Where To Invest $50,000 Today?
Date: 11/04/2005
International Living Postcards– Saturday Edition
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2005
Arlington, Virginia
Dear International Living Reader,
In the past few weeks, I’ve investigated vineyards and ranch-land in Argentina, coastal opportunities in Croatia, and renovation projects in Montenegro…and now I’m in a private meeting room only minutes from Washington, D.C.
As I write, 45 prospective investors and 14 global real estate experts are convened here…not to discuss politics…but to learn about the most profitable idea in the world today: global real estate investing.
These men and women are among the best in the international land game, and when they talk, you should listen. Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it–you’re not going to miss out. I’ve asked friend and colleague Thom Hickling to give you the inside scoop. Today and Monday, he’ll be your eyes and ears at this remarkable event, sharing with you the secrets he uncovers.
As Thom says, "Simply reading my reports you’ll learn at least one secret that could pay for itself many times over. Perhaps even something that could change your life."
Thom, over to you…
Lief Simon
Real Estate Editor, International Living
—————-
Where To Invest $50,000 Today?
An Insider’s View Of Global Real Estate Investing
Live from the International Real Estate Forum
Arlington, Virginia
Dear International Living Reader,
What if you had $50,000 that you wanted to move offshore and spend in promising real estate investments?
Where would you look today?
I’ll give you some ideas in just a minute…
The first day of the International Real Estate Forum just wrapped up. I tried to corner Lief during the cocktail hour at the Crystal City Hyatt Hotel, just about three miles from the U.S. Capital. But no luck. I couldn’t elbow my way through the crowd. I finally did catch up with him for an impromptu interview. Details below…along with highlights and tips from some other of the world’s most experienced investors in this first live report from the conference. Stick with me, dear reader, for in this letter I also detail a chance for you to take your first step toward cashing in on the inevitable trend emerging in international real estate investing…a chance not only to start making the money you’ve dreamed of…but also to start traveling and living in some of the most exciting places in the world.
According to Lief Simon, International Living’s resident real estate guru, editor of Global Real Estate Investor, and host of this event, you have a lot of options. However, finally, I was able to pin him down. Generally speaking, Lief says, if you’ve got, say, $50,000 to spend, you’ve got a few, good high-leverage options today…but with varying degrees of risk.
For those with a higher risk tolerance, Lief suggests buying "off plan." That means the pre-construction purchase of an apartment, condo, or home that you plan to sell in the future. The returns can be substantial. Lief has made as much as 35% annualized on an 18-month investment. Of course, there are no guarantees in this off-plan arena…and you’ve got to buy smart.
Lief went on to explain how to get started in a $200,000 global real estate portfolio right now, and a $500,000 one, too. If I have time, I’ll give you details about those portfolios, too, but I’ve got to move fast. My deadline to file this live report is looming.
Crystal City, Virginia:
The Global Real Estate Investing
Capital Of the World (Today & Tomorrow)
The view from the car window driving down the Baltimore/Washington Parkway was awash in autumn splendor. And a surprise was waiting upon arrival in D.C. In the lobby of the hotel was a big custom chopper and a motley crew of bikers.
They are the "Rolling Thunder," a bunch of mostly Vietnam-era vets who love motorcycles and work on behalf of POW/MIA issues. You may have seen them on the news with one of their huge Memorial Day rides to the Vietnam Veterans Monument. These draw as many as 500,000 patriotic motorcycle enthusiasts. Not at all what you’d expect at a convention hotel. Usually it’s government employees or military industrial complex workers here. Today, it’s more of a mixed bag. The bikers add some visual stimulation to the otherwise deathly boring hotel.
But we’re not here for government contracts, political action, or gawking at chrome-covered bikes. About 45 International Living readers have gathered for an intensive two-day forum to learn the ropes of global real estate investing from 15 of the world’s top experts in the field. This forum is where people who’ve been reading about international real estate…or dreaming of taking the first step to building a portfolio overseas… learn how it is done from experienced experts. Here are some highlights from the day…
Lief opened the program with a presentation called "The Pros and Pitfalls of Buying Real Estate Offshore." He offered a comprehensive overview. Lief knows his stuff. He has an MBA in International Management, has lived and worked in seven countries, invested in real estate in 12 countries, traveled to more than 40 countries, and currently manages a multi-million-dollar portfolio of real estate around the world for International Living.
Cornering him for tips after the day’s sessions at the cocktail reception was nearly impossible. He was surrounded by a bevy of real estate "groupies." Well, they are not really groupies. But when attendees get a chance to talk with Lief one-on-one…it’s not easy to elbow your way into the circle. Sometimes he gets the "rock star" treatment at these events.
