This week, I’ve been telling you about Oasis, the upcoming deal I’ve negotiated in Playa Caracol, on Panama’s booming Pacific Riviera.
This is a true beachfront community close to a world-class capital. The farthest point you can be from the beach in Playa Caracol is just 300 yards or so.
And in Oasis, where we have our deal, you are much closer.
Just stroll two minutes or less and you’re onto Caracol’s stunning tropical beach. And yet you can own a brand-new beach home here from $228,400, with the option of exclusive developer financing and a generous payment plan.
People pay millions of dollars to live close to the sea. Even in the most undervalued beach markets with the best deals you’ll typically need a budget of $400,000 to $500,000 to get near the sand. Yet here, in this extraordinary location, we have a deal on homes just 160 paces from a spectacular tropical beach—from only $228,400. And that’s with exclusive financing.
Normally deals I negotiate like this are exclusive to members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group. But I’m opening this up to you as an Overseas Dream Home reader, to give you a taste of what being a RETA member means and to show you the kinds of exclusive deals that members get access to.
On Tuesday, May 13 at 1 p.m. ET, I’m taking part in a special LIVE Panama beach homes online event hosted by International Living Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens. It’s free to watch and we’ll be digging into all the details of this new opportunity in Playa Caracol, including how to act on this deal. Add it to your calendar here.
Today, let’s take a brief look around the world at what beach living like this should cost…
This new opportunity—Oasis at Playa Caracol—is a rare chance to own beach real estate at a stunningly low price.
There are few places it’s even possible to own beach homes like this. Playa Caracol is so close to a capital city and center of global trade…
One place where we see similarities is in one of the most prestigious communities on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast…
Conceived in the 1990s, Los Sueños is one of Costa Rica’s most prestigious beach communities. It’s 1,100 acres of high-end living with a world-class marina, an 18-hole golf course and a nice beach…
Los Suenos in Costa Rica is one of the region’s most prestigious master-planned communities. It’s got similarities to Playa Caracol, except a property here will cost you well over $400,000 and you’ll be farther from the beach.
To drive to the capital San Jose takes 90 minutes to two hours depending on traffic. That easy access is one of its biggest advantages—similar to Playa Caracol, which is a bit closer to Panama City actually.
Los Suenos is close enough for weekend getaways from the city or quick transfers for international travelers, but far enough to feel like a true coastal escape.
It was an American developer called Bill Royster fishing his way down the Pacific coast of the Americas from California who envisioned creating a luxury resort community in Costa Rica that combined high-end living with access to world-class sportfishing and natural beauty.
At the time, Playa Herradura was a quiet bay near Jacó, with little infrastructure and limited tourism. Royster saw its potential due to its calm waters, proximity to San José (about 90 minutes away), and stunning backdrop of rainforest and mountains.
Construction began in the mid-1990s with a focus on infrastructure first—roads, water systems, and utilities. Then came Marriott in 1999, and soon after an 18-hole championship course designed by Ted Robinson Jr. In 2001 a marina opened and from there Los Suenos grew rapidly.
Today, Los Suenos is widely seen as the benchmark for luxury coastal living in the region and a quick look at listings gives us a good benchmark for our incredible pricing in Playa Caracol…
The Veranda community in Los Suenos was one of the first residential communities there. It’s a five- to 10-minute walk to the beach depending. There you’ll pick up a two-bed garden-level condo for $485,000.
For a two-bed second-floor condo in Veranda you’ll pay more. I saw one listing for $495,000.
And prices go up from there…
Elsewhere in Los Suenos the Del Mar community is about five minutes’ walk to the beach and there a two-bed condo is currently listing for $650,000.
And these prices look good compared to what you might pay in California for a property walking distance to the beach.
Developer Alfredo Aleman and his team looked to California for inspiration when creating Playa Caracol, especially to the surf towns of Huntington Beach and Dana Point. Alfredo was keen to explore what made these places tick. He noted the perfect a mix of retail, entertainment and outdoor amenities, the natural beauty and the infrastructure for outdoor living.
