Hi all. First time posting here - long time fan of Rick's work. I'm not sure if this is the best site to post this but I'm giving it a try and would gladly accept recommendations for better places to look if they exist.
My remote work has been pretty steady and as far as I can tell, I meet all of the qualifications for obtaining Spain's Digital Nomad visa (including being 1099 as opposed to W-2) and my significant other and I are planning on shaking things up and going for it within the next year. We're looking to buy as opposed to renting, and we're going to see how we feel about extending the visa for 5 years leading to long term residency or perhaps using the home as a rental.
When it comes to recommendations, I'm most interested in learning about real estate companies and if anyone has any experience to share with doing any part of this. I can take recommendations about where to go, but I can (and will) also research that kind of thing on my own. The same is true for administrative issues like taxes. On the other hand, every real estate company's website is going to say that they're great so getting an opinion based on experience would be very helpful.
Otherwise our main concerns are walkable places with low or very low rates of violent crime and obviously reliable internet is non-negotiable although I get the sense that this isn't likely to be a problem. Looking for homes in the <$150K range. Proximity to hiking trails and outdoor opportunities is a big plus which has put Ponferrada and Teruel on our radar but I'm open to other options. My facility with Spanish is decent and will be improved by the time we get there so I don't care one way or the other about the presence of expat communities.
Looking forward to learning from everyone. Thanks! =)