Do any of the countries you are considering have restrictions on ownership by aliens (aliens in the legal sense, not in the extraterrestrial sense)?

Don't hold me to this, but Greece is probably a really good investment right now.

Agree with Mtn's point about pull. Language ability is a big factor. I adore France but I'm not sure how easy it is for a non -EU national to purchase property. We are (sort of) considering Spain, near the French border, because it is much cheaper than France and they are more aggressive with incentives for non-nationals to purchase.

I would urge you to consider Sardinia as well. Much more affordable than mainland Italy, unique distinct culture, gorgeous and direct regular flights from London.

language
expat community (Britons)
legal considerations, e.g. visa, residency requirements (I have friends who own property in France, and it's a huge PIA), and TAXES, both here and in the US.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2012/11/21/everything-you-need-to-know-about-buying-a-home-in-europe/

Between the two of us we have rusty conversational French, Spanish and Italian covered. Residency and taxes are a problem, I agree. Between the two of us we've lived in the uk, Italy and Switzerland, but companies were involved in getting visas. The plan would be part time visits until we were legible for retirement visas. Spain is the easiest I think to buy into and the costa del sol is filled with Brits.

@sochi. I forgot about Sardinia. Great suggestion. We were looking in the area of the Spain and France border last September. . --- some great options there. Mountains nice beaches and a big airport nearby.

@mtn. I too adore France and think Nimes would be a nice option. Normandy is a bit cold I think though we have friends there. Russian money is going everywhere but especially Switzerland for tax reasons. Flat negotiated taxes but crazy expensive. Lots of oil money as well.

Interesting that Sardinia made the list and I had no idea there was a direct flight there from London. My grandfather was from Sardinia. My father visited in the late 50s then dh and I made a somewhat surprise visit there many years ago (had never met any of them and all I had to go by were their names, name of village and pictures - long story, but first pub I entered I found someone who brought me right to my great aunt's door). Anyway, I digress. During our visit with my relatives, We ended up staying in a vacation condo along the coast that was owned by a distant relative who lived in Germany. Up until then, I had no idea that parts of Sardinia were tourist destinations (my grandfather was from a small mountain village no tourist would go to). The only downside I could possibly see is that you are more limited in traveling around if you were in Sardinia rather than a mainland area that has many places within driving distance (if that is something you'd like to do during your stays).

Not Europe, but have you considered S. America, i.e.: Costa Rica maybe?

Taxes, ease of purchase, etc are important but for me the main criteria would be do I love this place and want to come back again and again.

Ohh I want to be you!

I think it depends on
what you are into. The eastern Kastel areas and beyond in Croatia is pretty and
laid back and just minutes from Spilt and the airport. It’s not as cheap as it
was a short period of time ago but still very reasonable. Some of the first few
Kastel areas are quaint but rough around the edges so look a bit further down.
The Island of Broc is lovely but a week was enough for me. I would stay away from the Dubrovnik area as
its sardine tourism.

Amalfi coast of course
is breathtakingly beautiful with delicious seafood dishes, wonderful joyous
peoples and great places to walk. You can eat as much as you want here and not
gain weight do to the uphill climbs and endless steps. It can get a little
tourist crowded in the summer. It would still be high on my list though as there are endless places near to explore.

Like Mnt, I love French food so it’s all a toss-up.

All in all the countries above seem to make much more of an effort in
learning our language compared to us learning theirs so I have yet to have any
real problems with communication.

@4kids4us: That's a great story regarding your relatives. These small villages in Italy are so intertwined, everybody seems to know someone. I recall seeing the reality show of Brian Boitano's home renovation project in Italy, where he restored the old family home near the town of Boitano. The history and people part was fascinating.

@tibbrix: Yes, as an alternative, we've consdidered at Costa Rica, parts of Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. The Pacific side is more feasible from California, especially with NS flights to a number of areas (not all currently safe, however). With the Euro down, our focus shifted to the continent.

@joaniepoani: yes, so true. you have to love the home base -- making it accessible to other areas of interest would be very helpful as well.

