I’m writing to you today from a million-dollar villa in Cabo. And my stay in this luxurious home isn’t costing me a dime.
The strategy I’m using to unlock this free stay is something that anyone can replicate…and you can apply it to get virtually free stays in luxurious properties all over the world.
All you need to do is own the right kind of real estate.
Let me explain…
These villas are in the Mavila community within the 5-star Quivira resort in Cabo. The million-dollar villa I’m staying in is in the same community.
In recent months, I’ve been exploring the world of house-swapping. By letting guests stay in properties I own, I’ve built up points on a home-exchange platform.
Now I’m cashing those points in—using them to stay in someone else’s home for free. And I’m doing it in Los Cabos, at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, where I spend time every winter.
Earlier this week, I moved into my first home-exchange home as a guest. The luxury villa I’m staying in is in the Mavila community within the 5-star Quivira resort.
I know Quivira well…
Over the years, I’ve brought numerous off-market deals here to my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group, including to own these exact villas in Mavila. (My RETA group uses our group-buying power to negotiate exclusive, off-market deals with developers. That means our members get in first on best-in-class communities…at prices ordinary investors never see.)
Back in 2018, RETA members could own these villas with members-only pricing starting from $428,222. Today, one is listing for $1.1 million. That’s an astonishing uplift of $671,778.
Now, I’m staying in one of these incredible homes for free, thanks to my new house-swapping strategy…
With nine months of perfect weather, Los Cabos is a place that boasts inherent appeal. Visitor records have tumbled year after year, with the region welcoming a new record high of 7.5 million air passengers in 2025.
Not Swapping Keys, But Banking Time
House-swapping today works a bit differently that you might be imagining…
When most people hear “house-swapping,” they picture a very specific scenario: two families agreeing to exchange homes on the same dates—hoping schedules line up and trusting that everything is left exactly as it was found. That model still exists. But many modern home-exchange platforms now work very differently.
Instead of one-to-one swaps, owners earn points when someone stays in their home. Those points can then be redeemed for stays in other homes—even in completely different countries—at a time of your choosing.
Think of it less as swapping keys and more as banking time.
I have friends who’ve been doing this for years. In fact, I know people who live a life of near-perpetual travel this way—earning points when others stay in their homes, then using those points to visit places they’ve always wanted to go. There’s virtually no destination you can’t reach this way.
The platform I’ve been using—Home Exchange—has hundreds of thousands of homes listed worldwide. Browsing it, I’ve seen stunning properties on Denmark’s coastal dunes…on Malta’s sister island of Gozo…in the hills of Umbria…on the shores of Corsica, to name just a few.
These are real homes—often high-quality, even luxury properties—in places where renting something comparable, especially in peak season, would be prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable. And by using real estate you already own, you can access them at near-zero cost.
It’s an intriguing proposition. So, I decided to dive in…
The house-swapping listing I created for my condo in the Praia D’el Rey Golf and Beach Resort on Portugal’s Silver Coast. It’s seen big interest since I posted it.
Using Spare Capacity at My Beachfront Condo in Portugal
Late last year, I listed my beachfront condo on Portugal’s Silver Coast on the platform. The condo is in the Praia D’El Rey beach and golf community, about an hour north of Lisbon, set along a beautiful stretch of Atlantic coastline known for its wide beaches, rolling dunes, historic fishing towns, incredible golf courses, and excellent surfing.
I bought this condo for €300,000 in 2020. A few years back, a local agent wanted to list it for €450,000. Today, it would likely list for more. But I’m not selling.
When I’m not using this condo, I typically rent it out short-term. It’s hugely popular in summer. From August 1 to September 4 last year alone, it generated €8,338 in gross income from short-term rentals. In fact, the income I earn from renting this property during peak season—when I prefer to be in Ireland anyway—more than covers the entire annual cost of ownership, including the mortgage, HOA fees, and insurance.
In the winter months, however, occupancy drops and the condo often sits empty. That raised a simple question: could I convert that spare capacity into home exchange points?
I decided to find out.
Portugal’s Silver Coast boasts pristine beaches, stunning historic towns and villages, and incredible dining, golf and entertainment options.
I listed the property on the home-exchange platform, specifying the dates it would be available for swaps. The response was immediate—and surprising. I received a steady flow of requests. Last month, I accepted my first exchange. In early January, while I was on the other side of the Atlantic at my home in Guadalajara, a French family stayed in my Silver Coast condo.
Now, I’m using the points I earned to stay at my Mavila villa.
Regular readers will know that I spend time in Los Cabos each winter. I also own property there, including an ocean-view condo in the Copala community within the five-star Quivira resort.
I bought that condo in an off-market deal I brought to my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group in 2015. The RETA-only price was $336,156. Last year, identical condos in the same community were listing for $729,000—an uplift of nearly $393,000.
Normally, I stay at this condo when I’m in Los Cabos. But right now, it’s rented out and generating income. So I’m using the house-exchange points earned from my Silver Coast condo to stay in the luxury villa. In other words, I’m trading off-season time in Portugal for a peak-season stay in Los Cabos.
The golf course at Quivira, where RETA members and I got in on an incredible deal in 2015.
Why the Right Property Makes All the Difference
Not every property is equally suited to this kind of exchange.
In my research, what’s become clear is that homes in desirable, internationalized destinations attract far more interest. Places people dream of visiting like coastal Portugal, southern Spain, the south of France, or the Baja peninsula.
The type of property matters too.
Best-in-class homes in amenity-rich communities, in excellent locations, perform best. In short, the same qualities that make a property attractive to short-term renters—location, livability, amenities—also make it valuable in the home-exchange world.
These are exactly the types of properties I like to invest in…and the types of opportunities I share with RETA members.
The deals I bring to RETA members are exactly the kind of properties that prove popular for house-swapping. That’s because they’re properties in best-in-class developments in some of the world’s most beautiful and desirable destinations, from Cabo to Lagos, Portugal (pictured above).
Enjoy a Life of Perpetual Travel
A single overseas property could unlock a life of perpetual travel, even as it earns you money from owning it.
Returning to the example of my Silver Coast condo. In high seasons, like late spring, summer and fall, I can operate it as a short-term rental, earning income. Then, during select periods like winter, when demand softens and the opportunity cost of doing swaps is low, I can open it for exchanges.
By activating otherwise idle time, I earn points that unlock peak-season stays elsewhere—winter sun in Los Cabos, for example, when hotel prices soar and availability tightens.
It’s a simple formula: use spare capacity in best-in-class real estate and convert it into virtually free stays—on your own schedule—in distinctive homes in Paris…Berlin…Malta…the Italian Riviera…almost anywhere you want to be.
You’re not sacrificing income. You’re activating periods when income wouldn’t exist anyway.
That’s how a single overseas property can unlock a life of perpetual free travel.
And how I’ve been able to stay in a million-dollar villa for free.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. Perhaps you’ve already tried house-swapping. You might be farther down this rabbit-hole than I am. If so, I’d love to hear your stories. If you’d like to share your house-swapping experiences, drop me a line here.
