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Six years ago, I received a birthday present worth over $70,000. No, I’m not friends with Oprah. We had recently fallen in love with—and bought—a crumbling, pigeon-infested, 150-year old maison bourgeoise in northern Burgundy, France, only two hours away from our apartment in Paris.
Santo Domingo is the capital city of the Dominican Republic and one of the largest cities in Latin America. I haven’t explored it yet. That will have to wait until the tail end of my scouting trip. Pulling out of the airport…across the bay her skyline glimmers. I’m most interested in the restored colonial center. Museums, restaurants and short-term rental market. My 11-day scouting trip will end in Santo Domingo.
White-sand beaches. Turquoise waters. Coconut palms. Brightly colored beachfront pizzerias. And hopefully a big opportunity for us… My bags are packed. I’m heading to the Dominican Republic (DR).
Compared to other major European capitals, Berlin property is remarkably inexpensive. For example, 89,900 euro ($117,000) buys a well-maintained, 45-square-meter apartment with stucco details in a Prenzlauer Berg Altbau dating from 1902. Prices like that don’t exist anywhere in London or Paris, let alone in their fashionable districts.
We’ve pinpointed three locations with strong rental potential. Two of them would make fantastic second home destinations. The third would suit investors looking for a mix of good potential rental yield and appreciation.
If a small Italian farmhouse with a vineyard sounds sweet, then look to the Abruzzo (pictured), a region of southern central Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea.
There’s a lot to consider when buying a home anywhere, but especially one overseas. First thing you want to know is how much it’s going to cost. With bang-for-your-buck in mind, Ecuador comes out on top, offering some of the best-value real estate in the world. For $50,000 you can buy a penthouse suite in a colonial town or a beachfront condo.
When you buy international real estate you can generate income in another currency. All your eggs aren’t in one basket. If the value of your dollar goes down, for example, you might be very happy to have an income stream in Brazilian reais…or Colombian pesos. Diversification…particularly in turbulent times…is just plain common sense.
I’m five minutes out of town on the beautiful white sands of Sokha Beach, contemplating the glass-flat turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Small islands dot the horizon. Some have overnight accommodation. On others you can bring your tent. With only four other people on this beach, it’s quiet here and leaving won’t be easy.
I’m in an SUV in La Paz, in Mexico’s Baja California Sur. The sun is hot and we’ve rolled down the windows as we drive through town. We go at a leisurely pace, stopping at street corners to obey the four-way stop signs; La Paz is too low-key to need many stop lights.
Lake Arenal in Costa Rica’s lake country is stunningly beautiful. The weather, with year- round temperatures in the 70s, is near perfect.
From the lake (and from the elevated lots at The Preserve, the project I told you about yesterday) the views to the towering Arenal Volcano are jaw dropping.
This is rich pasture and tropical jungle country. You might think you are in Switzerland. The roar of howler monkeys… flamboyant and dramatic…and brightly colored birds tells me I’m not.
Lake Arenal, Costa Rica has been overlooked. I can’t explain why. I can see no good reason. It’s just one of those anomalies.
It’s stunningly beautiful. The weather is near perfect. The community of locals and expats is welcoming and friendly. The road here is good and you don’t want for any modern conveniences or amenities.
I’ve seen situations like this before.
Tucked between the southern regions of Andalucia and Valencia, Murcia delivers the best of Spanish essentials: mild winters, wine villages, tapas bars, fantastic beaches and (for Europe) relatively low living costs. You may ask “why Murcia”—a region that’s almost unknown to North Americans. Especially when Spanish property values have slumped.
In Tulum, you’ll find some of the world’s finest white powder beaches…backed by palm trees that rustle in the Caribbean breezes… and you’ll find the world-famous Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve, too.
A 12-minute drive from the white sand and sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea you’ll find a one-of-a-kind project called Los Arboles Tulum.
Ecuador’s nicest 100-mile stretch of coast used to be difficult to get to. That’s changed with the new highway. One strong opportunity I’ve told you about on this coast is Jama Campay.
This is where you can buy a 1,800-square-foot home perched above…yet only steps from…a white-sand beach. From your lap pool you have views past the beach and breaking waves to the Pacific Ocean.
The icing-sugar sand is cool against your feet. The turquoise sea pushes perfect ruffled whitecaps gently up on the beach. Sitting in the shade of a coconut palm, an exotic cocktail in your hand, you fall in love with Caribbean living.
I never imagined breakfasting outdoors in December. Not in Europe. Then again, I’ve never visited the Murcia region before.
Along Costa Rica’s Southern Zone the bright, thick, green jungle canopy rolls down to a coast of sandy beaches and rocky points. It’s truly stunning.
While prices in the north soared…prices here stayed low. It was difficult to get to. But a new smoothly paved coastal highway has changed that.
One project along this coast stands out as the gold standard. It’s here…on a stunning ocean view lot surrounded by jungle-clad hills in Pacific Lots…that a small group of Real Estate Trend Alert members will gather this February 8-11.
With any real estate opportunity I strongly urge you to use you own independent legal advice and to visit.
Visiting is where your due diligence meets fun and adventure. The best way to do it is on a special member-only scouting trip or “chill weekend”. Some of these gatherings are free.
The best beaches in the world are in Brazil. Ask a Brazilian and he will tell you Brazil’s best beaches are in the northeast, centered on Fortaleza. Miles of wide and deep white-sand beaches connect little fishing villages and kite surfing outposts.