I wanted to get some personal insights straight from him for this report. So I called his room after the cocktail reception was finished. Surprisingly, he answered. Lief was too tired to go out to dinner. Lucky for you. He’s just returned from a trip to Croatia with his wife, editor of International Living, Kathleen Peddicord, and their two children, Kaitlin and Jackson.
"The New Tuscany"
Lief was almost too tired to talk, but I was able to find out that he and Kathleen were looking for a property in Croatia… and one for IL, too. The area that interested them most was on the Istrian coast, not far from the city of Porec. This region has been called "The Next Tuscany." Kathleen found the area charming…and the kids thought that it was remarkably friendly. Lief included the region in his recommendations for buyers with substantial financial resources looking for overseas land investments.
No wonder Lief is tired. Before taking the family to Croatia, he was on the road with International Living’s founder, Bill Bonner, the editor of the popular financial eletter The Daily Reckoning. Bill and Lief traveled with a group of about 10 guys, including one of our speakers at this forum, Argentina native Paul Reynolds. After touring the country in search of ranch-land and vineyards, members of the group have decided to make offers on a couple of large tracts of land. (This opportunity is another recommendation high on Lief’s list right now.)
The Argentine scouting party looked at a ranch about half the size of the state of Rhode Island, 160,000 hectares (395,000 acres). The asking price is somewhere around $4 an acre.
Here are some comments about the trip and the opportunity from Bill:
"A Dollar Is A Dollar"
"A pound is a dollar is a peso. No matter what currency you spend, in nominal terms, the price is about the same. We have no explanation for this; perhaps it is merely a coincidence. But when you buy a cup of coffee in London, you pay about three pounds. The same cup of coffee in New York costs $3. And in Buenos Aires, you pay three pesos. But the dollar is worth barely half of a pound and an Argentine peso is worth only a third of a dollar. So the real cost of the cup of coffee in Buenos Aires is only a sixth as much as London.
"This is more or less true in property prices, too. For the price of a single London townhouse, for example, you could buy an entire apartment building in almost any city in Latin America. A luxury apartment in Buenos Aires, a city equal in charm, culture, and liveliness to almost any European capital, can still be bought for only 750,000 pesos. You couldn’t buy an equivalent place for $750,000 in New York, but you might in Cleveland, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh. And you couldn’t get close to the equivalent in London for six times as much; wave that kind of money in front of a London estate agent and he will suggest a bed at the YMCA. Likewise, for the price of a modest country property in England, you could buy a 100,000-acre ranch in Paraguay or Argentina…or a luxurious home on a private beach in Nicaragua.
"On a recent trip to Argentina, we looked at an amazing place. It might have been Arizona or New Mexico, with cold water coming down from the Andes cutting through barren hills. On the flatland by the river were 1,000 acres of grapevines, several rustic houses built of adobe, and a marvelous old winery that had been built in 1870, which produced nearly 500,000 liters of wine per year.
"There were rows of Lombardy poplars lining the vineyards, which was irrigated from the river. The weather is perfect, with sunshine almost every day. Rarely does it get very cold, even in winter. And surrounding the vineyard are 50,000 acres of wilderness. It was a delightful scene. In California, with less land, it might be priced at $20 million or more. In France or Italy, it would be impossible to find such a place at any price. But in Argentina, the asking price: $1.6 million. Another wine area, near the charming little town of San Rafael, offers buyers building lots in the middle of a vineyard for just $20,000. The property is about five minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from town…and the weather is better than Arizona. What’s more, you can get a cook, a gardener, or a chauffeur for only about $10 a day."
Their host for that trip was Paul Reynolds, IL’s leading contact in Argentina and Uruguay. I tried to speak to Paul for a minute about land deals in his home country right now, but he was more interested in grilling me on why I wasn’t on the recent trip and where my guitar was. But, in his sessions, he offered detailed advice on the potential of the short-term rental market in Argentina today. He assured everyone that there’s plenty of opportunity there, especially as you can buy into the apartment market at such a moderate cost.
Your Cast Of Experts
Today, we heard from 8 of the 14 experts on the program. I don’t have time to detail all of their presentations. But I will give you highlights.
From Cyberspace…
Speaking of currency issues, we heard from Frank Trotter from Everbank about "Hedging Your International Real Estate Purchase." Everbank operates online only and offers depositors and investors a host of services that traditional banks can’t…or don’t.
