Investors Get Culture Shock, Too
June 17, 2008
Besides the technical differences you’ll encounter when buying real estate overseas–notaries versus attorneys, net pricing versus detailed and disclosed commission structures, stamp duties, transfer taxes, title issues, etc.–prepare yourself also for cultural differences, things that won’t make any sense to you and that are perhaps even illegal where you come from.
Differences in negotiation techniques, for example. You probably expect a real estate negotiation to be a two-way conversation that goes something like this: offer, counter-offer, counter-counter-offer, etc., until an agreement is reached.
Don’t be surprised, though, if, in some parts of the world, the response to your offer is a simple, “No,” with no elaboration and nothing resembling an alternate proposal.
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What do you do next? Where do you go from there?
If you really want the property, you could go back with a second, better offer. However, you’ll likely receive another unembellished “No.”
Rather than making that second offer, consider meeting with the seller to discuss the property, your interest, and your offer. Sometimes, the flat “No” is coming from the real estate agent, not the owner, because he wants a bigger sales price (and, thus, a bigger commission). He may not even have relayed your offer to the seller. Your best strategy, therefore, is to take the agent out of the middle of the conversation. Meet one-on-one with the seller and present your offer yourself.
On the other hand, sometimes, some places, when you show serious interest in a property, rather than countering your offer with a compromise offer, the seller responds to increase his price. You’re a foreigner, after all. You’ve got money to burn, right? As he’s got your attention, why not shake you down a bit?
My advice in this kind of situation? Walk away. Bottom line, a seller like this probably is not someone you want to do business with…as I’ve learned from experience.
One time, long before I learned to cut bait early, a seller continued to raise the price every time I raised my offer. After three rounds of this silliness, I finally walked away…only to be chased by the seller trying to continue the negotiations but still at the higher price!
Here’s a new cultural quirk, one that I’ve not encountered personally, I’m relieved to say. This one was relayed to me by a friend who’s been investing recently in Sweden. He reports that they stage weekend open houses for certain properties. After the open house, the agent has the names and numbers of everyone who viewed the place. As soon as the agent receives a first offer, he works his way through the list of everyone who attended the open house. He calls each one to say, “I’ve received an opening offer of one million krona (or whatever). Would you like to make a better offer?”
These calls are to people who haven’t made offers yet. Call by call, the agent creates an active bidding war, in effect auctioning the property over the phone.
In some parts of the world, this is called “gazumping,” and it’s not legal. In Sweden, though, it’s standard operating procedure.
Lief Simon
For International Living
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“The drug violence you see on television isn’t the real Mexico to me. What you don’t hear is, how localized this violence is… it’s primarily just along the border.” Glynna Prentice tells us at the Ultimate Event III this morning in Cancun.
“But Mexico is a huge country. It’s three times the size of Texas. And the rest of Mexico isn’t like that… it’s extremely safe.”
Glynna should know. She has lived there for two years, and traveled around the country alone without fear.
“Here, you can live a higher quality of life with less stress and more time to enjoy yourself than you have at home.”
For instance, in Mexico, even families with a modest income have a maid. The cost of living is so low, you can live quite luxuriously on just $2,000 per month.
As an example, government-funded healthcare costs less than $300 per year–including all your medications at no extra cost.
I’m sitting here in the conference room at the Ultimate Event III in Cancun. Today’s topic is about finding the overseas place that’s right for you.
Glynna is briefing us on the various places she has investigated throughout Mexico.
Did you know that as many as 1 million Americans and 500,000 Canadians have already made Mexico their home?
“It’s easy to get residency in Mexico. I got mine in just two weeks. I didn’t even use a lawyer. All I did was walk into the immigration office and asked them, ‘What do I need to do?’”
People move here for many reasons. And in many ways, Mexico is like the U.S. was 50 years ago. Before big government, big business, and special interests whittled away the lifestyle our parents took for granted…
In Mexico, people are more family-focused and more relaxed…they don’t worry about random violence like shootings in schools and shopping malls…
Here, children still walk home from school alone and ride bicycles around town… and you can afford to raise a family on one income.
Glynna shows us some of the places she’s investigated on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
These areas are the best place to move to in Mexico right now.
For instance, Merida is a colonial city of about 800,000 people. Here, many expats have bought up traditional colonial homes.
Prices for these are around as low as $40,000 for an un-renovated 2,000-square-foot home with a courtyard. The prices for these homes are so low because Mexicans don’t have much interest in them.
The current generation grew up in these kinds of homes, and they are more interested in moving into American-style houses in the suburbs.
As a result, many expats have taken on renovating these homes almost as a hobby.
Glynna has renovated the home she bought as well. “It’s pretty addictive. I know people who renovate a home they bought for $40,000… then turn around and sell it for $265,000 to other expats moving here.
“And then they do it all over again.”
It’s a very comfortable place to live, with all of the amenities of home, without the hassles of living in the U.S.
You have an international airport nearby, and major American and Mexican department store chains.
After Glynna, Suzan Haskins shows us the Yucatan coastal regions that lie within an easy drive of Merida…places with deserted beaches where locals have built ”weekend” family homes. The farther you go along the coast, the larger and more affluent the homes become. Some with four bedrooms, three baths…swimming pools and large lots.
There’s more to Mexico than beachfront. It’s a vast country with mountains and valleys where the climate is cool, and spring-like year-round.
Besides Mexico, we hear about many other countries as well…
THE BIRTH OF A BOOMING PROPERTY MARKET
Next Ronan McMahon takes the podium. He gives us the details on a property market that’s just at the beginning of a long property boom.
Ronan has rubbed shoulders with global property developers all of his adult life. During that time, he’s built up a network of contacts that give him access to deals of which most people aren’t even aware.
Today, he tells us about his recent trip to the northeastern coast of Brazil. He’s convinced the next property boom is just starting to take place there.
“Two monumental events are converging onto this coast. You have foreign developers quietly buying up enormous tracts of beachfront. And you have a booming domestic economy, with many people buying second homes.
“It’s an incredibly fast moving market. One developer contact told me about a project that he had put on the market that morning.
“By the time we had lunch, 80% of the project was sold out. By the time I got back to my hotel room, all of the units were gone.”
Because the demand is coming from local buyers–and from large European developers–this property market isn’t affected by the slowdown in the U.S.
Ronan describes the exact places along the coast worth buying a home or investment property right now.
One of the places is near a small fishing village. Here you can buy a newly built 1,100-square-foot beachfront home, in a planned development… for less than $100,000.
Ronan shows us pictures of the area, and the restaurant he ate at. “The fishermen pulled a sea bass out of the net and gave it to the restaurateur. He then prepared it, and served it up for us at $9 a plate.” It was the freshest seafood he’s ever had.
After Ronan’s briefing, we hear about many other great places, each one with a unique appeal. I’m sure there’s a perfect place for everyone from the selection we’re learning about here…
HOW TO BUY IN PANAMA AT 50% OFF…
Jessica Ramesch flew here from Panama.
As far as she’s concerned, Panama still has a lot of opportunity for anyone who knows where to look.
For instance, she told us about a place that’s 10 minutes outside of Panama city where the government is a auctioning off property at 50% reduced prices.
She’s investigated the situation, and right now, there’s one home on 2.6 acres coming up for auction. She estimates will go for $185,000.
Panama is still one of the most developed countries in Central America. Because of the Panama Canal, it has a long-time built up infrastructure. It is still one of the most popular tax havens…
Last year, the $5 billion canal expansion got underway. It will not only double the canal’s capacity, but is expected to keep the country’s economy booming for many years to come.
Following Jessica, there were other speakers. Each shows us a different way to look at the possibilities outside our borders…
TANGO DANCING IN THE STREETS
Lee Harrison has lived in, and investigated countless countries in Central and South America before settling down in Uruguay.
As far as he’s concerned, Uruguay gives you the greatest value without sacrificing your standard of living.
It’s a First World country with all the amenities we’re used to. It has a rich Italian and European influenced culture with beautiful architecture… and in the city park squares, it’s common to see people dancing the tango in the evenings.
Uruguay is incredibly safe. Crime is nearly non-existent. You don’t have to worry about holdups, violence, or car break-ins.
Best of all, it’s also a tax haven…you can easily take your money in or out of the country. And you have the same property rights as local citizens.
Lee gives us the details about the four best places to buy property if you’re interested in moving here, and you want to get the best value.
He also tells us about the four best places to buy for rental income or capital appreciation.
