As you probably know, I believe the only way to properly assess a real estate opportunity overseas is with boots on the ground.
That’s why my team and I are constantly on the move—from the Dominican Republic to Spain, Uruguay to Portugal, and beyond—scouting out the best up-and-coming markets, assessing real estate, and talking directly to the people involved.
A few recent snapshots from our Scouting Team in action:
– Me checking out a land opportunity in Costa Rica
– Margaret’s early morning walk captured in Spain
– And below, a stunning drone shot from Noah over Yucalpetén, near Mérida, Mexico—where RETA members are already sitting on uplifts of $246,200.
My team and I spend over a million dollars a year on travel and research so that members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group get the kind of insider access and intelligence you simply won’t find anywhere else.
But this August, you can do your own scouting. You can talk face-to-face with the same attorneys, developers, and expats we do…ask the tough questions…and get a behind-the-scenes look at where the biggest opportunities are now.
All in one weekend, in one place!
Join me and my team at International Living’s Go Overseas Bootcamp, the only U.S. event this year where I’m bringing my key contacts together under one roof.
At this special event, I’ll be diving into the five hottest deals currently on my radar—some of the most exciting real estate opportunities I’ve seen in years. These are the kinds of deals that echo the best RETA wins of the past: early access, incredible value, and serious upside potential.
We’ll also dig into the emerging locations that haven’t hit the mainstream yet but are quietly gaining momentum. These are the places you should have on your list now, before the crowds arrive. Some of them may surprise you—small cities, overlooked coastlines, inland gems with stunning architecture and growing appeal. This won’t be vague theory… this is real-time intelligence from the field.
And I won’t be the only one on hand…
As I say I’m bringing my contacts from all over to meet you. Details here.
That includes folks like David Hinton, one of my team dedicated to helping members get the very best out of their RETA subscription.
David doesn’t just talk about overseas opportunity—he lives it.
He lives in Panama where he spent a year right on the beach. At Bootcamp, you’ll be able to meet him and get his honest take on what it’s really like to live in a master-planned community where the ocean is just seconds from your front door.
Below, you’ll find David’s account of life at Playa Caracol. If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a beachside home—or just want to explore smart, practical ways to diversify your life and portfolio overseas—Portland is the place to be this August.
You’ll walk away with more than just inspiration—you’ll leave with a personal plan, expert contacts, and clear next steps tailored to your goals.
Click here to register now and save $250.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
The Truth About Living in Playa Caracol By David Hinton
Less than a minute…
That’s how long it’d take me to get from my condo in Playa Caracol to the ocean.
Whenever the mood took me, within 30 to 60 seconds, I could be floating in the warm waters of the Pacific, looking back at the glistening, white-sand beach…my fellow residents playing volleyball, swaying in hammocks, or lounging in deck chairs on the soft, pristine sand.
It’s an almost surreal experience living right on the beach like this…a literal paradise right outside your door. Your days are filled with sun and sand. The ocean is a constant presence. You fall asleep to the sound of lapping waves and awake to them every morning.
It’s like being inside a postcard. Stress melts away.
When I was back in the States, I dreamed of this lifestyle—a modern home with the beach on my doorstep. But honestly, I don’t think I ever really believed it would happen.
During the heady days of my career, I lived all over America, born and raised in Queens, New York I then moved on to Phoenix and Los Angeles, before working in account management roles in Atlanta for three decades.
I’d seen what true beachfront costs. Millions of dollars.
It seemed unattainable for a middle-class guy like me…someone who’d raised four kids and now has five grandkids.
Truth is, I’d probably still be in the States if it wasn’t for COVID. But when the pandemic struck, it pushed my wife and I to follow our dream. We started looking for a place where we could live by the ocean. It didn’t take us long to decide on a move to tropical Panama.
For two years we lived in the coastal retirement community of Coronado. It was warm and beautiful, with a nice black and white sand beach. Then we heard talk of a master-planned gated community on the most stunning stretch of white-sand beach, located 30 minutes away from Coronado. A bold project by a visionary developer.
We had to check it out…
This was Playa Caracol. And it was everything we’d dreamed of. Modern resort-style communities right up on the beach. Next-level amenities like basketball courts and swimming pools and pickleball courts, all seconds from the ocean. After a few visits, we were determined to move there.
We looked at buying, but somehow lucked into the most incredible rental arrangement. We got the chance to rent a two-bed, two-bath patio condo for $1,100 per month. I still don’t know how we got this price. I’ve seen similar condos listed in the $1,500 to $1,800 per month range. Sometimes even more.