They offer a world currency account that allows you to keep your money and to spend your money in virtually any currency in the world: euros, dollars, pesos, Chinese renminbi, or whatever. Frank explained how to use his bank to diversify globally, earn interest (even on checking accounts), and seek capital gains with an FDIC-insured deposit account denominated in any of the major currencies. He also explained how to use Everbank’s services to help reduce overall portfolio risk and volatility.
From Mexico…
Robert Chernick is the developer behind what he says is the largest tract of privately owned coastal land in Mexico, Liberty Cove. With 15 miles of oceanfront the gradual slope of its 46,500 acres provides gorgeous ocean views from as far as even eight miles away from the coast. This development is 72 square miles: about 3½ times the size of Manhattan. Three separate mountain ranges provide a spectacular backdrop to the beaches along the Sea of Cortez. Dolphins and sea lions reside in abundance as well as the large variety of tropical fish that swim through the virgin reefs.
The Sea of Cortez is one of the most treasured marine oases on the planet. According to Robert, Jacque Cousteau called it "The World’s Biggest Aquarium" with more than 900 species of fish and marine mammals inhabiting the sea. The species includes marlin, yellow fin, tuna, grouper, turtles, shrimp, sardines, bay scallops, sea cucumbers, and yellowtail, as well as dolphins, sea lions, and manta rays. According to The Sea of Cortez International Preservation Foundation, "it is one of the truly great bodies of water that hasn’t been destroyed."
Native birds abound including both land and sea varieties. Big horn sheep and mule deer graze at the higher elevations and share the habitat with many smaller species. In addition to planned beach activities and water sports, the master plan boasts of unlimited access to thousands of acres of planned, dedicated recreational and open space area with serious restrictions to protect the environment while creating a spectacular new community. To open up this pristine land, President Fox approved the $200 million funding and construction of the new Coast Highway that is now under phased construction through Liberty Cove.
Attending this conference is an eye-opening experience for attendees unaware of the amazing possibilities awaiting you outside the U.S. borders. You’ve just heard a few highlights…
This conference is a two-day event. By tomorrow night, the prospective buyers will be headed home, and the IL-Global Real Estate Investor team will be headed for Panama City for our Latin America conference.
By then, perhaps millions of dollars in real estate deals will have been inked. Futures will be changed. Retirement plans will be funded. In some ways the excitement will be over, but in other ways… it will only be the beginning. That’s because for many attendees the groundwork for building a fortune in international real estate will be laid…and the returns will be coming in the months and years ahead.
For savvy attendees gathered here, this may well prove to be two of the most important days of their lives.
Unfortunately, unless you are one of the 45 attendees, you are not reading this from your suite at the Hyatt. And that’s too bad. You could be missing out on the deal of a lifetime. Most all of the exhibitors here are offering attendees significant discounts on properties that they are showing at the forum.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will miss out on everything that will be revealed during these two profitable days of meetings.
Stay Tuned on Monday For Another FREE
Insiders Peek At This Unique Event…
My name is Thom Hickling. For the next couple of days, I’m your insider at the International Real Estate Forum near Washington, D.C. You’ll be privy to some to the insights from our global real estate team for both days of the conference. Hopefully, you’ll find it informative and entertaining.
This is my third International Real Estate Forum. It’s great to see good friends, mostly the expert presenters. Unfortunately, most people from the Forum are out enjoying dinner and drinks, but I’m in my hotel room, listening to Dylan, and writing you this report.
The attendees have paid as much as $1,145 to attend this conference–and that doesn’t include the cost of airfare, accommodation, and all the rest. From what I can see from the roster of speakers, though, it will prove to be well worth every penny…if you could be here.
But I’m sure that by simply reading my reports you’ll learn at least one secret that could pay for itself many times over. Perhaps even something that could change your life.
One really great thing is that you don’t need millions of dollars to participate in these opportunities. True, there are, in this group, quite a few high-net-worth individuals who would have little problem participating in multi-million-dollar deals, but this Forum is not exclusively for them.
Lief is teaching the attendees the ropes of how to be a successful international real estate buyer. It doesn’t matter if you have $50,000 or $50 million…Lief has ideas to help you take advantage of the bargain situations, the market inefficiencies and distortions, and the paths of progress that are available overseas–right now. He demonstrates exactly how to take advantage of these opportunities.
Don’t Be Left Behind!
It would be impossible for me to write up everything that goes on here at the Hyatt during these two intensive days of meetings. Many specialized sessions will be going on simultaneously to give small groups of attendees deep insight into specific strategies and opportunities.
However, I have some great news for you.
