Welcome to Offshore Living Letter, Your #1 Resource for Offshore Diversification

Author: Lief Simon

28 Mar
Reine, Lofoten, Norway. The village of Reine under a sunny, blue sky, with the typical rorbu houses.

Where Is The Best Place To Escape To In A Crisis?

The existence of so many independent “nation states” across the world… “countries” the way we think of them today… is a relatively new phenomenon in history. The idea that every ethnic or social group should have its own independent national government and geographical homeland… this idea has been very successful in the last century. But [...]
25 Mar
Island view from Los Islotes, Pedasí in Panama

Finding Los Islotes

Finding Los Islotes wasn’t easy. Nor was getting here. There wasn’t a direct road to the property. To gain access you had to hike in from the neighbor’s property, or come in from the beach. It was originally a cattle farm and the ranchers got their livestock in and out via the beach. They didn’t [...]
21 Mar
almond tree shaker shaking trees, leaves falling from trees being shaken, tree shaker during harvest season

The World’s Biggest Supply-Versus-Demand Crisis

Faced with an exploding world population and dwindling arable land, food production is without a doubt the world’s biggest supply-versus-demand crisis. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that agriculture production needs to increase by 70% in less than 30 years to meet the demand of an extra two billion people. While this information [...]
11 Mar
Porto, Portugal

Why Portugal

Europe is comprised of 51 countries, and the EU includes 27. Among these, Portugal is one of the best options for anyone looking for a place to live, to invest, or to formulate a Plan B in Europe. Last year the country made headlines for enacting policy changes that impacted its desirability as a retirement [...]
07 Mar
Blue skies and the view of a white church on a shore in Protaras, Cyprus

An A-Grade Plan B Option

Cyprus—north and south—is dead center of my radar. Property markets across this island nation are not only among the world’s best bargains… But they also offer tremendous upside in terms of both cash flow and appreciation, near and long term. However, Cyprus is not only a top investment option. It’s also an A-level choice for what I like [...]
04 Mar
A Mediterranean landscape. Mountains near town Perast, Kotor Bay Montenegro

Luxury European Homes For Under $155k

At last year’s International Property Summit in Panama, one attendee asked me what gets me excited about real estate at this point after 25 years of investing in real estate overseas. I didn’t have a good answer. Honestly, I’m a real estate junkie. Even when I’m on vacation, I stop and look in real estate [...]
29 Feb
Beautiful Italian farmhouse in Tuscany surrounded by nature with a large garden

My #1 Strategy For Storing Wealth

8938. That is the number of the IRS form you have to fill out to report foreign financial assets. If you own foreign assets, you have to fill out IRS Form 8938 even if you’ve lived out of the country for most of your life. However, here’s an important point: You do not have to […]

26 Feb
aucasian man holds some black truffles while two dogs are smelling them.

Your Invitation To Beat Wall Street

One sunny summer afternoon in 2012 I had the most expensive lunch of my life. Kathleen, the kids, and I were taking a driving tour through Italy, Austria, and Croatia. The Croatia leg was to check on the old stone house we own in Istria. We arrived in the nearest town, Livade, around lunchtime. Livade is a tiny place with a big claim to fame: this is the center of Croatia’s truffle region. Walking through the lobby of the town’s only restaurant we saw, in a glass case, an enormous bronze [...]
19 Feb
Aerial view of Carmelita, Belize

A Little-Known Escape

Today I’d like to speak with you about a little-known escape in Belize… Over the past few years, amid the pandemic and civil unrest and political upheaval in too much of the world, this little slice of paradise has been sought out by in-the-know freedom seekers. These savvy folks had an “aha! moment,” and suddenly [...]
15 Feb

The Biggest Year Of Voting In Global History

In 1789, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to French physicist Jean-Baptiste Leroy. It contained a line that outlived both men and will likely still be around when you and I are long gone… “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.” Now, far be it from me to factcheck The First [...]