This is a very difficult one to answer.
The first thing to note is that as a US citizen you would probably only get a permit to live in Portugal if -
1) You are a retiree with substantial private income
2) You make a substantial business investment which might entitle you to a residency and work permit
3) You are married to someone with Portuguese nationality. Even then there may be complication.
4) You work for a company who transfers you to work at their operations in Portugal and can organise a work permit.
Generally the Portuguese are friendly to foreigners although when one lives here, like in most places, one should learn the language and try to integrate socially. Do not expect to be welcomed overnight.
Buying a house is no problem once you have a work/residency permit but be aware that in my opinion property prices are still in excess of actual value and quality of construction is not always that good. Prices are probably higher than certain parts of the US.
You would probably need private Health Insurance for your first 18 months or so and during that time you would have also to pay into the local national public heath insurance system.
I would suggest that if you have further queries that you contact the Portuguese Embassy in Washington D.C. in the first instance.
2012 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Estados Unidos da América
Hours: das 9h00 às 16h30
Telefone: 001 202 350 54 00
Fax: 001 202 462 37 26
E-mail: info@embassyportugal-us.org
