I’d be excited about this place no matter what. But I’m particularly enthusiastic because I’m purchasing this condo in an unusual way—with tax-deferred funds.

If you’re looking for affordable mountain living with U.S.-style comfort, then put Cotacachi, Ecuador, on your short list.

My nose keeps getting distracted—the air is scented with fresh foccaccia bread and cornetti, Italy’s version of the croissant. As real estate agent Sylvie points out, this house comes with breakfast on the doorstep. A traditional bakery is just across the street.

The lights here were just as low, the ocean breeze just as gentle, the spaghetti carbonara just as peppery and fresh in the little restaurant on Playa Samara as they were during our honeymoon 14 years ago.

Macio Mello is about as close to a “rock-star geologist” as you can get. In July 2009, his Brazilian oil- and gas-exploration company, HRT Participações, had a 277 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).

The dollar is in trouble. And as the Federal Reserve floods the market with fine-quality, colored paper to pay down our enormous $14 trillion debt, we cannot be surprised that the dollar’s day of reckoning is inching closer.

Colonia is probably the most convenient and attractive town in Uruguay. I always enjoy strolling along its wide, lazy river and watching the sun set over the peaceful marina.

La Bruyere is one of those dreamy, remote French farmhouses that make you ache for your own place in the sun. You get exposed stone, terra cotta roof tiles, and an idyllic rural location with the restaurants and shopping of Bergerac just a stone’s throw away. This sort of house makes you want to ask the owners, “How on earth did you find this place?”

Sixty-two-year-old Neil Sander knows how to get things done. Throughout his seven years in Panama’s island-rich Bocas del Toro region, this Oklahoma-born pioneer has taken the bull by the horns more than once. The key to his success? “Respect,” he says.

Tulum’s a boutique destination, with a unique flair and a chic lifestyle. Its beauty is undeniable: a carpet of silky white sand, contrasting with the jewel-bright waves of the Caribbean, backing onto dark emerald jungle.