Pure Panama--opportunities plain
and simple
  
Dear Reader:
The word is out, and it’s “Panama.”
If we needed any proof that this little country is garnering
big interest, it was our Live and Prosper conference in Panama City held
last February. The event set a new IL attendance record, and as the host
of the conference, I got a chance to see nearly 170 smart people take a
hard look at some very attractive lifestyle and real estate options in
this tropical tax haven.
The lifestyle attraction of Panama City itself was obvious
to all of us at the event. In fact, Panama City is really three
intriguing cities in one. Panama Viejo is where the city was
original founded, a place where you can still find the ruins left by
pirate Henry Morgan when he looted, sacked, and burned the place to the
ground in 1671. Now that’s history.
| After the looting and sacking, Casco Viejo
was founded in 1673, and it looks like a cross between
Barcelona and The French Quarter in New Orleans.
This is where International Living bought a large old
colonial shell and renovated it into our Panama offices and a number
of rental units. When our office staff and guests venture into the
streets for lunch and dinner, it’s like being in the 17th
century…but with 21st century amenities. |
| Then there’s the
modern, cosmopolitan area of Panama City--home to hundreds of skyscrapers
and the conveniences North Americans expect. Panama City is a
world-class metropolis full of top-drawer shopping, dining, and a host of
choices in entertainment. There is nothing third-world about
living and doing business here.
Outside the city, Panama’s Pacific beaches stretch along the
coastline like a buffet of palm-studded, sun-drenched
bonbons just begging to be sampled. Some of you will recognize names like
Playa Bonita, Gorgona, Playa Serena, Coronado, Playa Blanca…the list is
long, and the beaches are gorgeous by any standard.
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I’ve seen Pacific coast beaches from Mexico to Peru,
and I’ve SCUBA dived all along the Caribbean and Central American
Atlantic coast. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to
beaches.
Panama has great beaches. Long, wide, sandy,
gently sloping.
Beautiful. But the real estate options…ah, that really
put the shine in our attendees’ eyes, including mine. I saw for
myself the huge variety of properties on offer here during the
optional real estate tours after our conference. |
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This wasn’t just a buffet. It was an incredible
smorgasbord of beach-front and beach-view condos, ultra-modern
downtown lofts, golf course villas overlooking lush fairways and
greens, breezy home sites with vistas of sea and sand, custom houses
of exotic hardwoods nestled on cool, wooded highland lots.
And many of these properties were pre-construction
offers that included significant discounts for buying from plans.
It was enough to get a guy thinking…
I’ll give you some specific examples of the deals we
saw in a moment, but first I want to confess…I came away from that
conference without buying anything myself.
How, I don’t know. I guess I was working, hosting the
conference, had other things on my mind. But my wife, Suzan, and I
have been looking for something in Panama for a while now, and for
some reason, I sat there during the optional real estate tours after
that conference and watched deal after deal go by.
I kicked myself several times in the following
weeks. I’m happy to say, though, that now I can stop kicking and
start planning again. |
What others are saying about
today’s Panama…
“While Costa Rica is
a great success story, it is hardly an undiscovered gem. That
description may apply more outside its southern border in Panama.” - London Financial
Times |
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International Living sent me back to Panama to
host a new, exciting, and very unique event in May and June. The staff of IL’s
Panama office took an exclusive group of
participants on the Panama Real Estate Tour, a dedicated,
real estate-only tour of some of the best projects and developments
in Panama.
Both the tours sold out quickly so we we´re doing them again August 24th-27th.
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This isn´t exactly a vacation--it´s a no-frills, straight-to-the-point shopping
trip to one of the top all-around living and
retirement destinations in the Western Hemisphere.
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"Panama is the new Central
American bargain, where the U.S. dollar – the market currency – goes
a long way. The country ranks second only to Switzerland as a tax
haven…” - Conde Nast Traveler
"
Panama is the most beautiful destination in the world and almost
undiscovered." - Harper's Bazaar
“…An
undiscovered tourist paradise.” - Boston Globe
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This event is going to be extraordinary, and I’m
personally looking forward to it for several reasons.
First, few organizations are better qualified to mount
a tour like this. International Living has been
investigating, exploring, and writing about Panama for years now. We
covered the story so closely in fact, that we decided to become part
of it and open an office there.
Second, few people are more qualified to put on a tour
like this--our on-the-ground staff in Panama know
the place inside and out. You’d be hard pressed to find a crew of
more knowledgeable, energetic resources, and everyone of them lives
in Panama full time.
