Investing Internationally and Domestically

[Ronald Ceballos]

Good Day All!

First off, I am new to both this site, and investing. I have some ambitions that some might consider lofty, but I've finally snapped out of the rat race mentality, and did so at the ripe age of 39... So yeah, not really sitting on a mountain of time. I suppose my "awakening" happened when I took a certain job where I was able to live abroad and make good money. While out there, I did a ridiculous amount of travel, and it became nearly an addiction of mine. I spent all my free time thinking of where I wanted to go next. Additionally, I also had a family who was able to take advantage of this setup (1 wife, 2 kids 5 and 6). All that came to an end, and we are back in the USA living in Florida.... but it changed me. I realized what I wanted out of life, and it wasnt the rat race.

So, I come back to the USA in a market that is very competitive, and I buy a home. Now I am starting to realize how much money there is to be made with a combination of hard work and education. For myself, I am an Electrical Engineer, and my wife is an Elementary School Teacher. We have the potential for another outing abroad, and fully intend to do so. With my wifes schedule, I feel we are set up for some great rental property opportunity. So with that being said, I am looking at doing the following in parallel:

1. Developing a rental portfolio within my local community (Panama City, FL) and start building that up at a rate of maybe 1 property a year

2. I am looking to make some investments overseas in places like Italy, Spain, Portugal, etc. Living abroad made me realize how much money can be made via short term (airbnb, etc) rentals. Added bonus, I get to have a vacation home in italy.... Whats not to love?

That being said, does anyone here have any experience with overseas investing? Surprisingly, places like Italy are significantly less expensive than here in the USA. To me it felt like an obvious choice for someone who isnt afraid of branching out into the world, and has knowledge in navigating foreign legal systems. But alas, I am a beginner... So I was hoping to find someone who might have more knowledge on this specific topic.

Does anyone have any good insight?

Best,

Ron

[Mike Lambert]

Ronald, It's never too late to start on your journey, even if you discover what it is later in life. Sadly, too many people never do.

I have been investing exclusively internationally and replied to hundreds of posts on the topic, including the countries you mentioned so you might find some interesting information there that you could find through my profile. Feel free to DM me if you don't find what you're looking for there (I know it's hard to navigate given the quantity of content). Places like Spain, Portugal and Italy can be great places to invest if you know what you're doing. In Italy, I'd stick to certain cities to avoid the risk of capital loss.

@Zeona McIntyre

I'm not sure what you're talking about. Of course, managing is different than owning but, in all the countries in which you have managed properties and in the other countries mentioned by Ronald, there is no such thing as 100-year leases or restrictions on foreign ownership. In fact, 100% freehold foreign ownership isn't only allowed, it's the rule and it's highly encouraged by the government. I don't agree with the language barrier either. All these countries have well-developed real estate industries with many people speaking English. Of course, it helps if you know the local language but it's not an absolute necessity. Finally, I also don't agree with your international/US comparison when it comes to profitability. Previous seasonal markets have become less and less seasonal. Moreover, with the rise of digital nomads and long-term renters, you have a brand new clientele for international properties that pay high rents and give you 100% occupancy. Also, while more and more US cities and HOAs put restrictions on short-term rentals, there are and most likely will never be any short-term restrictions in many other countries. In fact some of them not only welcome actively encourage short-term rentals, including through fiscal advantages.