Look What Bob Built While Nobody Was Looking

 
Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader,

It is, frankly, an extraordinary situation. Expectations are being exceeded. More is being delivered than ever was promised. Care is being taken at every step.

And market events, both global and local, are conspiring to make this extraordinary opportunity more accessible and realizable than it probably ever will be again.

Several years ago, a longtime friend bought a piece of land on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, about an hour-and-a-half outside Managua. He had a straightforward plan. He'd survey and stake. Cut some roads. Build a small, thatched-roof palapa for a "clubhouse." Then he'd sell lots.

Nothing wrong with that plan. And Bob Fordi, my friend, spoke of it openly. This wasn't going to be a high-amenity project.

Somewhere between then and now, though, Bob must have changed his mind.

I visited the piece of land, the 875 acres known as Santa Rosa, for the first time shortly after Bob purchased it. No question, this was primo coastline and impressive. At least what I could see of it. Access was limited. We drove straight in as far as we could, looked around, then drove out.

Frankly, I hadn't gone out of my way to return since. In my job, I see lots of nice coastline. One beach starts to look pretty much like another...

A couple of months ago, though, over breakfast at a diner in Baltimore, Bob encouraged me to return.

"Next time you're in Nicaragua," he suggested, "come out to see Santa Rosa. I won't try to sell you on it. Just go have a look."

"Sure," I replied.

I was interested to see what was what after so much time passing. But, to tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting much.

Because all along, Bob has worked hard to keep expectations in check.

Meantime, quietly, without letting anyone in on it, Bob has been building something remarkable.

It probably came about organically. He made one improvement, I guess...which led to another...

And, somewhere along the way, he brought on board a team of on-site managers, a married couple, Torsten and Kerstin, who have embraced the opportunity to conceive and to build...to improve and to beautify...to develop and to play with this extraordinary piece of land with nearly 2 miles of winding Pacific coast.

The result is something you almost never find in this part of the world. A beachfront development with full and fully impressive infrastructure fully in place.

When nearly nothing was promised!

The day Harry and I visited, Torsten and Kerstin took pride in showing us around. "These paving stones on the roads were our idea," they explained, for example. "We thought they made for a better driving experience."

Torsten and Kerstin are German. They grew up and met at university in East Berlin.

"When we were young," Kerstin explained during the drive out to Santa Rosa from Managua, "we dreamed about seeing other countries. But we couldn't. There was a wall.

"But, as soon as the wall came down, we took off. First, we traveled all over Germany. Then all around Europe.

"Then we planned a vacation to Panama. We visited Contadora Island. That's where we met Bob. He was developing some houses on the beach. He needed help and asked if we'd be interested in staying on.

"We had no real plans, so we stayed. When the project on Contadora was finished, we thought we'd have to return to Germany. But Bob offered us another opportunity—here in Nicaragua. We came for a two-week visit and told him that, yes, we'd be happy to move here.

"And we've been having a great time. We can't wait to show you what we've been doing out at Santa Rosa."

Four separate sand beach areas accessed by cobblestoned roads and stone-paved walkways...

Thoroughfares lined on both sides with red flowering plants ("They grow like weeds," Kerstin explained, "especially since we started adding the new fertilizer.")...

Roundabouts with palm trees and carefully placed boulders and cacti...

"Careful" is the word that comes to mind the minute you enter the property. As I mentioned, Torsten and Kerstin are German. Everything they do is efficient and well-planned.

But the place has style, as well. And color. The effect is inviting and calming. Everywhere you go, you want to linger.

The clubhouse is nothing like the palapa Bob talked about in the beginning. It's a house with guestrooms where you can stay the night to get a feel for the place and a comfortable communal area where Kerstin served us the nicest afternoon tea I've enjoyed in years, complete with fresh fruit pastries (from a bakery she favors in Managua).

Likewise, the pool is tempting, overlooking the Pacific.

That's the main attraction, of course. The ocean. At Santa Rosa, it's ever-present. You see it from all angles, and you hear it crashing all around. There are rock formations, tidal pools, and small waterfalls.

"I could sit on this hill and watch the ocean here for hours and hours and never get bored," my young marketing manager Harry remarked as I approached him where he sat on the shore in front of the clubhouse to tell him that, unfortunately, it was time to go.

Santa Rosa exceeds the mark for both the practical and the romantic.

"Here, you can see the water and electrical hook-ups," pointed Kerstin. "These are installed and ready for connection at every lot."

"Oh, and did you see this over here?" Torsten asked, pointing in the other direction, to the open-air gazebo.