One of the places is Punta del Este. It’s a small town where Lee has decided to settle down himself. Many of his neighbors are affluent Argentineans who live there part-time and all speak fluent English.
The town has a year-round population of 20,000. But from December to February, the summer tourist boom boosts the population to about 1 million.
The information we’ve gotten so far is just the tip of the iceberg. Later this afternoon, each of the speakers is giving an in-depth workshop on their area of expertise.
We’ll get our questions answered, and learn about the exact topics that interest us most.
There is so much information to go over, that the workshops have to be run simultaneously… four at given time. I’ll attend as many as I can to get you the highlights.
Unfortunately, I can only attend one at a time. It’s impossible for me to tell you everything that’s going on here at the Ultimate Event III in Cancun, Mexico.
However, there’s an easy way for you to get this information anyway.
THE “CONFERENCE IN A BOX” DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME
All of the information… all of the secret tactics… all of the unique strategies… all of the hard-earned experience… and all the ways to jumpstart your international lifestyle…
…Plus countless ideas that you can use right away–can be accessed from the comfort of your home with the International Living Ultimate Event III Review Kit.
This is a complete package of nearly everything that’s happening at this event.
We’re making audio recordings of all the presentations from our 100 overseas specialists… we’re also making copies of their hand outs, PowerPoint and visual presentations. And you get the 200 pages of information we gave to each attendee when they signed in for the Ultimate Event.
Keep this in mind: for every piece of information I have time to share here, there are about 95 other things I haven’t had time to write down for you. And I’m not certain exactly which ones you would be most interested in knowing.
But with this Ultimate Event III Review Kit, you have access to all of it. The best, most up-to-date, information to create your perfect dream lifestyle.
A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OVER THOSE OF US AT THIS CONFERENCE…
You can reserve this kit at a reduced rate until midnight, Thursday, June 5.
With this kit, you’ll have the distinct advantage over those of us attending the conference: You can to listen to all of the presentations, even those held simultaneously.
And you can listen to them at your leisure… skip around to the presentations that interest you most, take notes… And more importantly, you can listen to them as many times as you like, so you don’t miss a thing.
Well, the first session of workshops is just about to start, and I don’t want to miss it.
But before I head in, let me tell you about how to get all the secrets we’re learning here…
FOR ONE WEEK ONLY: RESERVE YOUR ULTIMATE EVENT III REVIEW KIT FOR THE LOWEST PRICE POSSIBLE…
I know it isn’t always possible to attend our events. After all, your personal and business obligations have to come first. That’s why we’re making this conference available to you even if you can’t join us in Cancun.
The conference attendees paid up to $1,195 each to get this information first hand. No doubt the wealth of knowledge is well worth it. Acting on just one of the tips we’re hearing today can easily pay for the price of this conference… Or pave the way for a dream overseas lifestyle.
But these secrets and briefings are too precious to keep to ourselves. We want to get them out to as many of you as soon as we possibly can.
Because of this, if you reserve your Ultimate Event III Review Kit in the next week, you’ll save $200 off the regular price. Instead of paying the regular price of $499, it’ll just cost you $299.
But this offer is only open until midnight Thursday, June 5. After that, we’ll have to charge the regular price.
Reserve yours now. You’ll get instant access to all of this information as soon as we assemble the recordings after the Ultimate Event is finished.
And because you aren’t here with me today, we’re throwing in a $200 voucher toward the next Ultimate Event. You can use it to attend next year’s event… or any of the future events and seminars you may be interested in.
IF THESE SECRETS DON’T WORK, YOU PAY NOTHING
The 100 experts at this event cover every possible aspect of living overseas. After you hear their briefings, there’s nothing to stop you from making your dream of an international lifestyle come true.
Because of that, we’ll return every penny you paid for this information if it doesn’t help make your overseas lifestyle happen… No matter what your overseas dream might be.
In other words: You can call us at any time in the future — next month… next year… or next decade — and tell us the information didn’t help you. (Or don’t tell us anything. Just ask for your money back.) We’ll give you back your $299.
So if you’re serious about your dreams, I urge you to reserve your Ultimate Event III Review Kit now.
Vic Elias
Your Conference Insider, International Living
P.S. Remember, you get $200 off the regular price of the Ultimate Event II Review Kit, and a $200 voucher toward any of our next events or conferences. But you can only get this deal for the next few days, by reserving your kit before we release it.
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Uruguay: Capital Living for $69,000
June 17, 2008
For the next couple of days, I’m staying in a friend’s rental apartment in the Centro district of Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. A similar two-bedroom property in the building recently sold at auction for $63,000. Incredible, considering the downtown location above a smart gallery.
The building has an elevator and courteous daytime concierge. Plus, my balcony has a grandstand lookout over Plaza Entrevero’s fountain and gardens. In the southern hemisphere, it’s now fall. Misty mornings and falling leaves…but roses remain in bloom.
Passing schoolchildren wear uniforms styled on the white smocks worn by 19th-century French artists–complete with floppy black cravats. Apart from a blanket-clad guy seeking a few pesos to oversee parked cars, most people dress smartly. Like in any Spanish city, this is suit and tie territory.
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Outside seats at the Plaza’s cafe are always busy. Under canary-yellow umbrellas, people turn their faces to the warm daytime sunshine, read newspapers and gossip over 25 pesos ($1.30) espressos.
It’s fun watching the amateur dancers who come to tango and waltz on the square in the late afternoon. The rhythm is kept going by a music outlet, but Plaza Entrevero attracts live singers too. On Saturday afternoon, a brass band performed.
Montevideo has a distinct European feel. Even so, it’s not quite the Europe I’m used to. For one thing, garbage collectors still use horse drawn carts. The flute-playing man is a knife grinder–flutes have long been the mark of their trade. Almost every other person carries a thermos flask, a gourd-like cup and a metal straw to drink from. Business people…cops…delivery boys. Obviously Brits aren’t the world’s biggest tea addicts–we certainly don’t tote flasks around. Here the tea is yerba mate–a sludgy green concoction that you probably need to be Uruguayan-born to appreciate.
Plaza Entrevero forms part of Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo’s main artery. The avenue reminds me of a miniature version of Madrid’s Gran Via: imposing domed buildings…cinemas…swish shops and galleries…supermarkets…restaurants…newspaper kiosks. Behind my apartment is Calle San Jose–very neighborhoody with shops of the butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker variety.
Centro is appealing if you enjoy the bustle of urban living. La Rambla, the miles of Atlantic promenade leading to the suburbs and city beaches, is only a 20-minutes walk away. Locals come here to walk, jog, and spend the afternoons lounging, reading or dangling fishing rods from walled niches. It’s also an easy stroll to the historic district.
It’s tricky finding English-speaking real estate agents in Centro, but I’ve located one. Near where I’m staying (a 10-minutes walk away), an 807-square-foot-apartment in good condition cornering 18 de Julio is $69,000.
My real estate contact here has a couple of cheaper apartments for $48,000 and $55,000 in need of refurbishment. He says Centro apartments change hands quickly. Judging by the few Centro listings in La Nacion newspaper, he could be right. I’ll share full contact and listings information with International Living subscribers.
Finally, steak lovers take note: Locos de Azar is a great local Parrilla restaurant. (San Jose 1067). Along with three bottles of top-notch red Tannat wine, the bill for four was $143. For two courses, with a jug of wine, I figure it would cost around $17 per person.
Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor (on loan to Uruguay), International Living
Editor’s Note: For the next three days, there’s a way you can get our exclusive “Ultimate Uruguay Package” free. It includes:
* A special report from our resident Uruguay guru, Lee Harrison, called “From Colonial Charm to Coastal Hotspots–10 Towns in Uruguay Where Your Dollar Goes a Long Way.” In this special 50-page report Lee will share with you some of the most fascinating corners of this diverse country…10 places where the living is easy…and property bargains abound.
* A recording of Lee Harrison’s standing-room-only presentation at IL’s Ultimate Event last month. In this valuable talk, Lee tells you everything you need to make the move to Uruguay in the next six months. You’ll learn about where to find the best value health care, why it’s so easy for Americans to “fit in,” why you won’t find gringo mark-ups in pricing, where to discover the best rental yields, which towns hides the most charming and least expensive old colonials, and more.
* A bonus recording of Lee discussing with a small group of readers the Uruguayan market hotspots of Punta del Este, Colonia, and Montevideo. This recording also includes a question-and-answer session with the readers.
“The Ultimate Uruguay Package” isn’t available anywhere at any price…but here’s how to get it free…for the next 3 days only.
