In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- A Dream Home in Portugal’s Tuscany for $129,567
- What is it Really Like to Buy in a RETA Deal?
- Beach Homes in the “Portugal of South America” From $180,000
- Your Questions Answered About Small-Town Living on Uruguay’s Coast
Tomorrow evening I’m hitting the road again…
As I write this, I’m getting ready to leave my base here in Guadalajara where I spent the holidays, and travel back to my condo in Los Cabos.
I’m looking forward to getting back to Cabo. Not only am I excited to soak up Cabo’s perfect weather, hike its serene beaches and cactus-studded trails, and tee off on its world-class golf courses set against dramatic cliffs…but I’m also keen to check in on my many investments there.
Cabo’s sunsets are hard to beat…as is the perfect weather, the food and outdoor lifestyle on offer here.
I’ve bought more real estate in Cabo than anywhere else in the world. That’s how bullish I am on Cabo and the Baja peninsula in general. Billions of dollars of new investment has poured in here in recent decades and you can see an explosion of development in all directions.
I’ve bought alongside members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group six times in Cabo. And the results have been incredible…
The first RETA deal in Cabo was in 2015 in the 5-star Quivira resort. The RETA-only price on a two-bed ocean-view condo in the best-in-class Copala community was $336,156. I bought one. It’s where I’ll stay in Cabo, when I’m not enjoying walks on the beach, or catching up on work by the pool. Anyhow, since our deal, I’ve seen an identical condo to mine two floors above me listed for $725,000…that’s $388,844 more.
Some more success stories…
- $250,000—In August 2021, RETA members could get a penthouse in a community called Cabo Costa for $249,000. I got one. Today a penthouse in Cabo Costa lists for $499,000.
- $421,778—Also in Quivira, a RETA member bought a villa in Mavila for $428,222 in June 2018. A villa there was recently on the market for $850,000.
- $602,885—In 2017, a RETA member bought a luxury villa in Copala, in the Quivira master-planned community, for $385,115. Last year, the same Copala villa listed for $988,000—that’s an enormous uplift of $602,885.
The key to successes like these in Cabo is getting the right real estate at the right price. And right now, that’s not so easy. Deals in Cabo that are RETA grade are scarce.
That’s why I’m so excited about an upcoming RETA members-only opportunity…
RETA members will soon get the chance to own in a spectacular community in Cabo. I expect gains of $175,400 just four years after delivery. And I figure on gross rental yields of close to 10%—and that’s just if you rent long term.
A major highlight of this community is that premium ocean-view land is being given over to the luxurious amenities. Check out this render from the developer, although not to be considered final, it gives you a great idea…
In the coming weeks, RETA members will have the chance to an ocean-view two-bed condos in an incredible community in Cabo.
I’m putting the finishing touches to this deal…as I said, this will be a RETA members-only deal. To ensure you have the chance to get in on this opportunity (and all the other deals I bring to RETA members this year), you need to be a member. All the details for joining are here.
Let’s take a look at what’s been happening elsewhere on my international beat this past week…
A Dream Home in Portugal’s Tuscany for $129,567
To kick off the new year, I brought you to the hidden heartlands of Portugal.
Portugal has been on my real estate radar for around two decades now. Because I’ve been tracking Portugal for all this time, I and RETA members have been ahead as destinations like the southern Algarve region, the Silver Coast, and Porto exploded in popularity.
And we’ve been working to stay ahead…
For the last couple of years my team and I have had boots on the ground looking for the “next places” in Portugal. One of those places we uncovered was the Alentejo.
The hill towns of Portugal’s Alentejo region still offer some incredible real estate bargains.
This is what my scout Eoin Bassett said about this region of Portugal after his last trip there:
“Italy has Tuscany. France has Provence…
“In Portugal it’s the Alentejo, gentler landscapes but much of the same bucolic Mediterranean-style bliss, tons of history, culture and good food, and at an incredibly low cost.
