I remember it like it was yesterday…
It was a warm October evening on a beach in Akumal along the Riviera Maya, Mexico’s stunning Caribbean coast. I was there with a group of like-minded people to run the rule over an exciting real estate opportunity steps from the sand.
This deal wasn’t public. There were no online listings.
Instead, this deal was “off-market.” The people gathered together on this striking beach had first dibs…exclusive access…and special pricing.
These were not developers or agents or brokers. Rather, this was a gathering of members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. And with this deal, they could lock down two-bed, two-bath ocean-view condos in a community called Santamar for $178,000. One of these condos later sold for $400,000—a gain of $222,000.
That’s a nice bonus for an evening at the beach…
The Santamar community sits in front of a spectacular stretch of Caribbean coastline. RETA members have seen huge, six-figure lifts from our exclusive off-market deals here.
This in-person opportunity took place several years ago at our annual RETA meetup, called The Gathering.
This is the event where I bring my whole team, and all my real estate contacts, insiders and experts from across the world to meet RETA members. Recent editions have been held in Playa del Carmen. Set along the Riviera Maya, Playa is a thriving, cosmopolitan city and one of the world’s leading beach destinations…all rolled into one.
The Gathering is not a conference, it’s an intimate and private get-together. It’s also relaxed and fun. We eat. We drink. We chat. We enjoy the Caribbean. And of course, we run the rule over off-market deals.
There’s always a “sneak peek” real estate deal at The Gathering—one that attendees get to act on before anybody else, as with the Akumal deal above.
Here’s another example from a past event…
The Gathering XI, the next edition of our annual RETA get-together, will be held in the stunning Caribbean beach city of Playa del Carmen in February 2025. (Learn how you can get your invite here.)
At The Gathering IX, in 2022, attendees were first to hear about Punta Laguna, a new community in Playa del Carmen…
Punta Laguna is in Corasol, a near 500-acre master-planned community at the edge of Playa del Carmen. Within Corasol, you have a world-class golf course and the best Caribbean beach in Playa. And because you’re on the edge of Playa, you have the city as your playground when you wish…
Corasol is fast becoming a reserve of the discerning and wealthy. Within this master-planned community, homes list for millions of dollars…the few that are left anyway. Scarcity is very real.
Yet, attendees at The Gathering IX had the chance to secure two-bed condos in the Punta Laguna community in Corasol from only $228,600. (I bought in Punta Laguna alongside RETA members.)
Less than two years later, the start listing price for these condos was $326,545. That’s 40% more than attendees of The Gathering could buy from.
An overview of the stunning beach at the Corasol master-planned community in Playa del Carmen. I unveiled a RETA-only deal here at The Gathering IX in 2022. Less than two years later, the listing prices for these condos was up 40% on the RETA-only price.
The next edition, The Gathering XI, is in Playa del Carmen from February 20 – 22, 2025.
As in previous editions, I plan on announcing a new RETA members-only deal at The Gathering XI. That means you get the deal briefing from me live and in-person, and you get to ask any burning questions you have.
Of course, The Gathering is not only about off-market deals.
As I say, it’s also a chance to meet with my contacts from some of the world’s leading destinations…
- Like Hans Yankelwitz from Costa Rica… Costa Rica’s Gold Coast is quickly emerging as an elite destination for the world’s ultra-wealthy (think billionaires like Bill Gates), but being a well-connected local, Hans knows where you can still find incredible beachfront deals…
- You’ll also hear from Alfredo Aleman, Panama’s one-man “Path of Progress”… Malls, country clubs, beach resorts, even man-made islands, there’s nothing he hasn’t built and nothing he doesn’t know about buying real estate in Panama…
- Geoffrey Donoghue will join us too… Geoffrey is based in Spain’s sunny Costa del Sol and has an eye for undervalued and overlooked real estate. For example, one opportunity Geoffrey found for RETA members was a chance to buy a penthouse in a luxury gated community for only €327,000. Less than two years later, the same penthouse sold for €550,000…
And Geoffrey, Hans and Alfredo are just the start…
The rooftop at the Casares Costa community in the Costa del Sol. RETA members have seen huge gains from our deals here. A penthouse a RETA member bought here for €327,000 was sold in late 2023 for €550,000—an incredible boost of €223,000.
I expect over a dozen members of my million-dollar rolodex to be in attendance at The Gathering XI, to give talks, and to share their insights and answer questions.
I’ll be there with the entire RETA team, too…
- One of the many things I’m looking forward to discussing is why I just bought a massive old mansion in Portugal… I’m going to do a full session on this, revealing the little-known part of Portugal where I bought and I’ll even lay out a complete blueprint you can follow if you dream of buying in Portugal too.
- I’ll also have my scout Ciaran reporting on his findings after an extensive trip in Sicily… Eoin will be fresh from house hunting on the Greek islands… plus much more!
And of course, you’ll have the chance to meet with fellow members…
Want to learn about the incredible bargains you’ll find in Sicily? Hear where I’m buying an old mansion in northern Portugal? My scouts and I will be discussing all this and more at The Gathering XI. (To get your invitation, become a RETA Lifetime member here.)
As I say, this is not a conference. It’s fun and casual. I honestly love The Gathering. I think it’s one of the best things I do for RETA members and I relish the chance to meet and chat with everybody who attends—developers, investors, members, we’re all together as one at The Gathering.
Tickets aren’t even priced to make money. All I ask is that attendees help cover costs of renting the hotel meeting space, food and drinks, etc.
I’m sending invites to The Gathering XI in the next two weeks. To attend you have to become a RETA Lifetime member. Also, fair warning: There are only 250 places for RETA Lifetime members. For the past few years places at The Gathering have been snapped up mere hours after the invitation is sent.
So, if you’d like to join me at The Gathering XI, rub shoulders with A-listers in international real estate, and get exclusive first access to a killer off-market deal, then I urge you to accept my invitation to join RETA Lifetime here.
I’ll see you on the beach.
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. It’s more than 16 years since I founded Real Estate Trend Alert. In that time, it has gone from strength to strength. We’ve had off-market deals all over the world. In beautiful places our members are sitting on serious gains…own stunning real estate…are renting for phenomenal income…
Now RETA is evolving…we’re no longer just a deal-focused investor’s group. We’re expanding to provide more guidance in areas like accountancy, financing, and residency. RETA isn’t just a membership, nor is it just about great deals; it’s a gateway to a world of endless opportunities, friendships, and the courage to live an international life full of meaning.
We are becoming a true club.
By becoming a RETA Lifetime member, you’ll ensure you never miss a deal AND you will get permanent access to all the exciting things we have planned as the RETA club evolves…
- A big expansion of our RETA Rolodex to include experts in areas like accountancy, visas, taxes, rental management, and more so you have all the insights you need to live a truly international lifestyle.
- A new way to access financing and mortgages when investing overseas.
- Expanded analysis and on-the-ground insights from destinations across the global RETA beat spanning things like travel and adventure experiences, the best hotels and Airbnbs, nice restaurants, healthcare options…in other words, the accumulated wisdom of our club at your fingertips.
All this and more is coming to RETA very soon. There’s never been a better time to join our club. Become a Lifetime member here.