And third…I get to go back myself. I like Panama. In fact, I´m moving there in August. And
I’d like you to join me there for a focused, concentrated,
first-hand look at some of the best real estate opportunities this
amazing little country has to offer.
Here’s how it will go. |
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On August 24th, we’ll get registered at 1:00 p.m. at
the 5-star Bristol Hotel. Then we’ll spend the
afternoon getting the straight facts about the legal and financial
in’s and out’s of Panamanian real estate and expat
benefits, including:
No-nonsense explanations of the several ways to
structure property ownership in Panama--including
through your own Panamanian corporation.
The personal advantages to you of Panama’s position as
one of the leading, and most private, banking and financial
centers in the world. |
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A significant real estate tax holiday when you buy anywhere
in Panama…plus you can import materials, furniture, equipment and
vehicles tax-free for 20 years.
An investment in Panama’s reforestation effort that
can earn you money and qualify you for Panamanian residency at
the same time.
All of the information we’ll give you during this initial
session will be Panama-specific--including overviews of some of
Panama’s most impressive real estate projects and
developments.
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And that’s all we’ll do the first day. We won’t have
breakout sessions or presentations on French leaseback schemes or
How To Make A Million Dollars Selling Lawn Clippings On Ebay.
Just opportunities in Panama, plain and
simple.
(There will be a cocktail party that evening, but
that’s in my contract.)
Then, bright and early the next day, we’ll hit the
road.
For three days, we’ll steep ourselves in the
real estate wonderland that is modern Panama. Three days of
getting up-close and personal with some of the most attractive real
estate in this very attractive market. Direct and to the point.
You can CLICK HERE right now to see the official itinerary
and sign up for this unique event. But if you’re curious, I’ll give
you just a few examples of the kinds of opportunities I saw last
time I was in Panama.
(Here’s the caveat…to say Panama is an active market
is like saying Tokyo is a big town. Some of these deals will have
been snapped up by now. But there will almost certainly be just as
many deals to replace them. On our upcoming tour, we’ll be on the
ground and seeing a selection of the most current offerings in real
time.)
Grand Bay Tower in Panama City. On Balboa Avenue,
fronting Panama Bay, in the heart of the financial
district, 1,291 square feet of ultra-modern condo with
amenities including a rooftop swimming pool, covered terrace, sun
deck, two bars, garden, exercise room, game room, dressing room and
sauna and a reserved parking space starting at $137,000 and increasing $1,500 per floor. |
“Long overshadowed by eco-tourism
heavyweights Costa Rica and Belize to the north, Bocas del Toro is
starting to emerge as the newest star in the eco-tourism pantheon.”
- Gannet News Service
“…a group of
like-minded Americans, lured by cheap land and a government aware of
the fragility of its natural resources, are creating a new version
of the Gold Coast, a Riviera with an eco-friendly agenda…” - New York Times
"…blissfully pristine and
low-key…It's a trip back in time." - Men's
Journal |
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Dupont Towers located in Punta Pacifica on the bay in Panama City offers three apartments per floor all with exclusive ocean views. Prices start at $320,000 for a 1,733 square foot two bedroom apartment.
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Tucan Country Club & Resort is just minutes from Panama City across the Canal, nestled in lush forests with stunning views of downtown. Tucan is anchored by an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Jeffery Myers.
When completed, Tucan will feature 500 residences including luxury villas, town homes and terrace condominiums. Condos will start at under $280,000 and villas will start at $480,000.
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Playa Serena at Gorgona Beach will be the site of the new Playa Serena beachfront condos. With more than 230 feet of beachfront, there will be two 23-story towers with four condos per floor (85 condos in East Tower and 87 condos in West Tower) ranging in size from just under 1,200 square feet to around 2,670 square feet. Pre-construction prices start at $144,000 and go up $1,000 per floor. |
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Vista Mar Golf and Resort Community is just four miles further down the road from Playa Serena. There is an elegant Beach Club, upscale restaurant, pool, and white-sand beach. The par-72 championship golf course is under construction and scheduled for play in the last quarter of 2006.
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A 1,700 square foot unit with two bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a balcony starts at $297,000 and a three bedroom 2,575 square foot unit starts at $460,800. Included in the purchase price are two underground parking spaces, stainless steel kitchen appliances, stacked washer/dryer, A/C, basic lighting package, gas water heater and social membership to the 7 million dollar Golf clubhouse facility that will house a spa and wellness center, 3 tennis courts, pool, restaurants and conference facility.
