Last weekend I got together with of 500 members of Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) at the International Living Go Overseas Bootcamp in Portland. And of course…as always when I get together with likeminded folks, I get questions
“Should I buy in Panama?”
“Do you have any thoughts on purchasing property in Lisbon, Portugal?” And most frequently of all…“Where should I buy?”
The answer is: it depends. What’s your motivation?
Are you buying for the lifestyle or purely for investment reasons? Perhaps it’s a mix of the two.
If buying for investment, are you a capital appreciation junkie like me or do you care more about rental income?
The first step is to profile yourself and get your “avatar” down on paper.
Here are a few examples of investment “avatars”:
- Are you like Ryan and want to earn capital appreciation from a turnkey condo in a destination with incredible weather and amazing outdoor activities?
- Or maybe you’re more like Ellen, whose focus is collecting rental income from real estate in a vibrant international city with easy residency options if she decides to relocate.
- Or you could be like Chris, whose dream is to own a historic home in a walkable European town with a gentle pace of life.
By ruthlessly profiling yourself, you can create a personal investment avatar so you recognize your “must-haves” and “red lines” when buying overseas.
This opens the door to step 2 – which is to see how the key criteria of you avatar match up against the attributes of specific places and deals.
That’s why in Session 1 of the RETA Academy masterclass, Your RETA Blueprint to a Boundless Life and Real Estate Riches, we walk through a powerful exercise I call “profiling yourself.” It’s the critical first step to building your overseas real estate blueprint.
I know who I am as an investor. And I make my buying decisions accordingly, choosing real estate that suits my lifestyle. I’ve bought in off-market deals in places like Cabo Mexico (pictured) in communities by the ocean, usually with world-class golf. I can rent them out when I’m not there, and I see wild increases in capital appreciation.
The feedback on Session 1 was incredible.
Andrea said: “Just sat in on Ronan and Margaret’s first masterclass on real estate investing. Their knowledge is impressive and I am again all fired up about my international purchases—definitely feel in good hands and as if my choices are sound.”
We shared real-life case studies—including my own personal story of buying for lifestyle in the Caribbean, realizing it didn’t suit my preferences…then finding my perfect fit in Cabo and the Silver Coast.
And that’s just Session 1!
Over the remaining five sessions, Margaret and I explored how to build your perfect overseas real estate roadmap—from choosing the right destination and property type for you to locking in the deal, managing it, and turning it into a passive income machine.
This isn’t theory—it’s the same process I’ve used to spot, secure, and profit from the world’s best real estate opportunities. In Sessions 2 and 3, we explore the best destinations to buy today…
Playa Caracol is a stunning new community emerging on the closest nicest beach to Panama City, along the stretch of coast known as the Pacific Riviera. This is one of the most opportunity-filled locations on our global beat to own real estate.
Margaret and I break down leading destinations using our exclusive RETA International Real Estate Index. Published annually, this comprehensive breakdown covers the 25 best places in the world to buy real estate.
But knowing where to buy is only half the equation.
In Session 4, we tackle the “what” and “how”—diving into the different types of real estate opportunities available and the multiple ways you can finance your dream overseas property.
Session 5 takes a dive deep into the important topic of due diligence, the fundamentals that separate successful overseas investors from costly mistakes.
Finally, in Session 6, we examine what happens after you buy: the post-purchase strategies that turn ownership into wealth generation.
This Masterclass is now a pillar of the RETA Academy—a foundation you can come back to as you build your own portfolio.
But it’s available to Real Estate Trend Alert members only.
If you’re not a RETA member, you can learn more about joining here. Recordings of the Masterclass can be accessed any time on the RETA website.
Whether you’re about to take your first step overseas or looking to sharpen your edge as a seasoned investor, the RETA Academy will be there to guide you every step of the way.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. The Masterclass is only the beginning! Over the coming months, I’ll be adding more resources, more tools, and more direct support to help RETA members act on opportunities with clarity and confidence. Make sure you are a RETA member so you can access these unique resources.
