In my view, there are five secrets of success in real estate. They’re simple. Easy to understand. And there are two ways to make the most of them.
The hard way? Invest a lot of time and money on the road, scouting locations, making contacts, doing boots on the ground research.
The easy way? Be a Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) member. If you’re not a member, you can join here.
If you are a member, you will have got all five secrets in your monthly issue last week. Go here to read it.
These are the same principles I use to guide RETA members to the world’s most lucrative, early-in deals—before the crowds show up.
They may be simple. But they’re profoundly powerful.
Let’s unpack the first one…
Secret 1: Find Out Where the People Are Going…
Before you analyze a spreadsheet, before you ever open your browser to start searching listings—there’s one thing you need to understand:
Human movement drives real estate value.
The most lucrative investments are never just about numbers. They’re about people—specifically, where people are going. Where they want to be. Where they’re heading next.
When you figure that out before the crowd, you position yourself in front of the wave. It’s the best way to profit.
This isn’t a theory—it’s a proven pattern.
When I first visited Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Riviera Maya nearly 20 years ago, it was a small beach town.
Today, it’s becoming one of the world’s foremost beachfront cities, drawing millions of visitors each year. It’s undergoing what I think of as “the Miami Effect” and has grown from a few hundred inhabitants to hundreds of thousands.
It wasn’t random that I was in Playa del Carmen in 2004. I was following the signals.
Cancun was booming to the north. The government was spending big on highways and expanding the airport. Europeans were arriving. Americans were booking flights. Connectivity was improving. Access was getting easier. The pull factors—sun, sea, relaxed lifestyle—were already there. All it needed was momentum.
I saw it coming. So I acted. I worked on getting deals on the best real estate for RETA members. This is how you win.
You don’t need to guess. You need to observe:
- Are flights increasing?
- Are roads being built or upgraded?
- Is internet fast, stable, and getting better?
- Are new visas making it easier for people to stay long-term?
- Are there cafés full of laptops and surfboards, or are they about to arrive?
Are the people coming!
And today more than ever it’s about mobility. Millions of people can now work from anywhere, live anywhere, build a life anywhere. And they’re doing exactly that. They’re seeking sunshine, adventure, culture, connection—and they’re taking their income with them.
A powerful shift is underway, and you’re either ahead of it…or you’re late.
Let me be clear: I’m not talking about betting on hunches or chasing fads. I’m talking about watching for real, lasting transformations—the kind that are driven by infrastructure, access, and the growing human desire to live better, freer lives.
Let’s look at some real-world examples of where these forces have converged…
Portugal’s Algarve: Once the quiet corner of Europe, the Algarve has transformed into a magnet for global wealth. Why? Connectivity and incentives.
The region now boasts a network of upgraded highways, fast rail links, and an international airport in Faro with direct flights across Europe. Add in incentives like 300 days of sunshine, world-class golf, and golden beaches—and you get a place where the right real estate has doubled in value in under a decade. The best homes now rent year-round, not just for a few high-season weeks. With international schools and a huge expat community it’s no surprise the Algarve is drawing remote professionals and wealthy early retirees from the UK, Germany, the U.S., and beyond.
Mexico’s Riviera Maya: The Riviera Maya—stretching from Cancún through Playa del Carmen to Tulum—has become one of the most internationally connected coastlines in the world. With tens of millions of passengers flowing through Cancún International Airport annually, and the upcoming Tulum Airport adding further lift, access is unmatched.
The pull? A fusion of white-sand beaches, cosmopolitan dining, strong rental demand, and improving infrastructure like the new Maya Train. Add in favorable residency pathways, thriving expat communities, and a growing tech-nomad crowd, and you have a region where rental returns can be extraordinary.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Cabo used to be the playground of Californians and Arizonans. Now it’s gone global. Private jet traffic is soaring. Boutique resorts and branded residences—from Nobu to Four Seasons—are racing to keep up with demand.
The region’s real estate market has been supercharged by ultra-high-net-worth buyers, infrastructure upgrades, and its ease of access from major U.S. cities. A new bypass highway and improved connectivity from the airport have opened up new prime neighborhoods. The lifestyle is five-star, the weather nearly perfect, and the rental income potential massive.
Those who bought years ago are sitting on enormous equity gains. But there are still opportunities—if you know where to look and who to deal with…
Southern Spain’s Costa del Sol: For decades, this stretch of Mediterranean coastline was a haven for European sunseekers. But in the last few years, it’s undergone a transformation. Now, Malaga is a tech hub. Marbella has become a year-round base for international entrepreneurs and crypto millionaires. The Andalusian government is rolling out fast-track visas and digital nomad incentives. And with high-speed rail, modern highways, and direct flights to dozens of countries, access is seamless. RETA members who got in on the right deals have seen big uplifts—not just in price appreciation, but in year-round rental income from a steady stream of global tenants.
Costa Rica’s Gold Coast: Stretching along the country’s northwestern Pacific shoreline, Costa Rica’s Gold Coast—especially around Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, and Playa Grande—has become one of the hottest lifestyle-driven investment zones in the Americas.
Why? Because it checks all the boxes.
The international airport in Liberia has undergone major upgrades and now welcomes direct flights from dozens of U.S. and Canadian cities. In under five hours from JFK, you can be on a surfboard or sipping a sundowner by the infinity pool. Add to that improved roads, fiber-optic internet, private healthcare, international schools—and suddenly this isn’t just a place for a vacation. It’s a place to live.
Costa Rica offers a rare blend of natural beauty, political stability, and sustainable development. Its residency programs are straightforward. Property laws are investor-friendly. And its deep, long-standing appeal to eco-tourists, wellness travelers, and remote workers means demand for high-end rentals is strong and growing.
Each of the places I mention above has crossed the tipping point—from seasonal resort to full-blown year-round destination for high-income professionals, digital nomads, and international retirees who aren’t just visiting… they’re staying.
That’s why smart investors like us look beyond their own borders. Because when you know how to spot these shifts—and how to identify the right property in the right place—you can capture serious upside.
This is the foundation of global real estate investing success.
Get there first…then, find the right location and real estate…
That’s the first secret of successful real estate investing. Tomorrow, I’ll share the second secret. And this one is incredibly important.
Watch your inbox…
Wishing you good real estate investing,