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The Best Buy in Italy Right Now
June 17, 2008
Few places in the world offer real estate as cheap as what you’ll find in Italy…even if you’re buying with U.S. dollars. Right now you can buy a 60-square-meter house in the Abruzzo region for 10,000 euro. Of course, there is a catch…the house needs complete renovation. Still, spend 60,000 euro on renovating and you’re still into the deal for less than $110,000. Yes, for the same total spend, you’d be able to come up with several locations as cheap as Abruzzo…but likely none as attractive. You’re less than 45 minutes from the beach…and the same distance from the ski slopes.
Abruzzo’s population sought opportunities elsewhere after World War II, leaving many properties vacant. But now owners are selling these properties which means dozens of small houses and apartments are currently on the market at prices below 30,000 euro ($45,000). If you’ve got 50,000 euro ($75,000) to spend, your choice of properties goes into the hundreds.
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The abundance of derelict housing is an opportunity because this region is now coming onto the radar of more people looking for the next cheap place in Europe. The Abruzzo region sits on the Adriatic side of Italy, across the sea from Croatia. It has 22 ski resorts in its mountains, and Rome is a 90-minute drive away. Few locations in the world offer skiing in the morning and an ocean cruise in the afternoon. Plus, you have easy access to Rome and its airport…and there is a regional, international airport in Pescara (on the coast) which is already served by flights from England, Germany, and Spain.
I believe that everything is in place for the Abruzzo region to take off, just like the Languedoc region took off in France. In the Languedoc, a new high speed train from Paris and low cost flights into the provincial capital drew the attention of domestic and international tourists. The French went there to buy second homes; foreigners bought for retirement. The appreciation in the Languedoc in the past five years has been strong and steady, and a good model for what will happen in Abruzzo.
The access to Abruzzo from the rest of Europe is expanding thanks to the Pescara airport, and the short drive-time from Rome. This market hasn’t moved much for decades…but it’s starting to be recognized as another option to Tuscany (prices in Abruzzo are as much as 50% less than in Tuscany).
I don’t see buying something ready to use as the best investment play in Abruzzo. Renovating an old house would be the most interesting thing to do as right now properties in need of renovation seem to outnumber renovated properties. The charm of the properties in need of renovation is their age and location. Most ready-to-move-into properties are new or in the cities…not that interesting from a vacation rental or expat purchase perspective. While you wait for capital appreciation, you can rent out these types of properties at reasonable yields…figure 4% per year.
The growth in demand for unrenovated properties has started and now is the time to position yourself. You should figure on holding the renovated product for five years–I’d expect steady growth early on and then perhaps bigger appreciation in three to five years. Plus, own property in Italy for five years and you pay no capital gains taxes.
As a low cost way to get into international real estate and diversify your investment portfolio, you aren’t likely to find a more fun option.
IL’s roving Europe editor, Steenie Harvey, turned me on to the Abruzzo region, and I met one of her contacts, Nikki di Girolamo, at the Ultimate Event last month. Nikki’s company offers full turnkey services in Abruzzo that include sales, renovation services, and rental management. Nikki is a Brit who is married to an Italian guy…so she speaks your language yet understands the market. And she has renovated a few properties herself. That’s experience you’ll want to tap into. You should read Steenie’s full report on Abruzzo in the current issue of International Living, which also gives a good selection of what properties are on offer right now.
Lief Simon
For International Living
Editor’s Note: Nikki proved so popular at IL’s Ultimate Event, that we asked her to join us in California at the International Living Live and Invest Overseas Conference, Oct. 3. The theme this year is “Pockets of Prosperity: Where to Bullet-proof Your Retirement in a Recession Economy”. Nikki is just one of more than 100 experts we’re gathering to show you how you can enjoy the best retirement ever…no matter what happens to the U.S. economy. Places will fill up fast once we officially announce this event…but if you’re interested in joining us in California, here’s a sneak preview.
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How to secure top-quality beachfront properties for a few hundred dollars…
In the past, such deals were only available to well-connected associates and family. And they rarely lasted more than 24 hours.
But through our network of insider contacts, we’ve found a way for you to take advantage of these same opportunities.
Best of all, you can do it on the same incredibly cheap terms as the well-connected insiders.
Greetings from Chimerica!
June 17, 2008
We’ve invited our colleagues from Stansberry & Associates to speak to you today about a discovery they’ve made…
It’s a place called CHIMERICA (Pronounced ChI-Merica)… where thousands of Americans have been moving to get away from recession, high gas prices, and a falling US dollar.
For their full report on CHIMERICA, see below.
Regards,
Martina Dunphy
Executive Publisher, International Living
———————–
“Unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
~Barron’s interview; money manager Paul Seaver
From now until July 2009, you have the opportunity to
double or even triple your retirement savings – no matter what
happens to the US economy and the stock market.
Dear International Living Reader,
If you’ve ever wanted to take advantage of the tremendous growth taking place in China…
Without the big risks that typically go along with it…
You’ll probably be interested in learning more about what is arguably the biggest and most potentially profitable investment secret in the world right now.
I’m talking about a phenomenon called “CHIMERICA,” where the money being made (and paid to investors like you and me), is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before:
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53,508% gains………………………..19 months |
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1,400% gains…………………………10 months |
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667% gains……………………………5 months |
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You won’t find CHIMERICA on a map. At least not yet anyway.
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“It’s a no-brainer — this should allow me to retire early,” says Bill Condlin, a 44-year old engineer from Dallas. |
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Kentucky teacher Brad Jeffries says: “It is more than a ten-bagger for me thus far. And, over the next five years, I honestly believe it’ll be another ten-bagger.” |
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Montana resident Scott Meuting says: “I’m up over 800%!” |
The amazing thing is that this opportunity we call “CHIMERICA” is still completely off the radar, not only here in United States… but also in China… and everywhere else in the investment world too.
The only time we’ve ever seen the place written about in the mainstream press was a brief mention deep in the pages of Barrons, in an interview with long-time money manager Paul Seaver.
Seaver said the opportunity at hand “is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
My colleagues and I have spent the better part of six months investigating “CHIMERICA” firsthand. I can almost guarantee you will not hear about it anywhere else.
But if you’re willing to learn a little more, I believe it easily offers you the best chance to make outsized gains of 550% or more over the next 12-18 months, beginning with just a few hundred dollars.
Let me show you what I mean…
Finally, You Get the Upperhand…
What EXACTLY is CHIMERICA… and what does it have to do with you?
The best way to show you is with a recent example…
In the state of Nevada, there’s a company called Wonder Auto Technology.
At first glance, you won’t find anything too remarkable about Wonder Auto’s business…
The company makes money manufacturing intricate auto parts like “starters” and “alternators,” used in various types of cars, pick-ups, and SUVs.
The company also makes parts for General Motors, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Benz-Daimler Chrysler, to name a few.
But here’s the thing…
If you live in Nevada, and need a new starter or alternator… you can forget taking your car to Wonder Auto to get fixed.
Why?
Because, even though you can buy shares of Wonder Auto on the US stock market… (they’ve shot up as much as 1,100% since May 2006…)
And even though Wonder Auto is officially registered as a US corporation…
… With an American-sounding name…
The company doesn’t have a single building here in the United States.
Come again?
In short, Wonder Auto Technology does all of its work, and makes all of its profits, in China. It’s Chinese-founded, and Chinese-based.
Yet, you can only buy shares of Wonder Auto, here in the United States.
So what, exactly, is going on here?
Let me explain…
“A fundamental phenomenon… “
~Harvard Business School
Wonder Auto is an example of a type of investment we call “CHIMERICA” stocks.
Part Chinese… and part American… CHIMERICA stocks are companies that do business in China, with Chinese management, Chinese employees, and Chinese currency. They make products for Chinese consumers.
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Yet, these stocks don’t trade anywhere in China.
You can only invest in Chimerica stocks here in the United States of America.
Consider a CHIMERICA company called Origin Agritech. (It’s China’s equivalent of the American food company Monsanto.)
It produces crop seeds like corn, cotton, canola, and rice. You can find Origin’s headquarters and base of operations in China. But you can only buy shares of Origin Agritech (ticker symbol: SEED) on a stock exchange in New York.
How’s this possible?
Well, today you can find roughly 20 million officially registered businesses in China…
Many of these companies want to “go public”… and have their shares listed on China’s stock exchanges.
But here’s the thing…
There’s a HUGE waiting list for Chinese companies to go public on one of their local exchanges (2-3 years).
But a good Chinese business can go public here, in America, in just 3-6 months.