The opportunity in Iracema is strong. In two months, a major and reputable developer will launch a new condo project called Piazza Coliseu on one of the best plots here. The plans and the show apartment are ready. It will likely be the last week of February before he launches. After Carnival is when the real estate market really heats up.
We can get in now pre-release, with special member pricing and terms.
Every so often we run into amazing opportunities…specific ways to make smarter investments… slash your taxes…and keep your financial affairs private.
IL Real Estate Expert, Ronan McMahon, has just submitted a special report revealing one of the safest ways to grow or preserve your nest egg.
In this Quarterly Wealth Advisory Ronan reveals details of two special opportunities to make money from land.
We hope it helps you preserve and grow your wealth.
If you followed the scouting trip to Costa Rica I made with my wife Suzan earlier this year, you’ll know that this is the best time to buy. Here are some of the highlights:
West of Fortaleza on Brazil’s northeast coast, wide white-sand beaches stretch to the horizon. You can drive for hours along these beaches. Charming fishing villages with cobbled streets and well-maintained town centers sit just off the sand.
Ecuador’s most impressive stretch of coast is in the north. I’m talking about the area around the town of Jama where steep hills covered in a rich, thick, green jungle rise steeply from sandy beaches to give jaw-dropping, 270-degree ocean views in places.
The new highway from Quito has brought the drive time to this coast down from eight to three and a half hours.
It’s here, near the village of El Matal, where you’ll find the beachfront community of Coco Beach Village. This is a strong project. We can buy a spacious lot with member-only, interest- free finance terms. Monthly payments are just $500.
A couple of years ago a friend came to visit us in Ecuador. Once here, he realized that the biggest expense of his trip was his airfare. With nice hotel rooms priced at $30 a night (including breakfast); full meals, including beverage, for $2.50; and beers for $1 or a glass of wine for $2, he was hardly spending anything to kick around the country.
As a member of our little group you will know that we have a strong opportunity to profit on Ecuador’s north coast. A new highway has reduced drive time from the capital, Quito, to the coast. What once took eight hours now takes three and a half hours.
We can buy a lot in Jama Campay, a “best in class” project, with a manageable down payment and monthly payments of $416.
Joao Pessoa, in Brazil’s northeast, is surrounded by miles of beautiful beaches. The weather’s warm and sunny year-round. Roughly 75 miles from Recife and 110 miles from Natal, the city is the third oldest in Brazil.
This is where many Brazilians retire (young), vacation and buy second homes. In particular, the city is popular as a retirement destination for senior civil servants. They retire early from their government jobs. Active and healthy, they relocate here to start the next phase of their life.
That’s good news for the businesses of Joao Pessoa. As more of these wealthy young retirees move here, the city’s businesses have more customers. There’s more demand for services—like dentists and cardiologists and financial planners.
Times are good if you own quality office space here.
There may be no better place in the world right now to buy beachfront real estate than Ecuador. But don’t just take it from me. In its annual International Home Price Comparison Index, global real estate giant Coldwell Banker has named Ecuador as the lowest-priced real estate market in the world for the past several years.
The Caribbean side of Costa Rica languished, creating what is today a bargain-hunter’s dream. The neglect of this region is one of those anomalies that produces excellent profit opportunities. And I’ve found a way you can buy land in a Gold Standard gated community here for less than half of what you could pay just outside those gates.
As far as I’m concerned, Ecuador rocks. It may be a small country, but it has more to offer than you can imagine…great cities and quiet villages….the majestic snowcapped Andes mountains…impossibly beautiful beaches…and the glorious Amazon rainforest. Importantly, Ecuador has a low cost of living and some of the world’s lowest real estate prices.
I first visited Nicaragua nearly a decade ago and fell in love with its rough-around-the-edges beauty and the genuine warmth of its people. In 2007, my husband and I lived for a while on this hilltop overlooking San Juan del Sur. We spent lazy days exploring hidden beaches and lively evenings with friends at the thatch-roofed seafood restaurants that line the beach.
In June I visited Medellín, Colombia with friend and IL’s Roving Latin America Editor Lee Harrison. Lee was there to pull the trigger and buy. I was there to see first-hand if Medellin is a place we can generate a strong rental income with the prospect of capital appreciation.
Lee did indeed buy a property. A couple of weeks ago he filled me in on how things are working out. The proof of the pudding, so to speak. He followed up with the note below. This is valuable hands-on experience. Also, it’s worth drawing attention to how clear Lee is about his goals. Clear goal-setting is the first step that can be missed so easily.
I moved to Uruguay full-time in 2006. And since then I’ve explored more than a dozen different countries, from Spain to Argentina. I’ve lived in Brazil, have a second home in Colombia, and bought property in Nicaragua. Yet Uruguay is where I call home; and I can’t think of a better place to be right now. The lifestyle is unbeatable, and the cost of living and of properties is reasonable.
Even travel writers need escapes. One of my favorite getaways is Alicante, a city on Spain’s Costa Blanca. Yes, I know I’ve disparaged “the Costas” in the past. Spain-without-the-Spanish…paunchy northern Europeans overdosing on sun, sex, and cheap booze…hideous plastic donkeys…concrete jungles…acres of lookalike vacation homes. So why Alicante? Well, there’s a big difference between seaside cities and purpose-built resorts. Alicante is lively, sunny, and inexpensive, for sure. But it’s also charming, fairly sophisticated, and its ambiance is as Spanish as that of Madrid.
As I mentioned on Thursday, I’m starting to see some activity and more realistic pricing for bigger ticket sales in the Irish property market. I’m talking about apartment buildings, country estates, luxury resorts and commercial buildings.
Let’s walk through some examples.
