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.

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.

Penthouse Condo for $95,000 in Salinas, Ecuador

By Jim Santos |

February 10, 2016

Something really unusual happened in our beach community of Salinas, Ecuador last week. People were posting pictures on Facebook, and it was the topic of conversation in all of the restaurants and bars. What was this noteworthy event? It rained! It actually clouded up and rained—well, a hard drizzle anyway—long enough to make some puddles and wet the streets.

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.

A Mexican Riviera Home That Pays For Itself

By Ronan McMahon |

December 2, 2013

You'll find one of the most stunning areas on my beat on the southern edge of Mexico's Riviera Maya. Its white-sand beaches, ancient ruins, white-bottomed lagoons, nature preserves, caves and cenotes (underwater caves) make it stand out—so much so that vacationers and expats are increasingly flocking here. But despite its growing popularity, there is still a window of opportunity on Mexico's Caribbean coast.

One Incredible Opportunity on Costa Rica’s Forgotten Coast

By Ronan McMahon |

November 28, 2013

Today, I want to tell you about a part of Costa Rica that is still a secret to most of the outside world. This place is called the forgotten coast because it is the least discovered and most unexplored region in Costa Rica. For years, tourists have flocked to the country's Pacific coast and business has gravitated to the capital city, San Jose. Most people overlooked Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. For the handful who traveled there, they found first-class beaches, verdant jungle canopies and undervalued real estate. It's easy to reach too... You can get here in less than two hours from San Jose on a new, modern highway.

Brazil’s New Middle Class Could Mean Big Opportunity for You

By Ronan McMahon |

October 25, 2013

"My maid now eats yogurt," a contact told me on a visit to Fortaleza, Brazil in 2009. It may seem like a strange thing to notice but it’s a sure mark of how Brazil is changing. Yogurt is a premium product in Brazil—and my contact’s maid was changing her consuming patterns in line with Brazil’s new middle class.

You Could Have Doubled Your Investment if You’d Taken My Advice…

By Ronan McMahon |

October 23, 2013

At Real Estate Trend Alert my beat is to find places where real estate is undervalued and where something is set to happen that means values will increase. I call this “the trigger event.” This trigger event could be a fast-growing, new, middle class or new infrastructure projects that will bring improved accessibility.