That’s why, for instance, a company called China Security & Surveillance Technology (CSCT) chose the U.S. stock market over China’s.
These guys provide security and surveillance technology for the Chinese Government.
Rather than wait years to go public on China’s stock exchange, this small company listed in America first…
And we’re glad they did.
Last July, when the Chinese government passed a law mandating this company’s surveillance at every nightclub, every Internet cafe and every bar in China… shares began to skyrocket.
If you’d invested in China Security & Surveillance Technology within the past two years… then you’re probably sitting on a fortune today.
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Since July ‘05, shares have risen as high 64,900%. That’s more than 600-times your money, in little over two years. |
How does it all work? It’s a pretty simple process most investors don’t have a clue about…
The Secret Behind “Chimerica”
In short, Chinese companies are able to “list” their shares in America (and become CHIMERICA companies) thanks to what US lawyers call a “reverse merger.”
Sounds complicated, I know… but it’s really pretty simple.
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In essence, to list in America, Chinese companies find an American “shell” company and simply back themselves in.
A shell company is a stock without a business. The business has no assets or operations, but it still has a name and a stock symbol.
Take United National Film Corporation. It stopped doing business in 2001 and became an empty shell. In 2007, United National Film Corporation “merged” with a company that makes turbines for Chinese power plants.
Now this company’s name is Wuhan General Group and its stock trades in America under the ticker symbol WUHN. Just in the past 12 months, shares of Wuhan General have soared 447%. That’s $22,343 in return for every $5,000.
Welcome to Chimerica!
Ordinarily, you and I would never have access to an opportunity like this one.
In the past, Chinese stocks like China Security and Surveillance Technology only traded in China – on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges.
But today – thanks to this phenomenon known as “Chimerica” – you can now buy shares of these super fast-growing Chinese companies – right here in the U.S.A.
So far, more than one hundred Chinese businesses have moved their shares and shareholders to the US stock market. And that’s just in the past few years – since this phenomenon began.
So, what’s so appealing about Chimerica stocks? Why are they better than ordinary U.S. stocks?
And why are they better than ordinary shares of Chinese companies that you can buy in China?
Make Money Even if the U.S. Economy
is Falling
Well, one of the things that’s so appealing about Chimerica companies is that they are growing by as much as 40% to 80% a year. (That’s ten times faster than America’s top businesses.)
This gives you the potential to make absolutely incredible gains, in a very short period of time…
»For example, a CHIMERICA company called Jinpan International (JST) has seen its net income soar 66% over the last several months – even as the global economy has slowed down. Why? Because these guys make electricity equipment in China, which the Chinese economy desperately needs – no matter what’s happening in the financial markets
Not surprisingly, Jinpan’s share price (the stock trades in America) has also SOARED. If you bought shares of Jinpan (JST) in March 2007, you could have seen as much as a 175% return on your investment.
Even better, if you’d bought shares five years ago, you’d have made as much as 21-times your money. That turns a $5,000 stake into $105,000.
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As you can see, these “CHIMERICA” companies are China’s high-growth superstars of tomorrow – available to you and me on U.S. exchanges today.
But these stocks businesses have long-term plans too. They’re not out to make a quick buck and pack it in. They’re literally the future Walmarts, Verizons, and Best Buys of China.
That’s why Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Intel, GlaxoSmithKline, Panasonic, DaimlerChrysler, and close to 50 other business heavyweights are already doing business deals with “CHIMERICA” companies.
Microsoft, for instance, just formed a business partnership with Comtech Group – a “CHIMERICA” company that’s quickly cornering China’s lucrative video display market. If you’d invested $5,000 in Comtech’s stock in 2002, you could be sitting on as much as $125,000 in profit today.
You probably get the point — CHIMERICA companies have incredible growth potential.
So it’s pretty clear why these CHIMERICA companies are better bets right now than ordinary U.S. stocks.
Banned in China,
LEGAL in the United States…
Because shares of CHIMERICA stocks are listed right here in the States, the SEC reviews these companies’ applications – and approves or denies them.
Why is that a big deal?
Well, to stay in the U.S., they MUST follow U.S. accounting standards – they must play by the same rules as any other America public company like Johnson and Johnson and Exxon. That way, you know you’re investing in a credible and legitimate business.
And here’s the #1 reason why Chimerica shares are so appealing: While Chinese shares traded in Shanghai are very, very expensive… these CHIMERICA companies (many of which are growing more than 50% a year), are super cheap
Why?
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Because Chinese locals can’t own them. It’s very complicated for a Chinese investor to buy here right now. And most Americans have simply not heard of these businesses, because they simply don’t do any business here.
Think about it…
Everyone in America has heard of the electronics store, Best Buy. It’s probably the #1 electronics super-store in the country.
But I bet not 1 in 1,000 Americans has heard of the Chinese equivalent – a CHIMERICA company called China 3C.
And that’s a shame too…
You see, any electronic device or gadget you can find at Best Buy in America… China 3C carries it too…
Cell phones, DVD players, speakers, stereos, speakers, iPods, laptops, digital camcorders and cameras, televisions, you name it.
And while most Americans have never heard of this Chimerica company…
Panasonic, Samsung, and Philips (the biggest names in electronics) certainly have… and use CHINA 3C to distribute their products.
Sales at CHINA 3C doubled this past year… and net profits shot up 112.7%.
The company’s growing like crazy…
Even though it’s headquartered in HangZhou, China… you can only buy shares here in the United States, where it trades on the American stock market…
In the past 4 years, shares of China 3C have risen as much as 2,003% — that’s a $100,156 return for every $5,000 invested. Just in the past 18 months, shares have risen as much as 545% in value.
So which CHIMERICA investments offer you the best opportunity to make several times your money today?
The best opportunities for you to make a fortune from Chimerica are in the works right now…
Simply put, I believe the sooner you get in on these companies, the more money you will make. They are pretty much going straight up…
The Super Easy Way to Pick Up the Best
CHIMERICA Stocks Today
With more than 100 different CHIMERICA stocks to choose from…
How do you know which ones to buy?
We’ve spent nearly six months looking at roughly one hundred CHIMERICA companies. And we’ve found that there are two Chimerica companies that stand head shoulders above the rest.
If this idea sounds interesting to you… then I recommend you buy shares of these companies immediately. Plan to hold them for at least the next three years. And don’t be surprised if they turn out to be the two most profitable stocks you have ever owned…
» CHIMERICA INVESTMENT #1: The “SAFEWAY of China”
Just this past year, the price of eggs, dairy and poultry experienced the highest jump in eighteen years, according to the US Dept of Agriculture. And most economists expect prices will only climb through 2012. Why? Because China has 500 million new middle-class mouths to feed… and not enough food. That’s why you can easily make a fortune by investing in a CHIMERICA company we’re calling the “SAFEWAY OF CHINA.” These guys have 550 food stores throughout China. And, in the past year, grew their bottom line by an amazing 458%! Buy this CHIMERICA stock today on the U.S. stock market and you should double your money pretty quickly.
» CHIMERICA INVESTMENT #2: The “Motorola of China”
Imagine taking home a small percentage of profit every time someone in China buys a cell phone. Very quickly you’d find yourself sitting on a huge stash of investment returns! China has more than 400 million cell phone users (that’s more than the entire US population). And expects to add another 250 million by 2012. We’ve found a CHIMERICA company that controls 69% of a key niche of this fast-growing cell phone market! It’s no wonder revenues at this company have grown 40% a year for the past 3 years. You can buy shares from your regular US broker, just as you would any other stock. We suggest you do, right away, and hold on to your shares through 2010.
I’ve only given you a snapshot of the two CHIMERICA businesses we’re recommending.
But as you can probably see, each offers you:
1)large potential returns on your investment
2)access to buying shares on the US stock market
3)and exposure to China’s rapidly growing industries
I recommend taking a stake in both these businesses, sooner, rather than later.
Why?
Because no matter how far and fast America’s economy might fall…
In the short-term… and in the long run, China’s economy will KEEP GROWING.
And, therefore, so will CHIMERICA stocks – especially the two we’ve highlighted…
Why?
Because their industries are tied directly to China’s economic growth.
Here, take a look at the following graph. You should see 4 lines.
Three of these lines are US stock markets from the past year. They all hover pretty much on the same stagnating course.
But the fourth line – the one steadily rising – represents CHIMERICA stocks. And it’s drastically different than the rest:
As you can see, CHIMERICA stocks have been crushing regular US stocks.
Why?