@justterilynn: I think it is more accessible than we first think. Thank you so much for the background info on the areas in Croatia to checkout. We hear all the time of Dubrovnik and Split, but never of the other areas. I think the Amalfi would work just fine -- I think the key is to select one of the non main tourist towns

If you are interested in the Amalfi coast, check out Vietri. It's at the bottom of the Amalfi coast. I don't know anything about housing there, but it's a cute little town well known for its beautiful pottery. You might also research Gaeta which is also on the coast b/w Rome and Naples. Dh was aide to a 5-star admiral and accompanied him on a trip to Italy (I tagged along which is how I found Vietri...went on a shopping excursion there with the wife of an admiral stationed in Gaeta). He was in command of the US naval forces there. He lived in this enormous villa overlooking the Mediterranean that had been built by a wealthy Italian who divorced before it finished and he ended up renting it to the Navy. Anyway, dh's boss/wife and dh and I were invited to stay. Our room was at the top of a spiral staircase in a room that looked like the top of a lighthouse. The Navy no longer uses it and I wish I remember exactly where it was, but it was just amazing. Dh and I ended up meeting some friends for dinner who were also stationed there in Gaeta, coincidentally, and it was some of the best seafood I've ever had.

Just a few suggestions...so many choices that I can't imagine trying to narrow it down!!

Perhaps check out Cyprus? I mean the Greek part of the island. Tons of historical character, warm climate year round, easy travel to tourist destinations like Israel, Greece or Egypt by sea boat (think a day trip or a weekend getaway). They even have their own winter ski area - the Troodos Mountains: Skiing in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

Also, Cyprus was a British colony until 1960. A lot of Cypriots can speak English. Since tourism is a major industry there, many young Cypriots learn English to gain a job advantage. When I visited Cyprus on business as a part of my past job in Moscow, I had no problem getting around although I spoke zero Greek. My English was sufficient. I found the locals to be very friendly and often cordial. There are English-language newspapers and lots of places have information in English like restaurant menus. And the scenery, especially the sea, was so beautiful. I loved exploring the island!

It looked like it wasn't too hard for foreigners to buy real estate there. Some Cypriots told me that many properties in coastal towns like Limassol or Paphos were owned by foreigners - Brits, Germans or Russians.

Edited to add a link on healthcare in Cyprus.

Canary Islands? Lots of direct and cheap flights from the UK or the continent.

Cyprus is in very bad shape these days.

I also second Costa Rica or (perhaps Panama or Nicaragua). At least it doesn't involve 18 hours to get there.

@4kids4us -- I'll go ahead and check out Vietri. I think once you are out of the Sorrentos and Amalfis of the world, the price drops and the summer crowds dissipate.

@lana_roma, @noccermom: Cyprus does sound interesting, but I wonder if it fails the stability test? I've never been, although it has been on the consideration list before. Malta is another one that might be attractive, although any of these islands does make for a big connection to the US West Coast. The Canaries have been on the wish list to visit for quite some time now -- now that we are back on the West Coast, it's quite a haul.

I wonder, though, about the dynamics of living longer term on an island, especially one so far from the mainland. The ability to just jump in a car or train and go someplace else is pretty compelling.

Well, the Canary Islands have a whole bunch of very different islands, but I get your point --- although they are easily accessible via London or Frankfurt (which connect directly to the West Coast).

What about Portugal, i.e. Algarve?

@nosoccermom -- that's another good idea. I've only been as far west as Gibraltar and just to Lisbon in Portugal (although DH has a friend in Porto he wants to visit). Cadiz is another choice... it's tough to get there.

I tried mapping out flights to all of these locations. Some of these take over 24 hours to get to, and that's a bit much. However, a good bunch of these take 15 or less. That's kind of an incentive.

Not Europe but definately Maui!

Sue

I visited Cyprus in the late 90's - early 2000's, so I'm not very up-to-date on the country situation. I enjoyed staying there, though.

After vacationing in France with no knowledge of French, I was surprised how much easier it was to get around in Cyprus speaking English only. My employer's office was in Nicosia, which was inland and less of a tourist destination. Still, the old city center inside the 16th century Venetian walls was fascinating. I enjoyed hanging out with my colleagues at night there. Lots of restaurants, very walkable, easy and inexpensive to get a taxi home at any time. Crime was very low in the city. But that was over 10 years ago, before the Euro adoption.

Have you considered Chile? The beaches are spectacular. I lived in Santiago for almost a year during college. So much to do with the mountains and beach nearly an hour apart. The people are fantastic and there are quite a few expats there as well.

gooster ... Ck out nyt today ... You can become a mayor in Hungary! Also iirc an article on house hunting in the Fr Alps FWIW

And:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/american-real-estate-buyers-take-advantage-of-the-falling-euro-1425574026

@seww -- I do love Hawaii and my sister used to live there. We thought about buying there.