Announcing The Publication of Lief Simon’s
How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor
Lief Simon has published a comprehensive home study course that teaches you how to become an international real estate investor. He shows you how to get your share of the opportunities that are on the table now.
How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor reveals Lief’s investing strategies and insights. It’s shows you how to make money just like Lief does–for himself, his partners, and his readers.
With nearly 400 pages, this is a complete course that teaches you–step-by-step–how to build a profitable international real estate portfolio. It covers EVERYTHING!
* Why International Real Estate is the most exciting investment you can make today
* How to tell if you have what it takes to be a global real estate investor
* How to evaluate for yourself what kind of property will suit you best, and make the most sense for your age, investment style, risk tolerance, financial situation, and personal goals
* How to calculate risks and rewards overseas
* How to Structure your Purchase
* Four ways to finance your overseas purchase
* How to determine the best Real Estate options for you
* How to manage and even how to furnish your properties
* How to become a Land Developer
* You learn the marketplace specifics in 18 different countries that Lief has identified as lands of Great Opportunity (the principles are applicable everywhere–but these are the Top Picks)
* How to collect a range of short term rental properties
* How to harness your 401-K to cash in on overseas real estate returns
* You’ll learn about building overseas, title insurance, tax issues and advantages, foreign corporate structures, and much more…
This is no ordinary book. In fact, there is no other publication in the world like it. It will never make the New York Times Bestseller list. This is specialized information for a unique group of forward-thinking investors.
Because many years of research and hundreds of thousands of miles of investigative travel have gone into this one-of-a-kind publication, it’s not going to be cheap. This is the kind of research that large public companies, investment firms, and the richest families in the world would pay thousands to get their hands on. But because Lief doesn’t work for a huge corporation or some billionaire fat cat investor–rather for a small group of like-minded individuals–this report will not sell for thousands. It’s reasonably priced at only $349. Quite a value when you consider that this information is not available to individual investors anywhere else…at any price…whatsoever. It’s totally unique.
And that is what makes it so valuable. How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor gives its readers an edge. The only people who have ever had access to this kind of information before are Fortune 500 companies, the largest multinational corporations, the world’s wealthiest family dynasties…and subscribers to Global Real Estate Investor.
Oh, and those in attendance here in D.C. right now at Lief’s conference.
A "Mind-Bending" Opportunity For You To Have It All…
Because it’s International Living’s Silver Anniversary Year, Lief is making a special offer for those of you unable to hop on a plane or drive across town to attend these important meetings.
If you would like to have How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor, here’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Lief is offering (during the forum only) the opportunity for you to have his new publication, How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor, for a very special price. You can own How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor for only $279 if you order during the conference.
All of the information…all of the secret tactics…all of the unique strategies…all of the hard-earned experience…and all the ways to make international property the driving force in your investment portfolio–will be delivered to your door right away–if you take advantage of the International Real Estate Forum special offer now.
This comprehensive home-study course offers you everything you need to get started in global real estate. It’s almost like being behind closed doors at the Hyatt for this forum… well… minus the cocktail hours, chats over coffee, and face-to-face meetings with experts, developers, and international investors.
But wait…there’s more…
For Two Days Only:
Get How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor Delivered To Your Home And Save $255!
Lief has authorized me to sweeten this deal for you and make it absolutely irresistible.
If you order before this forum ends, Lief will give you a FREE three-month trial subscription to his eye-opening publication, Global Real Estate Investor. This publication isn’t cheap either. It can’t be. Lief and his team travel hundreds of thousands of miles a year looking for the best real estate deals in the world. They do legal checks and serious research that is simply unavailable anywhere else in the world. And Lief’s strategies work!
Every issue of the Global Real Estate Investor contains priceless insights…and specific actionable advice that you can put to use right away. The three-month subscription to Global Real Estate Investor is a $185 value…but you can have it FREE. If you like it, you’ll have the opportunity to keep receiving Lief’s monthly reports. That way you won’t miss even one opportunity. In the coming issues, Lief will be showing you the deals that he’s recently uncovered in Croatia, Argentina… and all over the world.
This offer may never be repeated again…so I urge you to take advantage of it today.
How To Be Global Real Estate Investor is a comprehensive nearly 400-page guide that provides a clear-cut roadmap to buying property overseas. It’s organized similarly to the actual conference. It starts with the basics and then works its way logically to the most advanced strategies.
Because the package is yours to keep, you can review and refer to it as often as you like…and anywhere and anytime you want to.
You’ll learn how to structure your purchase, manage your property, and save on your taxes, too. What’s more, with the free subscription to Global Real Estate Investor, you have the perfect complement to your home-study course.
