There’s a lot of things about 2020 many of us would like to forget. The pandemic takes the top spot… but Trump v. Biden comes a close second. And now here we are again with the rerun most nobody wanted. Maybe you have no horse in this race, but chances are, you do. And while [...]
How should one hold property overseas? That’s a regular question at conferences… especially my International Property Summit event each year. The best option depends on the person, the property, and the country where the property is located… and even what funds you’re using for the investment. Use IRA funds and, generally speaking, you should set [...]
When Benjmain Franklin wrote, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” few could argue his position. Today, however, it’s a different story and alas it’s not taxes that are in doubt but rather one’s own existence… or lack thereof. You see Mr Franklin lived and died long before [...]
“You need to get on a plane.” That was the feedback Kathleen Peddicord got from her property scout when she sent him to Panama for the first time in 1998. Back then, real estate in Panama was a screaming bargain. You could buy big, well-built homes for as little as $20,000. Kathleen did indeed get on a plane and [...]
In 1964 “Goldfinger”, the third instalment in the James Bond franchise, hit movie theaters across the U.S. It had it all… beautiful women, psychotic villains, dramatic explosions, and, of course, gadgets… When a foolhardy henchman orders Bond behind the wheel of his DB5—albeit at gunpoint—it’s not long before the unwelcome passenger is sent rocketing out [...]
It’s becoming harder and harder to determine what is the First World and what is—to use the politically correct term—the developing world. I spent time working in the developing world in the mid-‘90s. Chad might not have even been considered developing when I was there. The capital city N’Djamena had an international airport but not [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
I’ve been planting flags for more than 25 years at this point… long before I had ever heard about the Five Flags Theory or any of the other terms used to simplify the conversation about internationalizing one’s life. Some of my flags were accidental… or incidental at first… just part of life. My first offshore [...]
Offshore Living Letter is a publication of Live and Invest Overseas. Our goal is to provide timely, actionable information on all things offshore, including: how to go offshore, diversifying your portfolio, wealth creation, protecting your assets, and much more.
