Investing - International Living

Your Own Jungle Lot for $39,000 in Tulum, Mexico

July 8, 2017

Land in the Tulum area on the southern edge of Mexico's Riviera Maya can be a strong opportunity...as long as it's the right land. On my recent scouting trip I put boots on the ground at more than a dozen interesting communities (including some planned lot communities). As long-time readers of Real Estate Trend Alert know, Tulum is stunning. It's home to some of the world's finest white-powder beaches...backed by palm trees that rustle in the Caribbean breezes.

Best Places to Farm in the World

By Juan Federico Fischer |

June 10, 2017

The case for owning farmland as a strategy to safely grow or preserve your nest egg has never been stronger. Increasing populations and wealth in emerging economies is the primary driver

Your Own Condo by Mexico’s Best Beaches for Just $550 a Month

By Ronan McMahon |

March 12, 2017

The best beaches in Mexico are just 70 minutes down the coast from Cancun. Some are still deserted, dotted only with coconut palm trees and curious iguanas. Seabirds duck and dive overhead. It's a place of utter beauty and tranquility—azure blue water and total silence except for the roar of the surf. But it's not just about white-sand beaches here.

A Caribbean Penthouse Buy for Just $250,000

By Ronan McMahon |

February 23, 2016

Mexico's Caribbean coast ticks all the boxes when it comes to real estate opportunity. It's on an upward trajectory. Prices have risen strongly in recent years. But for now, there's still opportunity to buy well and watch the value of your real estate rise.

How to Legally and Safely Obtain Your Second Passport

By Mark Nestmann |

July 9, 2015

One of my favorite scam stories is of the German lady living in Paraguay. Claudia Bettina Muller was arrested last year for printing fake passports in her basement. Police found printing and engraving machines, along with boxes of blank passports and counterfeit government forms. But before I had ever heard of Claudia Bettina Muller or the Paraguayan police caught up with her, I had heard of this scam. I had come across a speaker at an event in Nevada who claimed he could get anyone in the attentive audience a Paraguayan passport in as little as a month. This was possible he maintained, because he had high-level government contacts. The cost was only $45,000. (That's half of what any of the second citizenship programs I work with charge.) Right then, as he spoke, I knew it was a scam.

How Going Offshore Can Save Your Retirement

By Mark Nestmann |

July 7, 2015

In 1986, I walked into the main Credit Suisse branch in Chicago and told the doorman I wanted to open a Swiss bank account. I was led to a private office overlooking the Chicago skyline and was asked for my minimum deposit. Being just 31 at the time, I played it conservative and started with just $2,000 (about $4,300 in today's dollars). I was asked to fill out a one-page form and provide a copy of my driver's license. I gave him a check and away I went. It took all of 20 minutes. In 1986, "offshore" was still exotic. It was something regular people didn't really do. How things have changed in 29 years.