“The Alentejo takes up about a third of Portugal, stretching from around the mid-point of the country all the way south to the Algarve. A dramatic and wild coastline gives way to undulating plains that end in the mountains at the Spanish border.”
Eoin explored the hill towns of this region and he found some incredible real estate bargains.
Read more about what he found here.
What’s It Really Like to Buy in a RETA Deal?
Each deal I bring to members of my RETA group is based on one basic principle: Buy the right real estate, in the right place, and at the right price.
It’s simple, old-fashioned real estate investing. But of course, there’s a twist…
I use the collective-buying power of RETA to get members an off-market price…one lower than anyone else sees.
Deals I bring to members are put through a vigorous due diligence process and I have to be happy that it’s a deal that makes sense for my members. There’s months of negotiations with developers…time spend on the ground (often this involves multiple trips by multiple members of my team)…lots of number-crunching…it takes a lot of work before I put a deal in front of my members. But it’s all worth it for the incredible uplifts we experience at RETA.
Recently, two RETA members agreed to share their journey buying in one of our RETA deals…and I wanted to share them with you, so you can see how it all works.
First up we have Tim DeVries who bought in one of the RETA members-only deals in the Samsara community in Tulum on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. Tulum has it all….incredible turquoise Caribbean waters…miles of deserted, palm tree-fringed coastline…those pristine white-sand beaches…and it’s been the location for some killer RETA deals in the past.
Tim was preparing to take delivery of his condo when he recorded this video detailing his experience…watch it here.
Tim bought in Samsara, a RETA deal in July 2021. Watch him share his experience.
Eric Steen discovered RETA during the pandemic. He bought in the first deal that came up after he became a member…that was in the stunning community of Cabo Costa in Los Cabos.
Eric was so satisfied with the experience he went on to buy in another RETA-only deal in The Village in Corasol on Mexico’s Riviera Maya. And now, with his two properties, he’s already sitting on six-figure uplifts. Eric tells you about his experiences below…
RETA member Eric Steen found our group during COVID. Today he’s sitting on six-figure uplifts in two RETA deals. Click here to watch him tell his story.
Beach Homes in the “Portugal of South America” From $180,000
Just before the holidays, my scout Ciaran Madden spent two week digging into opportunities around Uruguay.
Wedged between Argentina to the west and Brazil to the east, with Paraguay to the north, the tiny country of Uruguay rarely makes the headlines…it’s so safe and stable that it’s kinda boring!
But it’s an investor’s darling…a well-organized country and renowned safe haven where folks can cut their tax burden and get easy residency options.
For a long time I’ve heard people compare little Uruguay to the world’s most famous safe haven, Switzerland. But these days I think of it more like “the Portugal of South America,” since it’s welcoming of foreigners and overseas investment. It’s also got a stunning coastline reminiscent of Portugal, complete with sweeping Atlantic beaches, pine forests and rolling dunes.
While on the road, Ciaran looked at real estate options on the market right now in some of Uruguay’s nicest and most popular beach towns. And he found incredible opportunities, literally steps from the beach, for as little as $180,000.
Uruguay has a reputation for safety and stability in an unpredictable world, and its beautiful coastline has been quietly drawing tourists, expats, and investors for decades.
Your Questions Answered
Have a question or comment for me or my team? A question about owning overseas? A destination you’d like us to scout. Share it here. I’d love to hear from you. Here’s a question I’ve gotten from a reader recently about Ciaran’s scouting trip to Uruguay…
Jo M. asks: Hello, Ronan McMahon and team! I have a question for your boots-on-the-ground scout about Uruguay. I know the hot spots are Montevideo and Punta del Este, but I’m a quiet person who really loves small towns instead of big cities. Yet, I like to be within an hour or so of a bigger city so I can enjoy the amenities of a big city without daily traffic, noise, congestion, etc.
