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Home Offshore

How And Where To Dodge Disaster

by Lief Simon
Oct 05, 2026
in Offshore
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Tropical shoreline in British Virgin Island (BVI), Caribbean

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I’ve been warning people of the risks of hanging all your hopes on any one country… any one economy… or any one currency… for close on 30 years.

If everything you own is tied to one country and things go awry there it will likely spell disaster.

The smart move is diversification.

I’ve established residency in three countries, hold a second passport, and have built a portfolio that includes rental properties, significant land holdings, and seven personal residences.

But there is one country where I’ve invested more money than anywhere else in the world… and that’s Panama.

From farmland to a condo in the capital to a commercial rental, a full-scale beach community development, and my legacy investment on the country’s Sunset Coast, Los Islotes, I’m committed to this country that’s been my part-time home for the past two decades.

Panama’s lifestyle advantages are simple. This is an affordable tax haven with plenty of beaches, easy residency, and a modern capital city.

And the investment fundamentals?

They’re the most compelling in the region…

The U.S. dollar is the currency, meaning no exchange-rate risk…

Panama is Latin America’s banking hub, with more than 50 general and international banks in Panama City alone…

This country has seen sustained economic growth over the past 10 years—as most everywhere it slowed during the pandemic but has rebounded impressively since…

The Panama Canal is critical to the world economy, which ensures that this will always be a stable and valuable area…

The government is pro-business and foreigner-friendly, meaning outsized incentives for foreign retirees and investors…

The country has a solid legal system and strong personal property rights…

A stable economy is important for investment growth, but Panama also offers a unique set of benefits associated with its property investment market in particular:

Depending on what you buy in Panama, you can be exempt from property tax for up to 15 years…

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Key local developers here have long track records spanning decades, meaning you can feel confident when buying…

Panama doesn’t depend on North American buyers and investors, but it does cater to them, with American designs and features not found in many other Latin American countries…

Developer financing is often available… financing for foreigners is rare, and several developers here have decades of experience…

This is my beat, and a market where I have built up a solid network of contacts.

In January I’ll be gathering this team together in Panama City, Panama, for the 2027 Live And Invest Overseas Panama Conference and I’d like to extend an invitation to you to join us there.

The way I see it, you can’t decide whether or not Panama makes sense for you until you do at least two things…

First, you need to spend time here.

Second, you need to hear from those who have gone before you.

Our Live And Invest In Panama Conference allows you to achieve both objectives. It also connects you with all the in-country experts you’ll need to know to make your move here as quickly and smoothly as can be.

Whether you’re looking for a retirement haven, investment opportunity, a back-up residency, or a fresh start, Panama fits the bill.

Stay diversified,

Lief Simon signature

Lief Simon
Editor, Offshore Living Letter

Lief Simon

Lief Simon

Lief Simon has lived and worked in 7 countries on 5 continents and traveled to more than 75 countries. His real estate investment career began with a $5,000 down payment on a three-flat building in Chicago. Less than three years later, Lief sold the building for a leveraged return of 3,000%—$150,000 in profit after closing costs and commissions.

From there, he turned his attention overseas and has bought property in 24 countries including France, Croatia, Portugal, Ireland, Belize, Spain, Argentina, Cyprus, Romania, and beyond. Thanks to his decades-long career as a global property investor, Lief has built a multi-million-dollar portfolio that includes rental properties, significant land holdings, and 7 personal residences.

Lief has established residency in 3 countries and acquired a second passport from Ireland.

In 2008 Lief and wife Kathleen Peddicord made the most important investment of their lives—a 215-acre oceanside finca, known as Los Islotes. There, on Panama’s largely undiscovered Veraguas coast, they’ve installed underground electricity, water, and internet and built a forever family home that sits at the heart of their ultimate vision: a gold standard private residential community for those in search of a true safe haven escape.

Lief’s latest book, “Cowboy Millionaire—The New American Pioneer,” collects all the wisdom he has learned in three decades of living and investing outside America.

He offers advice on international diversification in his twice-weekly Offshore Living Letter and monthly Simon Letter dispatches. For real estate investment opportunities, check out his monthly Global Property Advisor service.

If you’d like to meet Lief in person, join him for one of our upcoming in-country conferences. You’ll find further details here.

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