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In the video, you’ll see a beautiful property for sale on the lake in Arenal, Costa Rica. The views from the back porch are of the lake and the volcano at Arenal. Lake Arenal has an ideal climate—no AC needed, even on the hottest days. And it has a close-knit community of expats from all over the world (about 400 according to an informal survey by one resident).
If you think real estate in Costa Rica is for the Wall Street and Hollywood jet set, think again. In fact, Costa Rica is one of more than a dozen markets we’ll run the rule over this June 7-9 for our International Real Estate Investment Forum. And the discounts will be substantial—a savings of $48,000, just on the three deals I outline below.
It’s a rare thing these days to be able to say that you own real estate on or close to “Grade A” beach. By that, I mean truly stunning beach, either Caribbean white sands or the bluest stretches of the Pacific Coast. We’ll discuss the following three beach areas in detail at our upcoming International Real Estate Investment Forum…and for those in the room, $91,500 in savings will be on offer.
The real estate market in Ireland is deeply distressed. That’s why the deals here are so exciting. You can buy a 1.5-acre lot in a picturesque County Clare village for just $13,000. Or a comfortable vacation home close to miles of sandy beaches, world-class golf, and the dramatic Atlantic coastline for $87,000.
Ecuador’s north coast is one of the finest stretches of Pacific coast you will find. Steep, bright green jungle-clad hills rise from the flat blue ocean. In places, rocky coves sculpt sandy beaches. Here would be a great place to have a beach home.
This is the most stunning stretch of white-sand beach I have set foot on. Standing here, on Tulum’s Caribbean coast in Mexico, with warm sea breezes rustling through the palm trees, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d want to be. If you’re looking for a manufactured resort, stay in Cancun. Tulum is the real thing. Jungle crawls over ancient Mayan Ruins. You’ll find caves and underground rivers.
At Arenal you will find a mirror-flat lake with a dark green, tree-lined shore rising steeply to the cone of a towering volcano. This place is hidden, secret…yet you have safe and stable Costa Rica amenities and attractions on your doorstep. And, the world’s most bio-diverse country all around.
This stunningly beautiful place in Costa Rica has been overlooked. I can’t explain why. It’s just one of those anomalies. Sometimes things of great beauty and value are overlooked…for a while. Like the work of a great artist that gathers dust on a shelf until someone spots it. Then everyone wonders how it could have been missed. The drive from Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose, was on a modern highway. Scenic, interesting and smooth. Around the lake was sporty and dramatic.
Times are tough in Spain. Half her young are unemployed—if they haven’t emigrated. Her economy, banks and real estate industry is in tatters. Like in Ireland, they built too many homes. Homes that nobody would ever want. Speculators snapped them up, betting that prices would go even higher. Then the party ended in 2007. By 2008, all activity stopped completely.
The Ring of Kerry in Ireland’s south west is the most scenic drive I know. It takes you through 111 miles of the County Kerry countryside. Along her peninsulas, calm bays, sandy beaches and wild roaring Atlantic shores. There are attractions and jaw-dropping lookout points along the way.
Half my time is spent on the road—scouting for undervalued real estate opportunities. The top places on my radar right now are in fast-emerging beach destinations. In each place I visit, I study how much income you could make if you made your beach home available for rental when you aren’t using it. These are my top three picks for this strategy.
In pockets all across the planet, you’ll find amazing opportunities to make money from real estate. I’m talking about beautiful places tucked into lush jungle-clad hills, on white sandy coves, in bustling cities, and in small colonial towns. These are markets on the upswing. The mainstream hasn’t heard of them yet. And in them today you’ll get excellent bang for your buck as well as great profit potential.
In this Global Real Estate Index, you’ll find listed the 27 places in the world today that boast the most attractive, and potentially lucrative, real estate opportunities. Each of these places has something special to recommend it…some attribute you won’t find elsewhere. Those that top the list hold the most profit potential right now. Those at mid-table and below are ones to watch.
My friend Margaret just sent me details of the best property she found on her recent Caribbean scouting trip. She’s from Pathfinder, IL’s preferred real estate advertiser—and clocks up serious air miles on her scouting trips. When Margaret calls a property the “best” anything, it’s worth paying attention to. In the video below, she reveals an affordable beach house on a Caribbean island.
The economies of the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Spain) are in disarray. Europe is in the throws of sovereign, political and financial crises. Greece is bankrupt and burning. Yields on Portuguese bonds hit 17% earlier this year.
Las Terrenas on the Dominican Republic’s Samana peninsula is a little piece of paradise. The road south-east from Las Terrenas winds its way through hills clad with palm trees. This is how the first visitors found these hills. How nature intended. These aren’t farmed palms in tidy lines. After a 30-minute drive the bay opens up in front of us.
On March 1, real estate prices in Ireland will reach an all-time low. You could pick up an Irish country cottage for $9,750…a Dublin pied-a-terre for $46,500 or a beachfront hotel for $15,365 per room. You could buy at discounts of up to 90% off peak prices. You could buy with cash on cash yields of 22%.
Next Thursday (March 1) the sixth fire sale auction in Irish real estate will take place in the luxurious Shelbourne Hotel on Dublin’s Stephen’s Green. I expect prices will hit an all-time low. Finally, it’s truly “game on” for distressed sales in Ireland.
Say you want to buy a second home in Newport Beach, California. You’re not from there, and have no family there or any local ties. You’re not familiar with the property market in Newport Beach…but you still know you’re paying a good price for your new condo.
I’m sad to report that most visitors to Panama never leave the capital city. But if you’re willing to look beyond the city skyline, a world of choice awaits. This is a country roughly the size of South Carolina, so you needn’t go far to find idyllic mountain, beach, and valley hideaways with a “so close, yet so far away” feel.
Brilliant bright white sand reflects the warm early afternoon sunshine. Fresh breezes mean it’s pleasant to eat outside. On a peninsula like this you can rely on these breezes almost year round. The water is flat, clear and turquoise. The sand a rich tan. If you have preconceptions about the Dominican Republic, put them to one side.
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.
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.
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.
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