In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- $271,400 Gains in the Next Great World City
- A Tour of Panama’s Most Prestigious Neighborhood
- Homes on the Mediterranean from €45,000
- Your Questions Answered on Healthcare in Panama
Its construction involved the biggest real estate transaction in history to that point…
When completed, it spanned 51 miles…had the largest man-made lake ever built…and the biggest-ever earthen dam…
And its construction changed the world. Before it, the world had two major oceans—the Pacific and the Atlantic. Afterward, it functionally had one.
I’m talking, of course, about the Panama Canal…
A vital route of global trade, the Panama Canal links the world’s great oceans.
The country of Panama sits on the narrow isthmus that separates the world’s two major oceans. For centuries, engineers dreamed of building a canal through Panama. The French were the first to try…
In the late 19th century, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the man behind the Suez Canal, tried to carve a canal through the Panamanian jungle. His project ended in disaster.
Some years later, the U.S. stepped in, paying $40 million for the French holdings in the project. This was a colossal sum at that time…the most amount of money ever paid in a real estate transaction. Consider that the U.S. paid just $7.2 million to buy Alaska from Russia.
But America succeeded where the French project failed, and the canal opened in 1914. Check out this brief documentary on the building of the canal.
Over the course of the 20th century, the canal became central to global trade. (Today, around $270 billion worth of cargo passes through the canal every year—it’s the trade route taken by around 40% of all U.S. container traffic.)
Although Panama was home to the canal, it had no control over it. The U.S., as builder, administered the canal and its revenues. That is until 1999, when it handed back the canal to Panama…
This raised a question: How would a country change when it gained controlled one of the most important pieces of infrastructure on the planet?
Two decades ago, I traveled to Panama City to find out…
Most of Panama City’s astonishing skyline has risen in the past two decades. This city now boasts the 25th biggest skyline in the world.
When I first scouted Panama City in 2004, it was still a sleepy, regional city. But I could see change was coming.
The handover of the canal presented an incredible economic opportunity to Panama and it was taking advantage. It was attracting multinational corporations…new banks…the world’s wealthy were starting to come…
I could see the opportunity. And I bought and sold property for a $72,000 gross profit. This was one of my first-ever overseas real estate plays. One of the ones that cemented my love of overseas real estate investing.
Fast-forward two decades and Panama City has emerged on the world stage. It has the world’s 25th biggest skyline…the most important airport in the region…Central America’s only metro system…a new $200 million cruise ship port…
And in 2016, it completed a massive, $5.6 billion project to double the canal’s capacity.
This is a place that’s become modern, cosmopolitan, vibrant, prosperous. It’s a true world city, a safe haven, and it’s close to the U.S. And its growth still has decades left to run…
Which makes this a perfect city to have an overseas dream home…
Panama City has evolved into a glistening metropolis. This safe haven attracts wealthy people from across the globe.
$271,400 Gains in the Next Great World City
As I say, I’ve been scouting Panama City for 20 years. This is a place I know exceptionally well…and my assessment is that it has the greatest real estate investment potential of any major city on the planet. In fact, Panama City is the only capital city in the world where I recommend deals to my Real Estate Trend Alert group.
For years, RETA members have been buying ahead of its transformation. Already members are sitting on uplifts of $99,800, $196,609 and even $212,000 from our past deals here. (Details below).
Now, I have a new opportunity here and I expect gains of $271,400 eight years after delivery.
Five months ago, I brought RETA members the chance to own in a landmark new community in Panama City called Ipanema.
Ipanema is right on the water, on the last prime piece of waterfront land of its type. And it’s right next to Costa del Este, the prestigious, 766-acre master-planned district successfully designed and developed to attract multinational companies and their staff to Panama.
The planned amenities in Ipanema will be resort-level awesome. I’m talking pools, park, bistro, gym, bar, manicured beach, and more.
And there are already uplifts for RETA members who bought in Ipanema just five months ago. For instance, RETA members were able to buy penthouses in Ipanema for $632,200. In August 2024, the developer sold the exact same penthouses albeit in a different tower for $732,150.
