In 2008, as the world teetered on the edge of collapse, I bought a condo in the Ecuadorian Andes for $40,000. I didn’t buy it to flip or rent. I bought it as a backup plan. A personal sanctuary. My “pocket-money bolthole”—where the air was clear, the water pure, and the noise of the world couldn’t reach me.
Back then, during the financial crisis of 2008–2009, there was real fear. We thought the ATMs might stop working. That’s how bad it looked. And in that moment, Cotacachi, a peaceful highland town in Ecuador, made perfect sense.
The property I bought was a penthouse with about 800 square feet inside and 700 outside. I was exhausted, busy, and the world seemed to be unraveling.
Banks were collapsing. People were losing their jobs, their pensions, their savings…
Up there in Cotacachi, I slept like a baby. The air was crisp. The views from my terrace were incredible. That’s where I imagined I’d spend my time—reading, writing, eating clean.
Cotacachi offered perfect weather, jaw-dropping scenery, a low cost of living, and the slow rhythm of a small town. But I never furnished the place. Never really settled in. The world didn’t fall apart.
In fact, the crisis created opportunity—fire sales in Europe, a booming economy in northeast Brazil…
As you’ll often hear my team and I say, “when you look everywhere, there’s always opportunity somewhere.”
I eventually sold the condo, no regrets. I was on the road full-time, scouting deals. That same year, I launched Real Estate Trend Alert and focused on growing a global network of real estate contacts.
Seventeen years on, I own condos across the globe—but not in Ecuador. These days, I like to buy where I never need heating or air-conditioning. Close to a beach, a golf course, and a good airport.
Take my beachfront condo on Portugal’s Silver Coast. From my terrace, I look out at miles of wild, untouched beach. Behind the dunes, there’s a superb golf course. Lisbon is just over an hour away. A charming town—Caldas da Rainha—is a 20-minute drive.
It checks all my boxes:
– No need for air con or heating
– Ocean on my doorstep
– Great golf nearby
– Food, services, and city life within reach
In a world growing noisier, the idea of a bolthole—whether in the mountains, by the sea, or in a sunny, stable spot with low living costs—makes more sense than ever.
That’s why my team and I are putting together a major new report for my Real Estate Trend Alert members: the world’s best bolthole locations, complete with our top picks of properties starting at just $55,000.
Here’s a sneak peek of some of our research to date…
A Hidden Highland Retreat in Panama
My scout in Panama, Oliver Lovett, escaped to the tropics years ago and never looked back. Right now, he’s preparing to head north into Panama’s cool, green Chiriquí Highlands and then out to the idyllic Caribbean islands.
When I asked Olly had he seen a good hide out, he sent me a listing for a home in Volcan…
Much like my bolthole in Ecuador’s Andes, Volcán offers cool, spring-like temperatures year-round. No need for AC. It’s a tight-knit town where expats and locals live side-by-side, surrounded by volcanoes, coffee farms, and world-class hiking. This modern home is move-in ready, and the pace of life here is wonderfully slow.
Beachfront Living in North Bali
My scout Eoin Bassett spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific scouting real estate. Of Bali he tells me the north coast is quieter and better value than the bustling south. He sent me a listing for a villa set on a wide stretch of beach. It has a private pool, lush gardens, and a breezy open layout. It’s the kind of place you could live part-time, maybe rent out when you’re not there, or just keep in your back pocket as a getaway. Priced far below similar properties in Europe or North America. (Now, there’s a lot to know about restrictions on foreigners buying in Southeast Asia, but that’s for another eletter.)
Island Life in Italy
This one is the epitome of paradisical escape!
Tucked into the wild western rim of Salina—one of the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily—you’ll find Pollara, not so much a village as it is a secret.
A scattering of old stone houses perched above a sunken volcanic caldera, this place feels like the end of the world in the best possible way.
The landscape is elemental. Steep cliffs drop into sapphire sea. Olive trees twist in the breeze. Vineyards cling to terraces, and time seems to drift like the scent of wild fennel in the wind. Life here moves to its own rhythm—sunrise coffee on a quiet terrace, swims in a hidden cove only accessible by boat or goat path, evenings watching the sun slip behind the distant islands of Filicudi and Alicudi.
Pollara became quietly famous when it was featured in Il Postino, the Oscar-nominated film that captured the village’s soulful solitude. But even now, it remains blissfully off the radar. There are no crowds, no cruise ships, no souvenir stalls. Just a slow, sensual life under the Sicilian sun.
And for €220,000 (that’s $249,777) you can own “the Postman’s House” perched dramatically on the cliffs overlooking the sea.
Is it the best-value I’ve seen in Italy? Well, no, Italy is the ultimate place to hunt for pocket-money property escapes. But the postman’s house is definitely the ultimate refuge…
Okay, that’s it for today…
This bolthole report we’re working on is a major project involving real scouting, real travel, real money. Each year, my team and I spend more than a million dollars on research trips, boots-on-the-ground intel, and first-hand property reviews.
This isn’t algorithmic fluff. It’s old-school reporting, mixed with modern insight—and it’s coming soon to members of my Real Estate Trend Alert.
Stay tuned.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. Portugal is perhaps one of the world’s safest and most pleasant places to escape to—where golden coastlines, cobbled streets, and a gentle pace of life meet smart investment potential. I own two properties there and can tell you firsthand: the lifestyle is addictive, the people warm, and the cost of living refreshingly low. From sipping espresso at a seaside café to wandering historic villages untouched by time, it’s a place that keeps pulling you back. Today, you have a chance to get your own piece of this remarkable country—whether for lifestyle, retirement, or savvy long-term gain.