Because even though they trade in America, they reflect the growth of the Chinese economy… which has been growing 3-times as fast as our own (and will continue to do so through 2025, according to most experts).
The Chinese Government literally has trillions socked away. So their economy has plenty of room to grow.
Meanwhile, our own US Government owes China and dozens of other lenders MORE than a trillion dollars. So our economy has been floundering, our Dollar has been crashing… and our retirement savings along with it.
If you’d like more information on our 2 favorite CHIMERICA stocks for 2008… then I encourage you to read our full white paper briefing, which we recently published.
You can receive it at no extra charge.
Here’s how…
We’ll pay for shipping and handling too. Here’s how to claim your copy today…
Why We’ve Visited More than
20 Countries in the Past Year
My name is Brian Hunt.
I’m the Research Director of Stansberry & Associates Investment Research – a private financial research firm, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
At Stansberry & Associates, we routinely seek out unique and profitable investment ideas… opportunities you’re not likely to hear about in the mainstream financial media or through big brokerage houses.
Unlike big investment firms, we focus our efforts on lesser-known investment deals. After all, who wants to pay for investment advice you can get in the newspaper?
That’s why my colleagues and I have spent the past 6 months tracking down the details of CHIMERICA, as part of our research for my monthly retirement advisory called International Strategist.
We created this research service to give Americans another way to think about retirement.
You see, we believe that if you want to retire comfortably in the U.S., you’ve got to start looking beyond U.S. borders with your investments.
Why do I say that?
Well… it’s simple, once you look at the cold hard facts…
You’d probably agree U.S. stocks, by and large, have done quite well over the past 5 years.
In fact, we’ve just had one of the three longest bull markets in U.S. history. The stock market as a whole is up 74% during that period.
Not bad.
But did you know that if you had simply looked overseas with just a tiny percentage of your portfolio, you could have made safe gains of 5- 10-times as much.
In 1998, for instance, Greece’s stock market rose 93.5% in just 12 months.
You can find similar examples, going as far back as 1980. Every single year, a stock market outside the US crushes the world-wide average.
Not once in 27 years does the U.S. stock market emerge as the global champion. Not once in 20+ years.
And this past year? How did US stocks stack up against the rest of the world?
Well, take a look at the world’s top three stocks for 2006-2007:
Where do U.S. stocks fall on this list?
Nowhere.
Not in the top ten. Not even in the top fifty.
The top 3 best performing US stocks (with a market capitalization greater than $1 billion) don’t come anywhere close.
Take a look:
It’s not just U.S. stocks either…
U.S. mutual funds are losing big-time to international funds.
Take a look at the top 5 performing mutual funds from this past year:
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#1) |
Dreyfus Premier Greater China A (DPCAX) up 85.58% |
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#2) |
Oberweis China Opportunities (OBCHX) up 81.17% |
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#3) |
Old Mutual Clay Finlay China Inst (OMINX) up 79.54% |
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#4) |
JHancock Greater China Opp A (JCOAX) up 70.34% |
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#5) |
Columbia Greater China A (NGCAX) up 69.50% |
Every single one of the mutual funds listed above focuses on international investments.
I’m not trying to scare you with this data.
Not at all.
My point is this:
Who knows where exactly the U.S. stock market and the US dollar will go from here… but you can be sure every single year there’s a great investment opportunity available if you are simply willing to look beyond U.S. borders.
That’s why we launched International Strategist.
And that’s why we hired a Tom Dyson as lead researcher.
Though he’s worked on Wall Street and now lives in the States… Tom grew up in Britain… where he spent the better part of two decades examining the different ways people in other countries are planning for retirement…
He’s a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants—Britain’s rigorous accounting certification program. And Tom’s also worked on the trading floor at Citigroup in London—the largest bond-trading firm in the world…. where, trillions of dollars worth of trades passed over his desk every day, from every major country you can think of.
In just the past year, Tom and his researchers have spent considerable fact-finding time in Zurich, Switzerland, Dubai, Paris, Singapore, New Zealand, China, Japan, Canada, throughout the United Kingdom, and, of course, the United States.
If you are as interested in this idea as I am, I encourage you to have a look at our special investment report called: CHIMERICA: How to Make a Fortune from China’s Biggest Secret – Right Here in the USA.
This recently published report contains all of the essential details on Chimerica – including the 2 very best Chimerica stocks in the world right now – as well as simple instructions on how to get started.
I’d like to send you a copy of this Research Report, our compliments. It’s the first thing you’ll receive with a trial subscription to our publication called International Strategist.
Let me tell you about something else you’ll receive – on us – if you are interested in trying our investment research…
Have You Heard of COMMONWEALTH SHARES?
Thanks to a falling U.S. Dollar, a bankrupt Social Security system and a lackluster stock market…
Thousands of Americans have been looking outside the United States for retirement security… and the situation they’ve uncovered in Britain could be the answer.
I’m talking about a little-known British Gov’t plan that lets you collect surprisingly large sums of income (an extra $60K-$176K a year) — without ever leaving home.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher created this initiative in the Winter of 1979 (with eventual support from U.S. President Ronald Reagan) to rescue the British economy from Depression.
The program was so successful… it quickly spread to former British colonies such as Canada, New Zealand, Cyprus, Malta, Singapore, and Australia.
These countries, along with 46 others (including Great Britain), make up what’s known as the British Commonwealth. Today, these are among the richest and most stable countries in the world, thanks in large part to this program.
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In short, what these nations have done, following the lead of Britain, is to allow private citizens to invest in government-run monopolies.
We call these investments “COMMONWEALTH SHARES.”
Let me show you an example of how it works…
In 1991, the British Government issued “Commonwealth Shares” in the State-owned electricity monopoly. To encourage as many folks to buy shares as possible, the government offered investors every financial incentive you can imagine…
Everything from big-time discounts on their electricity bills to free stock (in this case, the British Government would have given you one share for every 10 shares you bought).
If the Government is giving away shares, then it couldn’t possibly be a good investment, could it?
Well, if you’d bought “Commonwealth Shares” at this time, you would have watched your investment continuously rise in value (multiplying as much as 334-times over). That rate of return turns a simple $100 stake into $33,400!
It’s impossible to find these types of gov’t-backed opportunities in America… but in the British Commonwealth, there are a handful of these situations that can safely make you an absolute fortune.
As an American, you can easily take advantage of this unique British initiative too: without ever leaving home … no matter how old you are … where you live … and even if you’re already collecting from Social Security, 401ks or any kind of U.S. pensions.
Over the course of several months, my colleagues and I visited a half-dozen nations in search of the best Commonwealth Shares to grow your wealth over the long term.
We found one country that offers by far the best opportunity.
If you are as interested in this idea as I am, I encourage you to have a look at our special investment report called: Commonwealth Shares — An Upperclass Retirement, Courtesy of the British Government.
This recently published report contains all of the essential details on Commonwealth Shares
— including the 2 very best Commonwealth investments in the world right now — as well as simple instructions on how to get started.
You’ll receive this report at no charge, as part of your trial subscription to INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIST.
Is INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIST right for you? Let me tell you some more about this unique research service and our firm — so you might have a better understanding.
You won’t find these ideas anywhere else…
If you’ve never heard of Stansberry & Associates before, I’m not at all surprised.
We’re an independent financial research firm.
Meaning, our business does not depend on the special interests, banking deals, and trading commissions that most of your big-name Wall Street firms use to make money.
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So how do we prosper as a business?
We get paid solely on the basis of our investment ideas, which we publish in more than a dozen different trading research products and investment newsletters.
If our moneymaking ideas make money for our readers, then we grow as a business. That’s Stansberry & Associates in a nutshell.
So far, I think we’ve done pretty well as a business… and for our readers…
What began as a 3-person company in 1999 with less than one thousand readers… is now a mid-sized firm with readers in more than more than 50 different countries… and with 40+ employees on the payroll.
In Baltimore, MD, you can find our corporate headquarters at 1217 St. Paul Street… at the northern end of Baltimore’s historic Mt. Vernon district… in a refurbished 19th century Railroad Mansion, once owned by the famous Winans Family.
We also maintain satellite offices in Florida, San Francisco, the Pacific NW… as well as abroad, in Waterford, Ireland, London, Germany, and Australia.
Our most exciting new investment research service is International Strategist. As I mentioned, Tom Dyson is the lead researcher for this service.
For the better part of a year, Tom and his fellow analysts at Stansberry & Associates have been on the road and in the air, traveling throughout the US… and investigating opportunities in more than 20 countries.