Playa Blanca, with its incredible mile-long stretch of fine, white-sand beach, is a thriving, high-occupancy resort of sparkling swimming pools, four restaurants, several bars, a night club, boutiques, and nightly shows. A 2,165 square foot unit with two bedrooms on the 5th floor in the new Founders 2 Tower starts at $183,245.
As I was sitting here writing this, it suddenly hit me. A tropical paradise that actually welcomes foreigners with tax and residency incentives. A world-class city with all the services, entertainment and living options imaginable. Miles and miles and miles of gorgeous beaches with more ownership opportunities than you can shake a stick at--all at a fraction of the cost of anything comparable on either coast in the U.S.
It’s not like Panama is an unknown or insecure market. The
U.S. has had a major presence there for more than 100 years.
International Living has already bought and remodeled and is
running a business there. Expats taking advantage of the tax and residency
perks are moving there from all over the world.
They use the U.S. dollar, for heaven’s sake! How could it be
any better?
Ah, I almost forgot…how about a 1.5% discount on
real estate?
Everyone who attends our upcoming Panama Real Estate Tour
will automatically become a member of Club Panama. Membership (a $149.00
value) in this exclusive “concierge club” gives you access to a
full team of in-country, on-the-ground, experts in Panama, along with
extensive discounts on travel, accommodation, entertainment, and much
more.
The “much more” in this case is an extra 1.5% discount on
the purchase of property at some of Panama’s best residential
projects…including every one that I mentioned above.
My
advice…reserve your spot now while slots are still available. Included
in the cost of this tour is 5 nights’ hotel stays, 4 lunches and 1 dinner and a couple of cocktail parties. Sign-ups for this unique event are on a first-come, first
served basis, and to keep things manageable, we’re limiting the
size of our group to only 40 participants.
To reserve your place for our Panama Real Estate
Tour August 24th to August 27th, 2006, click below now or contact
Patricia Goltry or Nilka Batista, our Conference Customer Service Representatives, today at tel.
+1-866-381-8446 (USA & Canada toll-free) or +1-410-230-1243 or email:
events@internationalliving.com.
This is the event to attend for anyone serious about finding
opportunities in Panama while the boom is on and the selection is great.
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SINGLE (PER PERSON):
USD $999.00 (regular price), $949 (Lifetime Member), $899 (Roundtable Member)
DOUBLE (PER PERSON): USD
$699.00 (regular price), $649 (Lifetime Member), $599 (Roundtable Member) |
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Price Includes:
- Transfer from the Airport to the Bristol Hotel
- Transfer from the Bristol Hotel to the Airport
- 4 nights stay at Bristol Hotel (August 23th, 24th,
26th and 27th) with Buffet Breakfast
- 1 night stay at Playa Blanca Resort (August 25th) All-Inclusive
- 1 day Presentation with developers, service providers and IL
Panama Staff
- Welcome Cocktail
Party
- 3 days of Real Estate Tours
- 2 lunches at the Beach Tour
- 1 lunch at the City Tour
- Farewell Cocktail
Party
at IL´s Casco Viejo office
- Transportation to and from the Farewell Cocktail
Party
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Don’t miss this opportunity. Both previous tours sold out within weeks. CLICK
HERE* to sign up now, and I’ll see you in Panama this August.
You’ll know me…I’ll be the tall guy who keeps scanning his
wife’s Ideal Panama Property check list at every stop while resisting the
urge to play in the surf.
Dan Prescher
International Living Latin America Property
Scout
*Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to know that IL receives commissions from sales at the developments mentioned above. As with any development in progress, please remember always to buy what you see... not what is promised.
Disclaimer: International Living and any of its agents and speakers do not provide any individual, personalized investment advice. This conference provides only information to the general public, and at no time should any person acting as an agent or speaker at the conference be relied upon as rendering personalized investment advice. International Living may receive compensation from speakers and presenters selling their respective products at conferences. The compensation may be in the form of a sponsorship fee, flat fee or commission from sales. Advertising you may receive from their companies should not to be construed as originating from or connected in any way to International Living.
By registering for an International Living event you’ll automatically receive our FREE "Untourist" Travel and Events e-letter and Panama First Alert (You can unsubscribe to this at any time). |