"That's petrified wood. It's some millions of years old. We don't know for sure how many. But we've been finding it here on the property. The workers get very excited every time we uncover another piece. Though they aren't thrilled, I have to admit, when we ask them to carry it to the gazebo or the clubhouse so we can show it off. This stuff is heavier than iron.

"We're very fortunate to have the crew we have working here. They take as much pride in the place as we do. We had to weed out several workers when we first arrived, but the team we have now...they've all been with us for a couple of years at this point. That's uncommon."

"Bob asked us to take you to see something in particular," Kerstin explained. "It's a part of the property that's not yet been made available for sale. Specifically, Bob wants you to see three lots. They're the best three lots in the place."

We drove to the edge of the small cliff, parked the car, and took off on foot down the stone walkway, then down the stone steps, to the sand.

Behind us, the cliff was faced with a formation of black rocks like I've never seen anywhere else. We walked from to the far end of the beach, then returned to climb up the rock face to the flat area at the top.

"This would be the home site," Torsten offered. "This would be your view. It'd be better from the second floor."

It was pretty nice already. Again, Harry and I wanted to linger. We looked up the coast...then down. The dramatic view was long in both directions...

Bob wanted us to see those three lots in particular, because he's decided to put them on the market.

As I've been explaining since I began my coverage of Nicaragua last week, the property market is down in this country. It bottomed out the year Ortega was re-elected, and it's just this quarter showing any sign of recovering.

Sales have been slow. Not only for Bob at Santa Rosa, but for every developer in Nicaragua. Most of them don't want to admit it, and, certainly, they don't want the fact publicized.

But any developer who insists today that his sales have held during the past couple of years of El Presidente Ortega is a developer you probably don't want to do business with.

Here's the point: When I returned from my trip last Friday evening, Bob sent me an e-mail.

"Those three beachfront lots you saw with Torsten and Kerstin? The ones that have never been on the market? I'd like to sell those now. I'd like to offer them first to your readers.

"And I'd like you to price them.

"At one time, we had them listed at the mid-$200's, but they've always been 'Reserved.' We weren't ready to part with them.

"Now we are, and I'd really like them to go to your readers. So I want you to name the price. Whatever you think will get your readers' attention."

You've got a lot on your mind this week, dear reader. World markets continue their roller-coaster antics. What will they serve up tomorrow?

Who could say.

But here are a few things for sure:

Nicaragua's Pacific shoreline is one of the most dramatically beautiful in the world. I know. I've seen a lot of shoreline.

Nicaragua itself is a charming and appealing place to spend time.

It's also one of the world's most affordable places to think about living or retiring right now.

Beachfront property is a hard asset. You can visit it. Walk on it. In this case, you might never want to leave it.

And what if you didn't? What if you owned one of these three lots Bob has asked me to put a price tag on? What if you built a home there? A getaway...an escape...

These are big lots as lots go in this part of the world, approaching 2,000 square meters apiece. That's nearly a half-acre. Right on the beach. Right at the water.

Nicaragua's coastline is awe-inspiring, but, the truth is, chances to own a lot right on a sandy stretch of it are rare. Often, this coast is rocky...the cliffs fall into the sea...

Here you've got the best of everything—cliff, rocks, and sand, right at your doorstep.

And you're part of one of the most thoughtfully planned and cared-for developments I've ever seen.

Bob left the pricing to me. He'll read the price tag here for the first time, along with you:

US$125,000 apiece.

Half the price Bob had these lots listed for...half the price Bob wouldn't sell them for.

But he's said he'll honor whatever price I quote.

Not forever. And not for anyone. But for today, for you, dear reader, that's the price.

I believe it's the best deal on a true beachfront and fully serviced lot you're going to find in this country right now.

Or anywhere.

Take a look.

Kathleen Peddicord

P.S. No, you don't have to send your cash instantly to get this price. But you do need to register your interest. You do that here: santarosa@liveandinvestovereas.com

Bob has promised he'll honor this offer to Live and Invest Overseas readers for two months. That gives you time to do your due diligence and to get your ducks in a row. It also gives you a chance to come down to see Santa Rosa for yourself if you'd like.

That's a thing I strongly recommend. As Bob said to me over breakfast that morning in Baltimore when he invited me to come see what he'd been up to out at the beach:

"Santa Rosa speaks for itself."

If you would like to come visit, Torsten and Kerstin will be happy to collect you at the airport in Managua and to treat you to a personal, VIP tour...just like they did for me.

Get in touch here: santarosa@liveandinvestovereas.com

Remember: There are but three lots on offer here...three very special lots available for a very limited time at a very substantial discount. In other words, my advice? Get in touch with Bob before he changes his mind.