The moneymaking opportunities they’ve uncovered… are, well, quite simply, you won’t hear of them any place else…
For example:
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» |
AAA-rated Government Note that Pays You 17.1+% in Just One Year? |
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» |
Why US Mainstream Financial Media Won’t Tell You About China’s Secret City Mainstream U.S. Financial press always talks about the big money at stake in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing. But they’re missing the biggest moneymaking opportunity in all of China. It’s a city bigger than both Shanghai and Beijing combined. And the Chinese Gov’t’s pouring one billion dollars every single month to modernize it as quickly as possible. We’ve discovered the absolute best way to make a lot of money from this situation, with very little risk. |
You’ll have full and unfettered access online to our reports on these opportunities… as soon as you begin your trial subscription to International Strategist.
How much does International Strategist cost? And how can you get started?
Here’s what I propose…
Try it for 6 Months – Pay Nothing,
Keep Everything
There’s a super-easy, no-risk way to receive everything I’ve mentioned in this letter, including
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• |
Investment Research Report #1: Chimerica: How to Make a Fortune from China’s Biggest Secret – Right Here in the USA |
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• |
Investment Research Report #2: Commonwealth Shares – An Upperclass Retirement, Courtesy of the British Government |
Just click on the link at the end of this email, and let my staff in Baltimore know that you’d like to begin your 6-month trial subscription.
Six months should give you plenty of time to decide if you like my research and my investment philosophy. If you decide International Strategist is not for you, simply let me know by phone, mail, or e-mail, and we’ll completely reimburse you for the entire subscription fee of $99.
Before I give you the specifics, let me quickly tell you about one more investment idea we’re excited about right now…
Canada’s Best-Kept Retirement Secret
If you’re looking for another reliable source of retirement income…then you need to look North, across the border…
I’m referring to a special group of 14 Canadian businesses that have been paying out dividends to shareholders – every single year, some as far back as the early 19th century!
190 years of regular dividend checks?!
Can you imagine that…?
I’m not talking about Canadian Income Trusts, Canadian Oil Sands, or any other Canadian investment you may have heard about. There’s nothing else like it in Canada…
And there’s definitely nothing else like it in the United States.
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All you have to do is simply look North of the Border… and you’ll find this amazing opportunity to collect tremendous amounts of income, for the next decade and beyond.
For example, one Canadian company, based out of Nova Scotia, has paid out dividends to shareholders every single year since 1832. PLUS, they’ve increased payouts in 27 of the last 29 years.
ALL 14 of these unique Canadian companies are swimming in cash…
Here’s the best part…
Since 1856 these businesses have been required to make monthly returns to the shareholders.
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It’s no wonder these special Canadian companies have beaten the U.S. stock market over the past four decades…
And it’s no wonder Morningstar – the world-renowned investment data firm – says these businesses “simply produce results”… and why Barrons recently wrote that one of these companies has “one of the most consistent records for dividend growth.”
We’ve put together a special investment White Paper Briefing called Constitutional Dividends – Canada’s Best-Kept Retirement Secret.
Best of all, when you take a trial subscription to International Strategist newsletter, you’ll receive a copy of Constitutional Dividends – Canada’s Best-Kept Retirement Secret, yours to keep, no matter what you decide once your trial subscription ends.
To subscribe, please click here.
If you are retired, or if you are
considering retirement…
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIST can help you support a lifestyle you may not have thought was possible. INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIST costs only $99 for an entire year of research and reports.
Is it worth paying the equivalent of around $8 a month to learn about safe and profitable investment opportunities you’ll hear about nowhere else?
I absolutely believe so. If we didn’t passionately believe in our research, then we wouldn’t spend 200+ days out of the year living out of airport terminals, and — foreign hotels —traveling from one country to the next.
I’d like you to have the opportunity to try INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIEST for the next 6 months, without feeling obligated to pay a single penny. When you sign up for a trial subscription to INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIEST today, you will receive:
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• |
12 Monthly INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIEST Newsletter Reports, delivered on the first Thursday of every month. You’ll receive a copy first by e-mail, then by regular mail too. |
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• |
Free Research Report #1: Chimerica: How to Make a Fortune from China’s Biggest Secret — Right Here in the USA. |
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• |
Free Research Report #2: Commonwealth Shares — An Upperclass Retirement, Courtesy of the British Government. |
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• |
Free Research Report #3: Constitutional Dividends — Canada’s Best-Kept Retirement Secret. |
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• |
Money-Back Guarantee: Take the next six (6) months to have a look at our work closely. If you don’t agree that INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIST delivers the safest and most lucrative financial ideas and recommendations you’ve ever received, please contact Stansberry & Associates by phone, e-mail, or regular mail, and we will see that you receive full reimbursement for the money you’ve paid. |
The longer you wait to get started with these investments, the less money you will have for retirement.
Sincerely,
Brian Hunt,
Director of Research, Stansberry & Associates
All Information as of June, 2008
P.S. One more thing… I’d like to give you the chance to receive our work for HALF OFF the regular price I mentioned in this letter. See the order form for complete details.
Uruguay Uncensored
June 17, 2008
We have a secret weapon.
Whenever we want the bare-knuckles, no-holds-barred, absolute lowdown on a place, we point Steenie Harvey at it and turn her loose.
The results have been impressive…she’s peered into corners, poked under rocks, and prodded sleeping dogs from Chiang Mai to Chiriqui for us. She’s spurned the advances of lady bikers on the Greek island of Lesbos, dared Dracula’s ghost to materialize at his castle in Transylvania, and stared down threatening bands of marauding monkeys in India.
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And she is a serious researcher of local adult beverages wherever her travels take her. Years of practice in this area have allowed her to put me under the table several times, even though I have a good 70 pounds on her. It’s a travel skill that has stood her in good stead at local watering holes more than once, I’m sure.
Steenie recently completed an assignment to give us her personal take on Uruguay, and I can’t wait to see what she’s discovered. For the next three days, Steenie will take us from Montevideo to Colonia del Sacramento and Artigas, showing us Uruguay through her own keen, world-wise, and occasionally bloodshot eyes. Who else would call the Uruguayan national drink “a sludgy green concoction” or manage to find black candombe drummers in Montevideo’s predominantly white Ciudad Vieja? Then again, who else could find apartments there for $45,000 or entire stone houses a block from the most historic neighborhood in the country starting at $80,000?
What else will she find? It’s a given that there will be more than a few stunners in her reports that only Steenie on the prowl could manage to uncover.
Steenie’s reports from Uruguay start tomorrow so don’t miss them…and stay tuned for a free report we put together called The Ultimate Uruguay package.
Dan Prescher
Publisher, International Living
| Editor’s Choice: Exciting Jobs and Real Estate Secrets
The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program Uruguay’s Best-Kept Real Estate Secret Revealed |
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Collect a large income from anywhere in the world you choose to live
With today’s economic situation, many readers are wondering how they’ll ever manage to retire or move overseas.
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In short, it’s a way for you to collect a great income from anywhere in the world you wish to live. What I like best about it, is that you don’t need years of education, or any special skill to do it.
He Speaks Softly But Carries a Big Opportunity
June 17, 2008
I met Ronan McMahon four years ago on the shores of Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua on a real estate tour.
He was a new International Living hire back then, and I remember how out of place the tall, pale Canadian-born Irishman looked, blinking at the bright Central American sun from under a restaurant awning and gingerly nursing a cold La Victoria beer.
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A Rare Invitation…
Through our overseas network of contacts, we’ve found a way for you to secure some of the best beachfront properties for only a few hundred dollars.
In the past , these deals weren’t normally available to outsiders. The properties were grabbed up within hours by well-connected associates and families.
But we found a way you can participate in these opportunities, on the same terms as the insiders.
Here’s how you can participate
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Since then, Ronan and I have seen a lot of water and local beers go under the bridge. And last year when he became the director of Pathfinder Real Estate, International Living’s preferred real estate marketing resource, I realized that he had finally found the perfect niche.
His quiet Irish demeanor might fool you, but with Ronan, the wheels are always turning…usually toward the most intriguing real estate opportunity in the vicinity, and usually toward the one that no one else knows about yet.
He’s recently found one such opportunity in Panama City…something he says can deliver the strongest and most reliable rental returns he’s ever seen.
