you can live in a place of history and grandeur on the highest scale in BCN. 5 bedrooms and 5 baths with a large private outdoor terrace and 4-car parking.

Moving on to something on the modern-end of the scale, welcome to a brand new penthouse flat of 2,500sqft in the heart of the city with panoramic views over the city hub – and a 500sqft terrace to boot. $1.55Million is the list price for this state-of-the-art luxury living by Plaza Catalunya.