RETA Archives

Along Costa Rica’s Southern Zone the bright, thick, green jungle canopy rolls down to a coast of sandy beaches and rocky points. It’s truly stunning. While prices in the north soared…prices here stayed low. It was difficult to get to. But a new smoothly paved coastal highway has changed that. One project along this coast stands out as the gold standard. It’s here…on a stunning ocean view lot surrounded by jungle-clad hills in Pacific Lots…that a small group of Real Estate Trend Alert members will gather this February 8-11.

With any real estate opportunity I strongly urge you to use you own independent legal advice and to visit. Visiting is where your due diligence meets fun and adventure. The best way to do it is on a special member-only scouting trip or “chill weekend”. Some of these gatherings are free.

The opportunity in Iracema is strong. In two months, a major and reputable developer will launch a new condo project called Piazza Coliseu on one of the best plots here. The plans and the show apartment are ready. It will likely be the last week of February before he launches. After Carnival is when the real estate market really heats up. We can get in now pre-release, with special member pricing and terms.

As a member of our little group you will know that we have a strong opportunity to profit on Ecuador’s north coast. A new highway has reduced drive time from the capital, Quito, to the coast. What once took eight hours now takes three and a half hours. We can buy a lot in Jama Campay, a “best in class” project, with a manageable down payment and monthly payments of $416.

In June I visited Medellín, Colombia with friend and IL’s Roving Latin America Editor Lee Harrison. Lee was there to pull the trigger and buy. I was there to see first-hand if Medellin is a place we can generate a strong rental income with the prospect of capital appreciation. Lee did indeed buy a property. A couple of weeks ago he filled me in on how things are working out. The proof of the pudding, so to speak. He followed up with the note below. This is valuable hands-on experience. Also, it’s worth drawing attention to how clear Lee is about his goals. Clear goal-setting is the first step that can be missed so easily.

As I mentioned on Thursday, I’m starting to see some activity and more realistic pricing for bigger ticket sales in the Irish property market. I’m talking about apartment buildings, country estates, luxury resorts and commercial buildings. Let’s walk through some examples.

In six days, Ireland’s fourth and largest fire sale auction takes place in the luxurious Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. In all, 112 lots will go under the hammer. I’ll be there. As I predicted in earlier dispatches—prices are moving (slightly) down and yields up with each auction. More inventory is chasing a diminishing pool of buyers.

Last year I told you about an opportunity near Tulum, on the Southern edge of Mexico's Riviera Maya. The project is called Los Arboles Tulum. Real Estate Trend Alert members snapped up all 62 lots available last year, with member-only pricing and terms. This year, developer Greg Schnurr moved to the next phase of the project—home and lot packages, and community building. Twelve homes are under construction or at permitting stage. Many more are at the planning stage. Greg has just opened up a new and final phase (called Tejon) of 20 lots. Eleven of these lots are only available “off market” to members of our little group. We get special pricing and interest-free finance.