Ronan wrote about this opportunity for the June issue of International Living Magazine, and you can get the full story there. But I want to share a little of it now…it’s a great example of how Ronan works. Here’s how he puts it:
“I have been a regular visitor to Panama City for nearly five years. Up to the middle of last year I would call one of my favorite hotels a couple of days before traveling. I never had a problem getting a room and never paid more than $128 per night. But those days are gone…
“Now there isn’t availability…and when there is, you would pay at least $180 per night. Last December I tried to book a hotel room for a visit in January. I was told that there was no availability until May at the first two hotels I contacted. An extensive search for an apartment rental was unsuccessful. I was lucky to find a hotel room for $285 per night.
“Panama’s visitor numbers are growing at a much faster rate than its supply of hotel beds, and to me that spells opportunity. Visitors are coming from the Americas and Europe for vacation, to buy Panama real estate, to do business, or to work. Multinationals are setting up regional headquarters in Panama and the big infrastructure projects are drawing in skilled labor and contractors.
“Official stats indicate that hotel occupancy for hotels of 100 rooms or more is running at more than 90%. There are about 10,000 new hotel beds in the pipeline, but it will take a couple of years to deliver them, and all the time visitors numbers will continue to grow. Assuming Panama continues on its current path (which I think it will), supply will be at least five years catching up with demand.
“Boom times for Panama’s hoteliers…and I think anyone can profit from the Panama City hotel boom, even without the capital, expertise, or time required to be in the hotel business.
“How? Buy a hotel room.
“Under a typical condo-hotel program a developer will construct a hotel and sign an agreement with a hotel group to run the premises. The developer then sells the units to individual investors. Revenue from the hotel operation is pooled and divided between the hotel operator and the owners of the individual units. Splits between owner and operator can be as high as 70/30 in favor of the owner, although the big name, high-end operators will typically take a bigger cut.”
Ronan makes it clear in his International Living Magazine article that there are some pitfalls to watch out for involving choosing the right project, picking a room that fits the right target market, and checking out the background of the hotel operator in question. He also says he’s found a great project in Panama City that fits the bill for this kind of approach.
If you’d told me four years ago that the pale, soft-spoken Irishman blinking under that restaurant awning in Nicaragua was actually one of the sharpest real estate opportunity scouts around, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But it didn’t take long for me to look past the quiet exterior to see those wheels turning. As his reasoning and research behind the opportunity in the Panama City hotel market shows, Ronan is one to watch.
Dan Prescher
Publisher, International Living
P.S. If you’re not already an International Living Magazine subscriber, you can get full details…and access to Ronan’s full Panama City Hotel Boom article, by following this link.
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Get Paid to Travel
June 17, 2008
How would you like to spend a summer exploring
the Western U.S. in comfort… no charge?
Or maybe you’d enjoy a complimentary week on an
exotic Asian island, staying in luxury hotels,
visiting orangutan sanctuaries, and touring native long-houses?
Or perhaps a long-weekend vacation with your spouse
at a five-star resort in Cancun would suit you better…
airfare included and all-expenses-paid?
Those are all perks travel writers I know have enjoyed.
It’s a charmed existence we lead, no denying it.
THE THING IS: IN A MATTER OF MONTHS,
YOU TOO COULD BE ENJOYING THAT LIFE.
Now, you could pay thousands of dollars to find out how it’s done…
and you’d still be money ahead when you travel.
But today, we’ll show you how you can
get started — and reveal to you real-world strategies
you can use now — for less than $20.
Imagine you’re breaking the surface of a calm sea in 20 crystal-clear feet of warm, tropical water. You de-fog your face mask and adjust a flipper. Off to the east, a cruise ship approaches the harbor, backlit by a rising sun. You’ve got over two hours before your first scheduled meeting… plenty of time to check out the reef and get a shower before heading into town.
Sound too good to be true? Well that’s how one freelance travel writer (a colleague) spent a recent morning in the Bahamas. He was there for eight all-expenses-paid days, exploring three islands, enjoying what may well be the world’s best beaches, diving, boating, and restaurants… and then he got paid to write about what he found.
And if you’d care to listen in to our Get Paid to Travel Teleconference, taking place on June 30th, I’ll tell you how he did it — and how you can land that same kind of gig.
My name is Steenie Harvey, and I’m not exaggerating when I say my passport pages are as well-turned as a child’s favorite story book. I really do travel the world… and get paid to do it.
In fact, the “work” never stops. I’m just back from Bratislava (Slovakia) where the opera and ballet season is underway, golden forsythia blooms in parks, and the spring-like weather makes for idyllic Danube pleasure cruises.
And in the past couple of months I’ve paid a return visit to Italy—not Tuscany and Umbria this time… but Abruzzo. Its palazzos might be faded, its castles crumbling, but its unsung hill towns are as picturesque as those in Tuscany or Umbria. And next week I’m off to Panama and after that probably Ecuador.
Apologies if I’m making you envious, but you too could quite easily have a job like mine.
In fact, my own editor is crying out for correspondents to report on destinations throughout the world… and she’s not the only editor seeking fresh talent. To be honest, I have to turn work down—there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to take up all the writing commissions I’m offered.
And if you’re interested in becoming a freelance travel writer, you should know that it’s easily something you could do on the side. You needn’t commit full-time to it (unless you want to).
And that’s why I’d like for you to join in on this call… because there’s extraordinary opportunity out there for the people who can do this well… and you could easily be among them. Once you know a few important secrets, the rest is easy.
There’s Extraordinary Opportunity Out There…
for People Who Understand the Business, that Is
International Living is typical of all the travel publications out there. They always need people who love to travel… and who can relate their experiences in an interesting way.
Of the 19,532 magazines available in the U.S. in 2007, 645 are about travel. Plus hundreds of non-travel publications devote at least a page or two each month to travel-related articles. New online travel sites spring up every week. And there’s a whole additional market to tap in to English-language publications based outside North America — in Australia, Britain, South Africa, and beyond.
In other words, great opportunity exists out there for writers who understand the business.
Problem is, most people don’t have a clue about what travel editors and publishers are really looking for. They dash off an article they think is appealing and send it in. Nine times out of ten, it’s off-the-mark. And it’s no wonder they don’t get published.
But I’d like to set the record straight and reveal to you what it really takes to make editors happy… what drives them crazy… what you can do to get in their good graces early on… and stay there… and more…
You Don’t Need a Literary Gift
or a Degree in Journalism to Be Successful
The truth is, you don’t have to be a gifted wordsmith to write articles that sell and start cashing in on the many perks established travel writers enjoy.
Most people think you have to be a professional journalist or writer to get a foot in the door in this industry. But that’s simply not the case.
Many of the most successful writers IL has worked with over the years never had any formal training as “writers” per se. They simply enjoyed a passion for travel, had a good eye for detail, and learned how to deliver a story in just the way an editor would want it.
If you like to travel, you can learn the other skills. In fact, I’ll be joined on the call by a long-time friend and colleague, Jen Stevens, author of The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program and for many years my editor at International Living. She’s just the person to show you how to put yourself on the fast track to travel-writing success immediately.
Just think: Six months from now, you could be enjoying the freedom, the independence, and the unbeatable perks of a writer’s life…
… like Loren Worthington is. He had no proven writing skills before he took advantage of some help from Jen. Now he can boast several published articles — and paychecks along with them. Plus recently he arranged to take a complimentary, high-speed ride down the Olympic bobsled track in Utah, and now he’s working on an article about his “adrenalin travels,” which he’ll sell to a publication to earn a by-line and a check.
Earn Money as a Travel Writer
without Ever Leaving Home
There’s something else, too, which you may not realize: To make some extra money, and to have great travel experiences, you don’t even have go far from home if you don’t want to.
Take for example one of the best meals I ever ate, it was a freebie and only a few miles from where I live in Ireland.
In County Galway, I stopped at a little thatched-roof pub (it’s called Moran’s of the Weir, in Clarinbridge — very well known in culinary circles).
When the owner realized I was a travel writer, he brought out platefuls of fresh mollusks from his own oyster beds, a mighty plate of salmon dressed with salad, baskets of delicious home-made Irish soda bread, and cream-topped pints of Guinness. It was all free — even for my husband.
The point is you can get paid to write about a place that’s a few minutes from your own home… no matter where in the world you live. Your hometown is a “destination” for somebody, after all.
I know of one Florida-based freelancer who’s made a business of writing stories about places within easy reach of her home — an article about Amelia Island for a Canadian newspaper… one on Jacksonville for the Miami Herald… a piece on the town of Cassadaga for Florida Travel magazine… an article about winter golf in Florida for a lifestyle magazine… and the list goes on.
I bet you can think of all sorts of worthwhile subjects you might write about just outside your own door. And who better to write about your own hometown… than you?
