Location independence lets you live in a way that takes advantage of the best conditions of multiple places while avoiding their downsides. This can be as simple as avoiding bad weather in winter, enjoying the food you like, or leveraging high income jobs and investments remotely in one place to get better value spending it elsewhere.

Given this lifestyle, property investment for digital nomads may seem like a contradiction. Property ownership by its very definition is fixed to one place. However, as many nomads have come to realise, its often the perfect asset for those who wish to secure a location independent lifestyle.

Investing in property as a digital nomad can offer several advantages, especially when the property can be used partly for personal use. These include:

1. Stability and Personal Space: Owning a property provides a sense of stability and a place to call home. As a digital nomad, having a base where you can return to and enjoy your personal space can be valuable. Unlike rented accomodation, your own property can be customised and personalised the way that suits your lifestyle making it a more enjoyable and productive environment..
2. Community: Owning a property in a specific location allows you to become more integrated into the local community. You can build relationships with neighbours, get involved in local activities, and develop a deeper understanding of the culture and lifestyle of the place you choose to invest in.
3. Cost Savings: Renting accommodations while traveling can be expensive, especially in popular digital nomad destinations. By owning a property, you can save on rental costs in the long run and any costs tend to contribute to building up your own asset.
4. Asset Appreciation: Property can appreciate in value over time, providing a potential return on investment.
5. Passive Income: When you’re not personally using the property, you can rent it out either short-term or long-term and generate a fairly passive source of income.
6. Tax Advantages: Depending on the jurisdiction, owning property can come with certain tax benefits. This could include deductions for mortgage interest, property taxes, and other expenses related to maintaining the property.
7. Asset Diversification: property can provide diversification within your investment portfolio. It adds a tangible, non-monetary asset that has a different risk and return profile compared to other investment options like stocks or bonds.
8. Security: while some assets such as money in bank accounts are relatively easy to seize, impound or steal, real property tends to be better protected. In many countries property ownership enjoys constitutional protection that is afforded to no other class of asset.
9. Inflation hedge: Property has long been regarded as a hedge against inflation. Given that housing is a major expense for most people, the price of accessing property (ie. rent) normally increases broadly in line with inflation.
10. Currency hedge: having a property portfolio in a jurisdiction outside that of your main income can be a great hedge against currency fluctuations.
11. Visas and residency advantages: Some jurisdictions give preferential treatment to property owners. This can be in the form of special visa categories, access to passports or access to financial services that are not available to regular visitors.

With the above noted, its probably worth pointing out that direct property investment isn’t for everyone. While some people believe that property prices can only go up, there are very many examples where this isn’t the case. Successful property investment often requires a combination of the right instincts, knowledge of local markets and an understanding of broader financial systems. The aim of this community is to provide accurate information about these things in an international context, often for foreign investors.