Huntington Beach, California is called “Surf City USA.” It’s got that laid-back, salt-faded boardwalk charm and a consistent Pacific swell. Here, if you are very lucky a modest condo close to the beach starts around $800,000—and that’s without resort-style amenities.
Here’s a one-bed my team found two blocks from the beach for $799,000:
Farther along the Californian coast at Dana Point a 1,058-square-foot two-bed is listing for a little under $2 million.
Another famed surf town that inspired Alfredo in his mission to create Playa Caracol was Waikiki in Hawaii…
Waikiki, Hawaii offers a dreamy, cinematic version of beach life: hula at sunset, paddleboards in turquoise water, Diamond Head rising in the background. But a 900–1,000 square foot condo walking distance to the beach will set you back $600,000 to $1 million, plus steep HOA fees and island prices for everything from groceries to gas. You’re paying for the postcard—and the tax bracket.
Looking at the RETA beat…
- Mexico’s Riviera Maya, Mexico in booming Playa del Carmen—where we recently had our incredible Landmark deal—a modern two-bed condo near the beach in a secure, planned community with amenities typically starts at $400,000 to $500,000. In the master-planned community of Corasol where I bought alongside RETA members in Punta Laguna a two-bed condo of 909 square feet is listing for $441,504.
- Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol—the old-money Mediterranean—offers sunshine, tapas, and strolls along the sea in Marbella or Estepona. There’s a beach-to-city blend here too, with Málaga nearby. But a similar two-bedroom condo within five minutes of the beach in a gated community? €400,000 to €600,000 ($430,000–$650,000) is the norm.
- The Algarve in Portugal, with its ochre cliffs, Atlantic surf, and golden beaches, remains one of Europe’s most coveted lifestyle destinations. Retirees, digital workers, and holiday-home buyers compete for inventory. A two-bed condo near the beach, in a full-service community, will start around €440,000 ($475,000).
You get the point…
A price of $228,400 for a two-bedroom home just 160 paces from a wide, walkable tropical beach—with all the resort amenities of a fully master-planned, fast-developing community?
That kind of value simply doesn’t exist anymore. Not in California, not in Hawaii, not in Mexico, not in Europe.
It’s a price from another era… and it’s an anomaly that won’t last.
Playa Caracol is now internationally branded. It’s entering its next chapter. The Radisson Blu is already open. Margaritaville is under construction. Tourism is rising. And the master plan is unfolding exactly as we anticipated—more infrastructure, more recognition, more momentum.
Early RETA members are already seeing six-figure uplifts on previous phases here. This isn’t speculation. It’s playing out, on the ground, right now.
And our upcoming release—Oasis at Caracol—is your chance to join them.
- These comfortable and spacious garden homes are 1197 square feet including your private patios and terraces. At our price of $228,400 that’s a mind blowing $191 per square foot
- Five years after delivery, I conservatively expect your home to be worth $350,000.
- That’s a gain of $121,600.
- And the walk-up homes with roof terrace—if you prefer those—are a mere $282,400. I figure an equivalent gain on these five years after delivery in percentage terms.
- That’s a gain of $150,350.
- And we have exclusive developer financing!
Learn more next Tuesday, May 13 at 1 p.m. ET, when I’ll take part in a special LIVE Panama beach homes online event hosted by International Living Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens.
It’s free to watch and we’ll be digging into the details of this new opportunity in Playa Caracol, including how to act on this deal. Add it to your calendar here.
Plus, if you have any questions, you can reach out to our RETA concierges. Our two RETA concierges live in Panama full-time. And as part of opening this deal up to you, I’m giving you special access to the concierge team. You can contact the concierge team here.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. There’s no shortage of things to do in Playa Caracol, from exploring nearby islands to hiking in the mountain…
It’s not all about the beach. At Playa Caracol, you can hike in the mountain or even nip to the city in about an hour, for work or pleasure.