Did your scout-on-the-ground check out a couple of smaller towns on the coast between Montevideo and Punta del Este? Not teeny, tiny places, but a town that would have all your basics, maybe a few historical sights, and a few interesting places to see. Maybe a town of 15,000 to 40,000 population, or something similar.
I’m an American who has been living in Ecuador for the last 10 years and am thinking it’s time to “up sticks” and discover a new adventure. My Spanish is decent and I love what I hear about peace and quiet in Uruguay.
Thank you for all the great work you do to bring us up-to-date and accurate information from so many wonderful places around the world!
Ronan says: Hi Jo. Thanks for your question and your kind words. If you’re looking for destinations that are a bit quieter than buzzing Montevideo and Punta del Este, and located between these two cities, you do have a couple of options…though not with a population of 40,000.
Uruguay in total has only around 3.5 million people and roughly 2 million of those are in and around Montevideo. Besides Punta del Este and its adjoining city of Maldonado, the larger population centers are inland. That said, there are some nice coastal towns with decent amenities. Here’s a few Ciaran looked at…
Just 28 miles east of Montevideo is the small coastal town of Atlántida. It’s known for its many pine and eucalyptus trees and wide sandy beaches. It’s often quiet and sleepy, with long, pristine beaches. Though when snowbirds and vacationers arrive in January, its full-time population of about 6,000 historically jumps to about 25,000.
For this reason, there are a lot of services here for a town of this size. These include two large supermarkets, a small hospital, and several medical and dental clinics.
Another option is Piriápolis, an old-fashioned seaside resort town with a laidback feel which is about 60 miles east of Montevideo and 25 miles west of Punta del Este. It’s famous for its beach-side rambla (promenade) which is right across the street from Piriapolis’ centro (downtown).
Piriápolis has a year-round population of around 9,000, but that number increases in the summer when vacationers arrive.
In Piriápolis, you find a small-town atmosphere, with stores and shops that provide everything you need on a day-to-day basis. You also find public and private hospital facilities, and medical clinics. If you want to buy something beyond the basics, or you want to see a movie, Punta del Este is just a 30- to 40-minute drive away.
Just east of Pirapolis’ centro you’ll find San Antonio Hill. You get to the top by driving up a winding hillside road or by taking a chairlift that starts at the Piriápolis marina.
While these towns have a lot to offer, including some incredible beaches, I’d encourage you to also consider the Rocha region, further east from Punta del Este.
Rocha is a region of unspoiled natural beauty where you’ll find cream-colored beaches, glistening lagoons, nature reserves, and boutique, bohemian beach towns. On his recent scouting trip to Uruguay, Ciaran tracked a “Path of Progress” that’s moving east to Rocha. This Path of Progress includes a new highway that’s set to reduce the travel time from Rocha to Montevideo airport down to around two hours or so.
Ciaran is working on an in-depth report detailing all that he uncovered during his two weeks on the ground in Uruguay. RETA members will see that report drop into their inbox in the coming weeks. (If you’re not yet a RETA member but would like to get Ciaran’s full scouting report, you can join here today.)
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. If you have a question about buying real estate overseas or have suggestions for destinations my team and I should put on our scouting list for 2025, drop me a line here.
Your Daily Dream Home
Orfano, Kavala, Greece
This cozy one-bedroom first floor apartment has 360 square feet of living space and a private garden in a gated community. The apartment enjoys sea views and has an open-plan kitchen/living room, bathroom, and veranda.
The apartment is in Kavala, a major seaport and one of northern Greece’s most attractive cities. Built on the slopes of Mount Symvolo, overlooking the Aegean Sea, the city has a rich history dating back to the 7th century BC.
The region enjoys a Mediterranean climate moderated by sea breezes, with hot summers and mild winters and has some exceptional beaches as well as many important archaeological sites.
Modern Kavala is famous for its fresh seafood tavernas, historic tobacco warehouses converted into cultural spaces, and its iconic landmark – the Kamares aqueduct, built in the 16th century.