Why Not Live On Permanent Vacation?
Let me ask you something…
Have you ever found yourself daydreaming during work, imagining you were on some far-off tropical island… sipping a cold cocktail… enjoying the warm surf lapping at your toes?
Maybe you’ve dreamt about sailing across the Atlantic on one of the world’s most luxurious ships… nothing but clean air and sea breezes for days at a time, the wait staff at your beck and call…
Or perhaps you fantasize about spending time relaxing in a traditional Tuscan villa… exploring the antique markets of Paris… wandering through the vineyards of Bordeaux…
Here’s the thing: If you were a travel writer, you wouldn’t have to daydream. You could just go! We travel writers live this dream year-round. Take Mike Palmer, for instance.
Mike had planned a week-long vacation in Ecuador and wanted to spend a few days at an all-inclusive tropical rain forest lodge, reachable only by boat on the Napo River. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for the experience, Mike contacted the owner, introduced himself as a travel writer on assignment doing an adventure story, and he was offered the trip at no charge!
And that’s only the beginning. As a travel writer, Mike has played golf, free, on some of Ireland’s best links courses. He’s taken all-expenses-paid trips all over the world — to places like Russia, Belgium, Panama, and Spain, just to name a few. And he’s enjoyed complimentary meals as well as comped tickets to theatre productions, movies, sporting events, and more.
And consider travel writer Daryl Emerson’s experience: He planned to write an article about a few places in the Caribbean. So he contacted several hotels in Bonaire and Belize and was offered a free week’s stay in both locations. And it didn’t stop there — the manager of the hotel in Bonaire even invited him to stay an extra week at their resort in Curacao.
The Other Way to Fly, Dine, and Stay… No Charge
The truth is, well-established writers rarely pay their own way. If they aren’t being treated to a press trip, the publication they’re writing for picks up the tab.
As a freelance writer, I’m constantly traveling around the world to report on places, events, and opportunities that my editor wants covered for her readers. Of course, she foots the bill. In recent months I’ve been to Slovakia, New Zealand, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and beyond. (And on top of getting paid to travel to these places, I’m also paid for the articles that I write.)
Sure, you need a track-record — other articles you’ve written and published — before any editor is going to call you up and offer to pay for your trip.
But my point is: Once you’ve learned the secrets to producing the kinds of articles publications are looking for, you’ll be well on your way to establishing a name for yourself. You’ll be opening the door to a whole new life where you get to travel the world while somebody else pays your expenses… and then pays you to write about what you’ve seen and done.
The Quickest Way to Access
This Fabulous Lifestyle
The easiest way to find out if getting paid to travel as a travel writer is something right for you is to listen to the call.
On it Jen and I will discuss…
- How this industry works… and the needs travel editors have…
- Just how much freelance opportunity there is out there… and why most people don’t realize it.
- The skills you need to become a travel writer… what you’ll learn might thrill you, and I know it certainly will surprise you.
- Just how easy it is to start exploring the world, meeting new people, and enjoying the freedom and independence of an income, no matter where in the world you choose to live.
- The opportunities that exist for travel writers to land concert tickets… meals… vacations… and more… without paying a dime…
- How to approach an editor to guarantee your success… and we’ll also touch on what NOT to do (you’d be surprised at how many writers have no idea what makes editors crazy…)
- What your next step should be if you decide this opportunity is right for you.
Unbelievable Fringe Benefits:
You’ll Never Travel as a Tourist Again
Join us on the Get Paid to Travel Teleconference, June 30th and find out if travel writing would make more sense as a full-time passion for you, or merely something you do on the side, a way to justify a vacation and defray some of the costs, maybe write off your trip on your taxes.
The truth is, you can turn any voyage into a travel story. Annual family vacations are a great way to start. Or you could easily produce a host of articles from just one business trip.
Once you get your first byline — your name in print under the headline of your story — you won’t believe the instant credibility you gain.
You’ll find you’ll never travel like a tourist again. As part of a distinguished circle of trained travel-writing professionals, you gain a “calling card” of sorts.
You see, when you tell people you’re a travel writer (a harbinger of good press, as it were), you’ll discover that they will bend over backwards to ensure you enjoy your experience. Nothing’s too much trouble.
You’ll be taken in the VIP entrance… served the best meals… escorted to the most expensive seats… offered a private tour…
It’s amazing really. And all you need to do to discover if living this romantic, adventure-filled life is for you is join in the teleconference.
And… just for listening, you’ll get a $300 flight credit you can put toward the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in San Francisco this July, where you’ll not only learn more about how to get started as a travel writer, you’ll also learn how to get your name in print and how to get paid for articles — from local newspapers to the world’s most prestigious travel magazines too.
So, sign up to join me and Jen on the Get Paid to Travel Teleconference June 30th at 8 p.m. EST and discover a world of paid-for travel just waiting to be tapped.
Sincerely,
Steenie Harvey,
Freelance Travel Writer
P.S. The insider knowledge that we’ll be revealing on this call could mean a new way to travel… a new life… a romantic future. The opportunities we’ll discuss could be a way for you to escape the drudgery of 9-5 and trade it in for a life where your friends will think you live on permanent vacation.
Don’t believe me? Join this teleconference and you’ll receive up to $300 in savings good toward the next live Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop this July… just for listening in.
To listen to this call today, click below:
How One IL Reader Saved $14,910 on Surgery in Costa Rica
June 17, 2008
Every day I’m reminded of the increasing cost of health care in the U.S. and the strategies the IL readers are coming up with to beat it.
For example, in a recent issue of International Living Magazine, reader Patrick MacDowell told us an amazing story about saving 75% on his medical procedure in Costa Rica…this is even with his round trip airfare included.
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Here’s an excerpt from Patrick’s magazine story…
Just like 46 million other people in the U.S., I had no health insurance and I couldn’t afford the $15,000 to $20,000 it would have cost to have an operation I needed to get done.
I felt helpless…until I read about “Medical Tourism” in an issue of International Living magazine (Nov. 2007). The article talked about the boom of medical tourism in Thailand. I was intrigued by the amount of money you could save by traveling overseas for surgery.
I went online to find out more. I discovered that the cost for me to have my hernia operation in Costa Rica was $4,000, so and I booked my flight and traveled there.
The staff at the hospital arranged my lodging at a medical recovery facility specializing in accommodations for recovering medical tourists. The price per night was $93.75, which included meals, 24-hour nursing care, and free Internet and international calls. It also covered my transportation to and from the hospital.
When I arrived, I met the staff for the International Patient Services Department for the hospital. They wasted no time in arranging for the pre-surgical blood tests, chest X-ray, and EKG. My doctor was a personable guy with perfect English. I had a pre-op and post-op consult with him in his office.
The hospital was modern with administration offices, two banks, and two restaurants.
At the time of my arrival there were 13 guests staying here, all of whom had traveled for various medical and dental procedures. We all ate dinner together in the dining room and traded stories.
When I arrived at the hospital at 3 p.m. the following day to prepare for my surgery, I was offered a massage while I waited for my appointment. I also had the option of a manicure, pedicure, or even a haircut, all at their expense. As I was nervous prior to surgery, this massage thoroughly relaxed me.
The friendly staff also helped to ease my nerves with their friendly smiles on my way to the theater. When I woke up later in my hospital room I looked around to see modern equipment, a flat screen TV, and everything was spotlessly clean. My doctor made two visits to check on me.
When I was ready to leave the hospital, we headed back to the ranch. That night the nurse on duty gave me my pain medication and I instantly slept. Overall I was very impressed with the level of care during my short stay at the hospital and at the ranch.
Patrick totaled his costs for us in his magazine article. This included eight nights lodging and ground transportation, pre-and post-op exams, his surgery, all medications, and his round-trip airfare to and from Costa Rica. His bill totaled $5,090…a savings of $14,910 over the cost of the same operation in the U.S.
Good work, Patrick, and thanks for sharing you story with us. It’s great to know that options are out there and that we’re helping you and other International Living Magazine subscribers find them.
Dan Prescher
Publisher, International Living
P.S. From time to time I’ll be sharing other stories from International Living Magazine with you and our other Daily Postcards readers. Our monthly magazine is a great source for finding the expanded coverage and the nitty-gritty details that let you take advantage of opportunities like Patrick discovered. But we don’t stop there…we also cover leading-edge financial, real estate, and lifestyle options that help you live a healthier, happier, more profitable life abroad. Click here now for more information on everything that International Living Magazine has in store for you.
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