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Category: Investing

10 Dec
The Importance Of Diversifying Out Of The U.S. Dollar And U.S. Markets

The Importance Of Diversifying Out Of The U.S. Dollar And U.S. Markets

An attendee at my Offshore Summit last month told me that, while he has traveled all over the globe and has friends in many different cities around the world, he had never, until last month’s event, considered buying real estate in another country. Despite this, he has what, until that point, he has considered a well-diversified investment […]

06 Dec
Self-Sufficiency In Uruguay, Chile, And Belize

Self-Sufficiency In Uruguay, Chile, And Belize

How To Be Self-Sufficient Without All The Work When I lived in Ireland, our house sat on 6 acres of land. Up a small hill behind the house was an area that had been, in a previous life, a kitchen garden. We restored the garden, after we discovered it, and planted everything from strawberries to [...]
29 Nov
Increasing Regulation In The United States Hinders Business Growth

Increasing Regulation In The United States Hinders Business Growth

While in the United States last week for Thanksgiving, some of the dinner table conversation centered on expanding regulation in the United States. One specific conversation had to do with firing employees. As my sister-in-law, who runs a department at a big Baltimore hospital, put it: “Oh, you just can’t.”

08 Nov
How And Where To Pursue The Five Flags Strategy Of Global Diversification

How And Where To Pursue The Five Flags Strategy Of Global Diversification

Five Flags Geography I'm reviewing and clarifying my ideas related to the Five Flags theory of diversification in preparation for my opening remarks at this week's Offshore Summit in Panama City. If you're new to the idea, the "Five Flags" are to do with residency, citizenship, banking, assets, and business. Not everyone needs all five flags planted [...]
08 Nov
Diversifying Offshore Is The Most Patriotic Journey I Can Imagine

Diversifying Offshore Is The Most Patriotic Journey I Can Imagine

Fill In Presidential Election Winner’s Name Here By way of full disclosure, I wrote this essay last week, before the U.S. presidential election. I held on to it waiting to see which candidate's name to fill in to the opening paragraph... Obama has won. He'll be running the show in the United States for the [...]
29 Oct
CD Investment Options In Panama, Mongolia, And Colombia

CD Investment Options In Panama, Mongolia, And Colombia

CD Rates As High As 12% With U.S. and European banks offering interest rates on savings of less than 1% (meaning you're losing money after inflation), you're not alone if you're looking for alternative places to stash your cash. Where in the world can you get better rates than U.S. banks will pay you? It [...]
18 Oct
Investor Residency In Colombia

Investor Residency In Colombia

I had the chance to return to Colombia last month for the Live and Invest Overseas conference in Medellin. After that visit and the opportunity to meet again with developer, investor, property, and banker contacts there, I’m happy to report that Colombia makes as much sense for investment today as it did when I first started looking […]

24 Sep
Property Taxes And HOA Fees: The Cost Of Holding Real Estate

The Cost Of Holding Real Estate: Property Taxes And HOA Fees

The Cost Of Holding Can Be More Important Than The Cost Of Buying I read recently about a home owner's association in Florida foreclosing on units because owners are delinquent with their HOA fees. The article focused on a couple of condo complexes where the monthly HOA fees had been increased to the point where [...]
17 Sep
How To Buy Real Estate Overseas

How To Buy Real Estate Overseas

Pay For What You See "'Buy what you see,' you tell us all the time, Lief," wrote a reader recently. "Yet, at the same time, you promote pre-construction investments. How does that make any sense?" Perhaps I should adjust the mantra from "Buy what you see" to "Pay for what you see." Taken literally, Buy [...]