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Month: July 2014

31 Jul
Water Shortages MEans Agricultural Investment Opportunities

Water Shortages Translate To Agricultural Investment Opportunities

Reading today about the drought in California hit home for me the long-term benefits of owning agricultural land somewhere in the world that had access to plenty of water. The drought is being blamed for increased prices of everything from milk and vegetables to In-N-Out burgers. Water levels in Lake Mead, which provides water to […]

28 Jul
price controls in Panama over certain foods

Price Controls Imposed In Panama

Last week I read a couple of reports in the press saying that grocery store shelves here in Panama are empty. These reports got my attention, as, since I’ve returned to Panama from Istanbul a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been to different grocery shops maybe four or five times…and I haven’t noticed any empty […]

24 Jul
Property Market In Istanbul Is set to boom.

The Property Market In Istanbul, Turkey

The real estate market in Turkey wasn’t hit as hard as others around the world in 2008 and 2009. Values in some districts of Istanbul dropped by maybe 25% at the height of the downturn (about the same as in Panama)…but in just a year-and-a-half prices had recovered. That rate of appreciation (10% to 15% […]

14 Jul
Istanbul is a bustling city full of opportunities

Istanbul Is A Bustling City, Where East Meets West

Years ago, a friend in Belize told me that a country never escapes its origins. The United States, he said, is a land of puritans. Belize is a land of pirates. And Istanbul is a land of traders. Once the end of the 4,000-mile-long Silk Road, the mother of all trade routes, this part of […]

10 Jul
bogus passports offshore

The Bogus Passport Market Continues To Grow (And Breed Trouble)

Occasionally, I meet someone who’s offended that I’m in the citizenship and passport business. “Citizenship shouldn’t be bought and sold like a pair of shoes,” a man once told me. “I think it’s scandalous that some countries are selling their citizens’ birthright.” I disagree. We live in a world where governments have assigned themselves the […]