Investing in Turnkey International Coffee Farms

[Mark S.]

I recently heard an (non-BP, don't know if I'm allowed to say where) REI podcast where the guest talked about investing in international coffee farms (in Panama). The pitch was basically $15,000 for 0.5 acre parcel on an under-performing commercial coffee farm his group acquired with the expectation of a conservative 13% annual yield. There would be a 3+ year minimum hold and the opportunity to sell later, if desired. His team apparently hires the coffee farmers and provides them a good job, fair wages, health and pension benefits, etc. Often, they simply re-hire existing talent that have already been working on these farms for many years, just under new, better-capitalized management. It sounds great at first glance, but I feel like I might be missing something. Have you ever invested in anything like this? What questions would you have about it? I like that it's turn-key, cash-flowing, and I will not have to deal with tenants. By the way, I like the BP podcasts much better (this one is always a bit "salesy," which is another reason I am skeptical).

[Karen Margrave]

I personally would never invest money in an area that I didn't know, with people I didn't know, in a business I knew nothing about. I'd probably have better odds going to a casino and gambling. But, that's me.