Californian thinking about a move to Brazil

It’s good you are studying portuguese.

If you’re from California perhaps you speak spanish which will help you master portuguese faster. If you plan on working in Brazil it will be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to work with the Brazilian population without portuguese. The country is mono-lingual by design. It’s very uncommon to meet any natives who speak other languages. So a level of fluency is required for business and government interactions.

All this will become very apparent after your first few days in Brazil. Also, the Brazilian Real Estate sector is NOTHING like in the USA. No MLS etc..So, you may have to do some additional local learning 😲.

In any event, the first thing you will be doing is checking the place out, everything else will fall into place as it comes.

Good luck!

05/02/25 Welcome, @kittykattyyy!  As @bepmoht wrote, studying Portuguese is a necessity for anyone who hopes to live here.  Coming on a student visa to learn the language is an especially good idea.  It's a relatively easy way to get to stay in Brazil for a while, and you'll have time to get to know the country and figure out if you'd like to find a way to stay, or to return as a resident.  Foreigners in Brazil on student visas are not allowed to work for pay while studying, so you should arrive with your finances secure for whole period of your stay.

Finding a job in Brazil as a foreigner without either sponsorship from a Brazilian employer or permanent residency through other means (e.g., marriage) is practically impossible.  Brazilian salary levels are also quite low as compared to the US.  Take advantage of your time here as a student to network with your teachers and other Brazilians you meet, and you may be able to develop a permanency plan, if you decide that's what you want.  Even if it isn't, you'll have a memorable experience.

@kittykattyyy Good Idea. This is a question for @abthree. So apparently my  thread was old and did not initially have @abthree's response.

I will only emphasis that hardly anyone speaks English in Brazil

so, the more you learn ahead of time the better. I teach English and I would

greatly recommend what I call "Functional Vocabulary" It is nice to say it is sunny etc.,

but you want to learn the vocabulary to function (find the bathroom, eat, find a doctor etc.) first.

I do not live in the big glamourous cities, but far out in a small village in Northeastern Brazil.

The farther you get away from the Big Cities, the harder it is to find someone who speaks English.

The other note that was not mentioned is that coming from

California to Brazil is like winning the lottery. California is well known

for being expensive. Brazil has an exchange rate of  5 or 6 reis to 1 dollar.

I just went to the Supermercado (grocery store.) It cost me

R$ 424 Reis for my purchases. The amount converted from my

American bank account was just $74.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

05/02/25 @kittykattyyy Good Idea. This is a question for @abthree.  So apparently my thread was old and did not initially have @abthree's response.

Roddie in Retirement🕵 - @roddiesho

Sometimes I do miss one.  What old thread is that?  😃

@abthree kittykattyyy's thread came across my computer with NO responses. As I started to respond the other responses came on. 😎

@Kittykattyyy welcome! I live in Niteroi across the bay from Rio. I prefer it and feel safer here but I know only one other US expat here. I came here from San Francisco and ironically live a handful of meters from the São Francisco neighborhood. Where in California are you from?

I completely agree with @Bepmoht, @Abthree and @Roddiesho about learning Portuguese. For what it's worth, I have found Duolingo very effective if you're not already using it. Best of luck with your adventure.

@bepmoht

Thank you so much for your help!! I really appreciate it ) yes I know a good amount of Spanish due to living here, plus I have studied abroad last summer in Barcelona! I know I definitely have to know a good amount of Portuguese to live there. could you please clarify what you mean by no mls? Do you have to find listings yourself, or a different system? Thank you so much!

@ibdegen

Orange County!

would it be better for me to work remotely since it’s very hard to find a job in Brazil? I would like to visit and study first before seeing if I would like to do anything further!! any advice about anything related to this is super appreciated. Thank you all for your help so far! 😁

would it be better for me to work remotely since it’s very hard to find a job in Brazil? I would like to visit and study first before seeing if I would like to do anything further!! any advice about anything related to this is super appreciated. Thank you all for your help so far! 😁 - @kittykattyyy

I think we have spoken before - a couple of years ago maybe?

But anyway, it is illegal to work in Brazil selling Brazilian real estate (not owned by you) without a CRECI license. To obtain a CRECI license will typically mean 2 or more  years at a part time college, and passing their exams. Of course you could sell US real estate from Brazil, if you think that may be possible, but also have you considered your visa options in this case if you would want to live here? Maybe a Digital Nomad visa?

@kittykattyyy I could not agree more with Peter Itamaraca. The best way is to simply bring money with you if you know you will definitly relocate here. I am also tirelessly working on my YouTube channel. When it is finally launched, I will have that as a second income.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

@ibdegen Sorry, there are few Expats in Niteroi because we moved away. I grew up (since I was 10) hanging out at my Brazilian Mothers house in Niteroi and taking the Hydrofoil from Niteroi to Rio (not sure they still exist). The ferry took about 20minutes. The Hydorfoil made it in 7 minutes. I did not know all the portuguese langage, just enough to get me off the boat to the bus station, take the correct bus to Copacabana Beach and have some fun in Rio. We now live in Northeastern Brazil. My Niteroi born 2nd. mother is now 98.

Roddie in Retirement🕵

@Peter Itamaraca

nope, I just made my account a few days ago 😅 I am thinking about obtaining the CRECI if I decide to move there for sure. I want to keep everything legal and smooth 😂 since I am of course new in this field I’m still trying to figure out the best way to sell US real estate while living there (or another option if that comes up), but I’m still researching that along with learning Portuguese. I also heard you can work at a popular firm in the US (like Keller Williams or coldwell banker) then transfer to their office in Brazil but I’m still seeing how that process works. Thank you for your help!!

@roddiesho

Thanks for your advice!!

@Peter Itamaraca

I am definitely looking into the digital nomad visa options as well!

@kittykattyyy Your Welcome!

This is still real estate but does require a different skill set. My family in the United States as well as here in Brazil have always been Builders. My late father and his father before him built my Dad's house as well as my grandmother's house in R.I. My younger brother in S.F. builds and rents apartments.

Here in Northeastern Brazil in our small village, EVERY PROPERTY is owner built. On our compound we have three houses. There is NO American style realtors. Everything is built.

For better or worse, everywhere is not like Rio and Sao Paulo, but it can be a very lucrative niche.

Roddie in Retirement🕵