That’s an uplift of $99,950 in less than three months!
Now, I’ve gotten RETA members a second chance to own in Ipanema…
Developer’s render showing the landmark new community of Ipanema in Panama City. (Although renders shouldn’t be considered final they give you an excellent idea.) The RETA-only price is from $328,600. I expect gains of $271,400 eight years after delivery. Deal opens this Wednesday, November 20, 1 p.m. ET.
The developer, Alfredo Aleman, has a high degree of respect for RETA and values his relationship with RETA members. He’s given me the opportunity to handpick just 15 luxury condos with RETA pricing and exclusive financing…
Members can own one of these 15 luxurious condos from a screaming RETA-only $328,600.
And I expect gains of $271,400 eight years after delivery and gross yields of nearly 11%—that’s income of $36,000.
Check out this short video render tour of Ipanema…
Ipanema will be one of the most exclusive and sought-after communities in Panama City and my RETA group has a new chance to get in at exclusive member-only pricing. I expect gains of $271,400 eight years after delivery.
If you’re not yet a RETA member, and would like the chance to act on this opportunity, learn how you can join RETA here.
With luxury amenities and stunning views, it will be easy to rent a luxury condo in Ipanema to any number of people, and tap all the groups and markets for whom Costa del Este is the place to be.
A Tour of Panama’s Most Prestigious Neighborhood
As I say, Ipanema is on the cusp of Costa del Este, Panama City’s most sought-after neighborhood.
This district is a “city within a city” where wide boulevards, leafy parks and residential and commercial zones are at the heart of Panama’s growth…
Costa del Este is a central location not only in Panama but for the entire region. This neighborhood was conceived and designed to attract multinational companies…to be a linchpin in the drive to diversify and grow Panama’s business-friendly economy.
It worked!
Today you’ll find over 50 multinational companies with offices in Costa del Este—Proctor and Gamble, IBM, Microsoft, Maersk, Haliburton, L’Oreal, Nestle and on and on…
With the infrastructure in place, the area saw rapid development of residential and commercial properties, including luxury shopping malls, world-class medical facilities and international schools, top-class restaurants, bars, and cafés…
Today it’s skyline glimmers, rising up between the rest of the city and the international airport—both just 10 minutes or so drive depending on traffic from Ipanema.
This is the place to be in Panama City…
Several members of my team had boots on the ground there in September. Click here to learn what they uncovered.
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning in a cosmopolitan setting in a tropical destination, this neighborhood needs to be on your radar.
Our RETA photographer, Alan Kennedy, snapped this shot of the Town Center mall in Costa del Este. Find out what else my team uncovered during this recent visit in this photo essay on Costa del Este here.
Homes on the Mediterranean from €45,000
Switching gears, I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this…
Recently, my team pulled together a special report about owning along the Mediterranean. In this report, you’ll find listings like…
- A fully furnished apartment on an Italian island famous for its stunning beaches, ancient temples, and quaint villages…for just $82,800.
- A walk-to-the-beach home in a quiet corner of Greece’s largest island where natural beauty and rich history surround you, for only €45,000 ($48,400).
- A condo on Turkey’s famed Turquoise Coast, set amidst resorts and golf courses with incredible beaches close by, for $97,197.
To see these listings and many more like them, click here to access our newest Your Overseas Dream Homes report: Dream Homes on the Mediterranean from €45,000.
Many destinations that touch the Mediterranean, like Sardinia, offer a perfect mix of Old-World traditions and modern amenities. Learn more about the real estate on offer around the Med, in your new report: Dream Homes on the Mediterranean from €45,000.
Your Questions Answered
Have some feedback for me or my team? A question about the upcoming RETA members-only deal? A destination you’d like us to scout next? Share it here. I’d love to hear from you. Here’s a question I got from a reader…
Ken. K asks: What is the quality of medical care like in Panama? Where do most Americans go when they have a complex, medical emergency? Does everyone fly to Miami, Florida to get the best medical care?
