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How To Save $500k On Your Dream Island Home

The Most Efficient Way To Break Into The Foreign Real Estate Market

by Lief Simon
May 20, 2024
in Investing
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Founder Publisher of Live And Invest Overseas, Kathleen Peddicord in France.

Source: Kathleen Peddicord

We spend a lot of virtual ink lately reminding you of the benefits of owning property overseas…

I tend to focus on the privacy, asset security, diversification, and tax upsides, in particular.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what is arguably the biggest advantage.

Property overseas is a much better bargain.

Take a look at some market comparisons:

In Maui, Hawaii, a 1,040 square-foot, ocean-front, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo is on sale for $870k. Built in 1975, the monthly HOA fees for the unit will run you $2,225.

This Maui home is on sale for $870k. Source: Redfin
This Maui home is on sale for $870k. Source: Redfin

On the Portuguese island of Madeira, a sea-view 1,205 square-foot, two-bedroom, two bathroom condo is on sale for $316k. Built this year, it includes a parking space and use of a shared pool. HOA fees should be in the region of $200 a month.

The view from this new-build Madeira apartment. © IAD Portugal SA
The view from this new-build Madeira apartment. © IAD Portugal SA

That’s a savings of more than half-a-million dollars on the purchase price and $24k a year in HOA fees.

In Austin, Texas, a 1,043 square-foot, two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom condo in a desirable neighborhood is on the market for $360k. The property, built in 1973, comes with 2 reserved parking spaces, A/C, and shared pool access. Monthly HOA fees are $440. In Medellín, Colombia, a 1,044 square-foot, two-bedroom, two bathroom condo in a Strata 6 location is on the market for $188k. The property, built in 1999, features hardwood floors, ceiling fans, a full western kitchen including gas stove, a balcony, covered parking, and 24-hour security. HOA fees will run around $200 a month.

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Pick the Medellín unit and you’ll have an extra $172k in your pocket.

In Prescott, Arizona, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,666-square-foot home is on the market for $499k. It features a fenced-in backyard, a back deck, and a shed with electricity.

A mountain town offering in Arizona. Source: Redfin
A mountain town offering in Arizona. Source: Redfin

In Boquete, Panama, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,507-square-foot home is on the market for $225k. Offering breathtaking views, the home has a covered terrace and parking, and features lush gardens.

 

A home in the expat haven of Boquete. ©Inside Panama REC
A home in the expat haven of Boquete. ©Inside Panama REC

In at least six top destinations I can think of, you could buy a home right now for less than $150,000. In one spot, you can buy a condo for less than $60k… and it’s just a two-minute drive from the beach.

Of course, when shopping for real estate in any foreign market, you need to be careful.

You want to make sure that the developer has a good track record…

That the construction is high quality (especially near salt water)…

That the property is in the right area… the infrastructure is sound… and the potential for appreciation and cash flow is reliable.

Our Expertise To Unlock The World

In other words, you need to do the right due diligence… and you need to understand local laws, climate, trends, and customs.

That’s where my team and I come in. We do all of the hard work for you.

Whether you want a property on the beach, in the city, up in the mountains, or maybe near a rainforest, our team has you covered. My dozens of contacts on the ground across the globe are locating, vetting, and negotiating on your behalf… in real time.

My International Property Summit gives you exclusive access to these deals—including beach properties under $150,000 and turn-key apartments that pay out net yields of 8% and more every year…
Best of all, they’re all rentable (sometimes 100% turn-key)…

Meaning you could earn tens of thousands of dollars in cash flow each year.

Simply put, real estate is my number one choice for growing and protecting wealth.

It’s also easier than ever before to get started investing in property overseas.

Over the three days of my International Property Summit next month, my team and I will walk you through everything you need to know, step by step, market by market.

Bottom line, we’ll show you how to avoid inflation and stock market corrections with global real estate.

We’ll detail how to have the home of your dreams at a bargain price… steady investment cash flow… safe-haven assets for your nest egg… an eventual home for retirement… recession-busting diversification…

Or all of the above.

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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