After retiring from International Living more than three years ago, Lief Simon continued his global real estate investing efforts, but in a more focused way and for his own account.
When I retired from International Living about a year thereafter, I proposed that Lief resurrect his Global Real Estate Investor service for my new Live and Invest Overseas readership. Distracted by an aggressive personal investment plan, Lief declined. He knew from experience how much time and attention this kind of investment alert service requires.
Finally, more than two years later, Lief has agreed. A couple of months ago, he began putting out the word. He was re-engaging and gearing up to be able to provide again a short list of investors with market insights and investment opportunities in real time.
Lief has been at this for more than 17 years. His global network of real estate investment contacts and resources is unrivaled. That said, even I’m impressed by the response Lief has enjoyed since he began making it known that he’s back in business.
If the first half of last decade could be described as the global property investor’s golden age, a time when almost anyone with a little capital could make money in almost any market, we’ve now entered an era of crisis investing. Already, now that he’s returned his attention to identifying top markets worldwide for buying for profit, Lief is having trouble keeping up with the opportunities crossing his desk, many of which fall into the category of crisis buys.
Lief reported Friday of foreclosure sales on offer from a bank he deals with in Belize. Most current offerings are land, including lots in a Nicaragua development where you could pick up most of the parcels for 50% of the list value. The minimum bid on some lots is as little as US$23,163.
Here’s the kicker: The bank behind these foreclosure sales will lend on these properties to the successful bidder, up to 50% of the successful bid. That means you could potentially buy one of those Nicaragua lots for as little as US$12,000 down and arrange financing for the other US$12,000.
Earlier in the week, Lief told you about another opportunity in Nicaragua, this one at the private lakeside development of a longtime contact in that country. Jeff has opened a new phase at his community where you can own right now for US$29,000.
Lief is researching and vetting at least a half-dozen other opportunities that require immediate attention, in markets from Latin America to Europe to Asia. He will continue to write weekly for the general Live and Invest Overseas readership (watch for his commentary in every Friday edition of this dispatch).