Ronan says: Hi Ken, Panama City is actually renowned throughout Latin America for its excellent healthcare, boasting several large-scale private hospitals considered to be among the best in the entire region.
Among these is the Johns Hopkins International-affiliated Hospital Punta Pacífica. This hospital is regarded as the most technologically advanced in Latin America and has received Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. Other major medical centers in the city include Centro Médico Paitilla, Hospital Nacional, and the San Fernando Hospital, with the latter the first facility in Panama to obtain a JCI gold-star rating.
The cost of private healthcare insurance in Panama is remarkably low, typically ranging from $600 to $1,500 per year, depending on age and health conditions. Certain hospitals in Panama also accept U.S. veterans’ VA-FMP, TRICARE or Champ-VA medical insurance.
Private health insurance in Panama is much less expensive than in the U.S. in large part because doctors’ fees are much cheaper. For instance, at Punta Pacífica—Panama’s most expensive facility—a consult with a general M.D. will start at about $60, while specialist consults start at around $75 to $100. There are local clinics all over Panama where you can be treated for much less, even as little as $10 for a consult.
One reason for the low fees is that the laws and the court system in Panama are not conducive to frivolous suits. This helps keep medical fees low as doctors and other healthcare workers don’t have to shell out big bucks for malpractice insurance. In fact, suing anyone in Panama can take years, and judges don’t dole out multimillion-dollar awards.
So, to summarize, Panama has amazing, world-class healthcare and the costs are far lower than in the U.S.
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. Our past RETA deals in Panama City…
I’ve brought members of my RETA group several deals to own in Santa Maria Golf and Country Club. This exclusive master-planned community just outside the city’s downtown core covers 692 acres, every inch set apart from the outside world.
A view from Santa Maria toward the city…
Santa Maria is exclusive and luxurious… It boasts a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. A Marriott Luxury Collection hotel (with a chic café and great restaurant). And the top-notch country club is open, at a level that has not been seen in Panama before, with an Olympic-sized pool, bowling alley, spa, gym, running track, yoga, squash, and tennis…
And yet, thanks to our connections with the developer, Alfredo Aleman and his GLP group, RETA members were able to buy here at incredible, RETA-only prices.
- In September my scouts were in Panama and stumbled upon an outstanding performance in Santa Maria. We had a RETA deal in October 2020 in Ocean House and a RETA member bought a two-bed condo for $268,200. My guys went to check it out. They were told it would list today for more than $368,000. And that it’s renting long term for $2,600 a month.
That’s an uplift of almost $100,000 and a gross yield of nearly 12%.
Renting long term!
- In September 2021, only six RETA members were able to buy spacious three-bedroom condos from $540,020 in a community within Santa Maria called Pinnacle. The retail list price for similar condos in the same community was $736,629—that’s $196,609 more.
Then there are our deals in Ocean Reef…
In June 2019 and June 2021 I brought RETA members a chance to own condos in Seascape on Ocean Reef, an exclusive man-made island community off downtown Panama City, made up of two islands with a marina in between.
This will be one of the globe’s sought-after addresses. A home on Ocean Reef islands is for the kind of person that international CEOs report to. The marina is for the mega-yachts of the super-wealthy. Everything on the islands has 5-star luxury built in, the Yacht Club, the gyms, the planned Wellness Center, restaurants, retail area, spa, tennis courts…
Yet, once again, because of our connections to the best-in-class developer and our group-buying power, RETA members could lock in sweeping ocean-view condos starting at $783,000. Resales are rare on Ocean Reef, but in 2022 a condo in Seascape listed for $995,000.
That’s a boost of $212,000.
Ocean Reef is a stunning man-made island community off downtown Panama City…and proof that the city is running out of prime land for development.
Now, we’re preparing for our new deal in Panama City, in the landmark community of Ipanema.
If you’re not yet a RETA member, and would like the chance to act on this opportunity, learn how you can join RETA here. Remember: the deal opens Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.