Your subscription provides you with your own personal scout to find you the best possible deals to take advantage of right now. It allows you to be an armchair investor if you want to do it like that. Or…you can travel and explore some of these opportunities for yourself. But you will never have to do the deep research all over the world, the heavy lifting of research, travel, and pounding the pavement looking at deals that just won’t make the grade.
This package makes it simple. Learn about the opportunities and how you can profit in the home study course, then see the best deals in the world in Lief’s regular reports…and decide where you want to buy. Then if you like, travel and explore the most exciting deals for yourself.
This deal opens up a new world of opportunity for you to explore!
The Inside Scoop Is Yours on Monday, Too
There are now over 300,000 daily readers of IL Postcards–who, with each daily postcard, move a little closer to fulfilling their dreams–to living a richer, healthier, and a more relaxing way of life…overseas.
I know that not all IL Postcard readers are interested in investing overseas. Some just like the idea of retiring in the sun…or getting away from it all for a while…or maybe reinventing themselves in a new place…with a brand-new life.
But…most of our readers are investors, too. It’s hard for me to imagine that any reader who cares about investing at all couldn’t put some of their assets–even if it’s simply home equity–into a more profitable, and perhaps even safer, investment in international real estate.
But many readers won’t give the opportunity a second look. Unfortunately, they will miss out on some of the greatest opportunities of the decade.
I hope that you won’t be among them. And if this idea interests you, there’s no better time to take action than right now-with this special offer during the 2005 International Real Estate Forum.
On Monday, when I send you my inside report on the forum, I’ll remind you about this special offer again…but I urge to act now. Because with this offer you get not only the How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor course, but also a FREE three-month trial subscription to Global Real Estate Investor (the combined value is $534!) and you invest only $279–and that comes with our standard money-back guarantee.
Don’t Miss Out On The Deals That Could Reinvent Your Future!
You could learn how to more than double your money in just one year-like Lief did recently with a $60,000 investment in Romanian real estate that swelled to $110,000.
You can learn how to get in early before prices skyrocket and then look forward to windfall returns. That’s what some of Lief’s readers have done–the ones who purchased in the Santa Rosa resort on Nicaragua’s gorgeous Pacific Coast–and appreciated 50% return in just two weeks!
You could learn how to take full advantage of local markets in just 16 months–like Lief did with the apartments he bought that were going for just $787 per square meter in beautiful Buenos Aires–and were worth $1,400 per square meter 16 months later (and that doesn’t even count the rental income they made in the meantime)!
And, you will learn how to do all this with less up-front money, lower risks, and fewer worries than with any other deal you have ever made.
Please Read My Forum Report on Monday!
On Monday, I promise you more highlights from these sessions. I’ll be your eyes and ears for the next 48 hours, bringing you on-the-ground reports, because I know that if for some reason I couldn’t make it, I’d want someone to do the same thing for me. Someone who knows what’s important…who will clue me in on what I missed.
But in the meantime, don’t hesitate. Let your overseas real estate experience start now. Take advantage of this International Real Estate Forum special now!
Remember, the savings I’ve detailed here will only last for the next 48 hours. When this conference coverage ends, this special is over, and may never be offered again.
"How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor" will then be sold at the full retail price, $349…and without the FREE three-month trial subscription.
Click Here To Reserve Your Complete Investors Kit Now For Only $279.
Sincerely,
Thom Hickling
Your Forum Insider
P.S. I want to offer you one further inducement to act right now. Order today and you’ll have immediate access to Lief’s presentation on "The Pros and Pitfalls of Global Real Estate Investing." In it you’ll learn key insights from Lief’s deep real estate investment experience. If you order now, everything you need to get started will be sent immediately to your doorstep as soon as the conference ends. It’s all in our International Real Estate Forum special offer. Don’t miss out on the great deals that could be yours now.
P.P.S. Haven’t made up your mind yet?
Take a look at what’s inside "How To Be A Global Real Estate Investor"
Here are a few Highlights:
* How you can cash in on rarely used overseas "Like-Kind Exchange" provisions in the IRS code to legally leverage your real estate investments…defer from 15% to 40% in capital gains and state taxes-and pass on to your heirs a land legacy!
* How you can get in on ground floor "Off-Plan" real estate opportunities from the United Kingdom, to Spain, Croatia, Panama, and throughout Eastern Europe that could let you pay as little as 10% down-and pull in a major profit-before you even have to pay off the balance!
Important Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to know that International Living receives commissions from real estate sales at Liberty Cove, and may receive compensation if you open an account with Everbank.