@lana_roma -- cyprus sounds wonderful and I look forward to a visit. @aktillery -- We have not been to Chile, but it sounds like a great place. We have not explored South America to the extend we should have.

@Mtn -- thanks so much (I think) for the heads up on the article. The drop in the Euro was a big motivator, and I see others are in a similar mindset! It has sent DH into a tizzy.

Well, Gooster, a lot of people think it will keep dropping. so maybe you will have plenty of opportunity; who knows.

I did want to chime in re Chile. We were in Chile this past December. It is a very lovely country, and it sure does have a ton of coastline!

We did a day trip to Valparaiso (very disappointing and a dump, frankly) and to Vina del Mar (I think it's most famous beach town). To me, Vina del Mar looked like Miami before its revival. Lots of 70s and 80s high rises, things in poor repair, stray dogs on the street, traffic, vendors selling lots of total junk. Thumbs down.

We did have the great fortune of going to Zapallar to visit a Chilean family we had met earlier in our travels and Zapallar is gorgeous; looks a bit like the French riviera. That said, pretty small, very few amenities and overwhelmingly local. I am not sure if I would want to be in a place that did not have more of an international community? Oh and Chile's on-again-of-again dalliances with socialism might concern me as an investor. And overall, South America is a frustrating place --- just not well run at all.

There is no doubt it would be Denmark! Have you not heard it's the happiest of all European countries? The people are the most friendly you will find anywhere, the countryside is magnificent, Danish food is delightful, and if you can survive the cold winters, you've got it made! Not to mention even though Copenhagen is a small city, it's a delight to the senses!

I've visited 3 times, one the hottest summer on record, another the coldest winter on record, which still wouldn't change my mind. It's a magical, fairytale-like sort of place, and while France is beautiful, it can't compete with charming Denmark.

Goodness, Patty_cakes, are you on the tourism board there! LOL, now we have to go!

@patty_cakes: I've been to Denmark, mainly to Copenhagen, several times. It's quite expensive, sadly, probably because it is so loved by many people. For me, however, it's also too cold and the winter nights too long. I think that is why I prefer the southern areas surrounding the Med.

@mtnredux: I'd like to explore South America more -- we're only been to Peru. It really is the continent we've not been to very much --- even less so than Africa. Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Columbia are all on the list.

I'd been to Brazil before, both for business and pleasure, and to to Ecuador for vacation. This time we were in Chile, Peru and Argentina. I think it is certainly worth very much worth exploring, but we had some horrific experiences with their airlines (as did fellow travelers) and a lot of infrastructure nuisances. Hope not to offend anyone with sweeping generalizations but between corruption, volatile politics and inept business I would never invest there.

I think if one were to invest in a place like Chile it would be because the informality of the culture was appealing. For some people, the less-developed infrastructure and totally different culture is what draws them in. I'm not casual enough to go with the flow to live down there. But I can certainly see the appeal.

Plus, hardly any jet lag at all. That might be an advantage if it's a place meant to hop back and forth frequently. I too had air travel hassles, but it worked out about the same as it would have had I been in the US. I've also had trips where it all went perfectly smoothly.

But for me, in answer to the OP's question, I would happily settle in Southern Germany, along the Bodensee (a very large glacial lake, with utterly pastoral surroundings. Very livable!) My mom had an apartment there for several years and I became quite the frequent traveler back and forth. Not easy to get to though. Closest airport is Zurich and from there it's still 1.5 hours by train and ferry. So worth it though, I'd go back in a heartbeat!

I hate to sound like a party pooper, but one consideration nowadays, in the wake of FATCA legislation, needs to include banking. Because of the strict reporting requirements placed by the US on foreign banks, many have begun denying services, including savings accounts and home mortgage loans, to Americans overseas to avoid having to comply with FATCA. There are stories in the news of Americans abroad, in Mexico, Europe, Japan, having their bank accounts closed, being unable to open accounts, mortgages denied, or cancelled. This isn't as big a problem for a vacation home vs. permanently living abroad, but if you need a mortgage and/or plan to do any banking while you're at your destination, it's something you should look into.

@Karin_MT: I've been to the Bodensee, back when we lived in Lausanne. It is a lovely and beautiful area. Austria could be another choice --

@beckysharp -- I understand the pain with banking -- it's gotten so much worse. I had Credite Suisse accounts and I understand they stopped serving US customers. We do plan on buying with cash.