Category: Articles

I’m in a cave at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and I’m transfixed by a dancing gypsy woman. She waves her long skirt like a matador fighting an invisible bull, while her feet pound the floor manically and the backing band clap in rapid rhythm. This is flamenco, the most complex dance I’ve… Read more

I’m driving over the Taurus Mountains in southwestern Turkey and I can feel my toes going numb. I wasn’t expecting it to be this cold and I haven’t figured out the heating system in my rental car. It’s rolling white hills and flat plains as far as the eye can see. And then, as if… Read more

Our next real estate scouting trip is a go…Mission Spain. My scouts Eoin Bassett and Paul O’Sullivan packed their bags, booked their flights and they put boots on the ground. Spain has a lot to recommend it in terms of the potential for real estate plays, both investment and lifestyle. So why Spain makes sense… Read more

My man in Istanbul, Paul O’Sullivan, is back with another on-the-ground report from this fascinating city. He’s out from under the snowstorm (you can read all about that here) and adventure awaits. Though, when he texts saying his life might be in danger, I wonder if he’s leaning into the Indiana Jones part of combing… Read more

In Ireland, foreign buyers now account for half of all country homes sold. (Not just luxury “country houses” but all homes sold in rural Ireland.) Americans and Europeans alike are moving there for the breathtaking landscapes and dramatic scenery, the rich culture, and the friendly people. And more and more, they’re moving there because remote… Read more

My real estate scout Paul O’Sullivan is on the road again. Just a couple of days after landing in the Turkish city of Istanbul, he met with a contact of mine and took an unexpected trip to the controversial state of Northern Cyprus, complete with its demilitarized zone, tempting casinos, and some of the lowest… Read more

Last week I got a text from my contact in Portugal. He was on his way to Istanbul, Turkey and I suggested he meet up with my scout on the ground there, Paul O’Sullivan. Two days later they send me a selfie together from Northern Cyrus, a country that is only officially recognised by one… Read more

Here come the Beatles… I’m walking toward the most famous band in the world… The group is led by John Lennon, followed by Ringo, then Paul McCartney, with George Harrison in full denim at the rear. I wasn’t expecting them here in Mazatlán, a beach town on Mexico’s Pacific. I recently took a scouting trip… Read more

Each summer, I spend at least a few weeks in Ireland. I meet friends and family, enjoy endless summer evenings, and play as much golf as I can. On a sunny day, Ireland is a remarkable place to be. The countryside explodes with lush hillsides of heather and gorse. The Atlantic turns a brilliant aquatic… Read more

Rolling hills laden with vines…medieval stone villages where locals sit on café terraces by winding cobbled streets…a Mediterranean climate of warm, sunny days… You’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Provence. But this is somewhere, in my opinion, altogether more special. This is the Languedoc. As the new year rolls in I’ll be sending… Read more

If you want a quick way to hand a country major financial debt, let them host an Olympics. Some economists trace the beginning of Greece’s ongoing economic woes to the Olympics held in Athens in 2004. It cost the country $15 billion and left it with a shortfall of €50,000 per Greek household. The Olympics… Read more