I believe buying a property allows you to get a 'golden visa' in a lot of places...kind of face tracts some things, but it's not always a requirement. I know people in Spain who say yeah, the taxes are higher in Spain...but it wipes out whatever they'd have to pay back to the US. But plenty of other options, depending on what your family is looking for. I don't have kids (really it's just my dog that dictates where I can/cannot go), but completely understand everything being out of whack in the U.S. The longer I'm away the less I feel the pull to return.