The condos here are exceptionally well built and well-appointed, with excellent finishings and all mod-cons like big TVs and top-of-the-line air conditioning. Our spacious, covered patio became a favorite hangout spot for friends.
Moving to Playa Caracol was transformational…in unexpected ways. When you live on a beach as striking as this, it has an unerring attraction. You can’t help but build your days around it. Time must be carved out for laying in a hammock…for laying by the pool, cocktail in hand…for strolling barefoot on the sand…
The environment simply demands it. And then there’s all the community activities and nearby attractions.
In Playa Caracol, your days become busy—not with things you have to do, but things you want to do. This is the way life is supposed to be lived.
I’d often start my day on the pickleball courts, sometimes as early as 6 a.m.—a daily dose of exercise amid the warm Pacific breeze. Then, after completing my calls and emails to RETA members as part of my role as a RETA concierge, my wife and I would relax on our patio, before going for a dip in the pool…located just 30 seconds from our door.
In the afternoons, my wife would head to the beach to walk the sands and swim in the ocean. My routine was to take a ride on my e-bike along the community’s excellent private roads.
Sometimes I’d take the 30- to 40-minute bike ride up to Punta Chame—a charming little beach community with restaurants and bars located on a stunning peninsula northeast of Playa Caracol where you can also go kite surfing. Or if I was feeling a tad lazy, I might head to Vento—the outstanding beach club within Playa Caracol, just a five-minute walk from my door.
Vento is an excellent place to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner as well as play pool, foosball or even ping pong. I must say that I think they serve the best pizza in Panama (which has gone some way to negating the health benefits of my frequent bike rides and pickleball games).
This community is developing so fast… It feels like every month, something new opens. Or new plans are unveiled. Or new infrastructure is developed.
If you’d explained Playa Caracol to me a few years ago, I’m not sure I would have believed all this was possible. Frankly, for most developers, it wouldn’t have been. But Alfredo Aleman is no ordinary developer… He’s one of the best in the entire region. Someone who’s built two ultra-luxe manmade islands off the center of downtown Panama City.
Now, Alfredo’s shaping Playa Caracol into a major, internationally recognized beach community.
Alfredo is remarkably friendly and approachable. When he visits Playa Caracol, he often takes time to talk to residents. I’ve had conversations with him about things like the orientation and covering for the pickleball courts…and I could tell he was really listening. He’s got an uncommon ability to consider both the big vision and the small details.
Talk among residents is that Playa Caracol is going to be Panama’s Playa del Carmen.
That’s a reference to the destination in Caribbean Mexico that went from fishing village to thriving beach city in record time. I would have said that’s impossible…until I lived here. Now I can see it.
Of course, that’s still some years away. But I’ve watched the trajectory of this community. I’m a believer.
I’ve tried to describe what it’s like to live on a true beachfront to friends and family back home. I worry they think I’m embellishing.
After all, life in Playa Caracol sounds impossibly idyllic…
Days filled with dips in the pool and swims in the ocean…strolls on the sand and naps in the hammock…games of pickleball, paddleball, basketball, or volleyball followed by those occasional barbecue competitions that the community organizes with live music, the kind that turn into all-night parties…
A true beachfront lifestyle, just an hour or so from the thriving metropolis of Panama City. And it doesn’t cost millions.
Ronan says: The Panamanian government is pouring billions of dollars into infrastructure projects along Panama’s Pacific Riviera—a new eight-lane highway, bridges, a metro…all connecting booming Panama City to the beach areas west.
Right now, it takes between just 60 and 90 minutes to get from Playa Caracol to the city. It’s without doubt the closest, nicest beach and it’s being discovered now that developer Alfredo Aleman and his GLP group are into the next phase of development.
When I first visited Playa Caracol it was literally a virgin beach…and not at all easy to get to. Today Playa Caracol is an incredible luxury beachfront community The transformation from wild, hard-to-reach beach to unique luxury community has been astonishing.
We’ll be talking about Panama—and many more places—this August in Portland, Oregon. I’ll be leading a special, real estate-focused track at International Living’s Ultimate Go Overseas Bootcamp.
You’ll meet my core scouting team, hear from the trusted contacts and attorneys we work with across the globe, and get the inside line on the next wave of opportunity.
Seats are limited and right now there is a $200 early access discount—and RETA members save even more.
Click here to learn more and reserve your place.
