U.S. Citizen application for residency? (Lisbon)

Hello,

I'm getting different answers from the Portuguese consulate in New York and from the SEF website. I am currently in Lisbon and would like to extend my stay - my wife and I are looking to purchase an apartment, as a matter of fact. Any suggested what we need to do as U.S. citizens, not EU citizens? For starters, is there an office, and can we expect to get by with broken Portuguese/Spanish and English? Also, if anyone had experience with this, is it worth hiring a Portuguese lawyer to smooth the process? Any idea what to expect, how long, etc., is welcome. Thanks!

Alex