5/6/12: Catching the Wave – Where Tropical Profits are a Breeze
One of the secrets to making a lot of money is to catch a profitable wave. Sounds interesting, but how does it work?
Well, a financial wave happens when a variety of forces converge to move people or their money in a particular direction. That movement can have a substantial impact on any given asset class or geographic region – and the effect can be much more pronounced when the asset class or region is very limited in size. That’s why we’ve been intrigued over the years by the tiny country of Belize.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show, we’re on location at a beautiful beachfront resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Yes, it’s a rough life on the road as radio talk show hosts, but someone has to do it.
Sipping coconut juice behind the microphones while the tropical breezes blow:
- Your light and breezy host, Robert Helms
- Your coconut co-host, Russell Gray
- Special guest, top producing international real estate broker, John Turley
As part of the preparation for our upcoming field trips to Belize, we headed to San Pedro Town in Ambergris Caye, Belize. Yes, it’s THAT San Pedro – the one Madonna sings about in La Isla Bonita.
When you’re here, you understand why Madonna fell in love with San Pedro…and why we stopped here during our recent Summit at Sea™, then came back just a few weeks later for this trip, and are now going back for Memorial Day, again in June and staying into July. Yeah, it’s an addiction.
But for John Turley, formerly from the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado, his visit turned into a 7 year (and counting) transplantation. And in those 7 years, big John has become the #1 real estate agent in the entire country of Belize and the #2 international property (non-US) agent in the RE/MAX system. In case you didn’t know it, RE/MAX is the #1 (as in top selling) real estate brokerage in the world. So John Turley is not just #1 in his cubicle. He’s #1 for the #1 company in the world. Hey, nothing but the best for our listeners.
So NOW you can see that we have a LOT to talk about. Like, why did John decide to leave his life in the USA, uproot his family and start all over again in some dinky third world country? Hint: it’s beautiful, peaceful, friendly and insanely profitable. But listen in and let John tell you himself.
What’s important to note is that John is just like MILLIONS of other people in the US, Canada and around the world who are looking for a change. And as that wave of people continues to discover enchanting Belize, many are grabbing homes and filling hotels. Hmmmm….does that sound like real estate investment opportunity?
John explains how tourism is UP over the several years. What?!? We thought there was a global recession and everyone was hunkered down waiting for the storm to clear.
Some are. But it seems that others have decided that financial and political storms bring big waves, so it might be fun (and profitable) to go ride one (figuratively speaking, of course).
John reports that the interests of the people who come through his office have changed significantly in the last several years. It used to be that people came to Belize because it’s beautiful, quiet, affordable and friendly. After all, Belize is the ONLY English speaking country in Latin America, and it’s government and currency are stable. Did we mention that it’s breathtakingly beautiful?
But today, according to John, MANY people are coming into his office because they are concerned about the direction of the United States. Now, you may or may not be concerned, but apparently lots of folks are. So much so, they come to Belize not to vacation, but to establish a second home that could be easily converted into a primary residence. Kind of a Plan B (like Belize).
There are lots of other interesting tidbits in this interview, and your job (should you choose to accept it) is to listen as Big John Turley shares his perspectives on what’s driving this very popular real estate market – and how you can catch the wave of interest that is building about Belize.
Listen Now:
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Explore Enchanting Belize with The Real Estate Guys!
Join Robert Helms, host of The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show for a memorable weekend discovery trip to the beautiful country of Belize! Three great dates to choose from: Sep 15-18, Oct 6-9 or Nov 3-6, 2011
Why Belize?
Three words: Location, Location, Location (we’ve heard those are important for real estate).
Click here to download your registration form.
Belize is the former British Honduras and is located just under Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Mainland Belize features lush green tropical rain forests, while it’s Eastern border faces the Caribbean ocean safely nestled behind the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef. The islands are postcard perfect and attract vacationers, diving enthusiasts and celebrities alike. Harrison Ford, and more recently, Reese Witherspoon are known to visit Belize for private, relaxing getaways. Leonardo DiCaprio purchased a 110 acre island known as Blackadore Caye. We’ll show it to you when you attend this discovery trip!
But beyond beautiful, Belize has other unique attributes which make it attractive to investors and tourists alike. Belize is the ONLY country in Latin America whose official language is English. This, and the fact that its currency is pegged at a fixed 2:1 exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, make it a friendly place for Americans. Plus there are direct flights from several U.S. cities including Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston and many others. Belize is actually closer for most Americans, Canadians and Europeans than Hawaii!
The Real Estate Guys™ will show you Belize!
Click here to download your registration form.
Robert Helms and his team have been visiting and investing in Belize for several years. He’s led several investor field trips with as few as one couple and as many as forty-five. The feedback on every trip has been over the top positive! Robert will share his extensive market knowledge, introduce you to local market experts, and personally show you the mainland, the islands, and several different developments.
This is an EDUCATIONAL event. This is not one of those “fly n’ buy” sales trips where aggressive salespeople are waiting to pounce on you. We believe the right approach to real estate is to start with the market first, then build a team, and then select property that meets your personal and investment goals. This trip is about exploring the market and meeting people who may become part of your team down the road.
Discover the real estate, banking and lifestyle opportunities available to you in beautiful Belize during a semi-private tour led by The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show host Robert Helms.
Click here to download your registration form.
Trip Logistics
Once you’re enrolled, our registration team will contact you to help arrange your air travel. Your round trip airfare is not included in your tuition, but it’s very important that your arrival is coordinated through our team. While you’re in Belize, virtually all your trip expenses including transportation, hotel accommodations, speaker sessions, materials and most meals are included. Alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, extended stays and certain other incidental expenses are not included. Upon receipt of your completed registration form, we’ll provide you with information about what to wear, pack and expect.
The Opportunity is Now
There are lots of reasons to like a place like Belize (is there any other place like Belize?), but the opportunity today is better than ever!
Americans haven’t lost purchasing power in Belize because of the fixed exchange rate, while many other countries have gained purchasing power because of a soft U.S. dollar. Baby boomers in the U.S. still dream of warm weather, low tax, beautiful places to resort and retire, but many of the more established areas remain relatively expensive in a post recession economy.
Belize offers an English speaking, affordable, “non-touristy”, and reasonably nearby alternative. And popular TV shows like House Hunters International are helping a growing number of people discover Belize as a great option not just for retirement, but also full time residency for a growing new class of telecommuters and independent information workers. Think about it: would you rather sit in a corporate cubicle in Cleveland or a beautiful beach in Belize?
Additionally, Belize still enjoys a great reputation as a tax friendly jurisdiction with strong privacy banking and asset protection laws. As citizens of “developed” countries face increasing concerns about privacy, taxes and frivolous litigation, the affluent are seeking off-shore alternatives in greater numbers than ever.
All of these trends point to increasing demand, but the wave is still growing. Alert investors can position themselves in the market to provide the properties that tourists, retirees, remote workers and ex-pats will want to buy or rent. Besides, if the worst thing that happens is that you have to live or use your property for personal use, would you rather it be a duplex in Detroit or bungalow in Belize? Meanwhile (check with your own tax advisor), once you have investments in Belize, your trips to visit just might be tax deductible. Very cool.
A Visit is with Worth a Million Words
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a personal visit to paradise is worth at least a million. Come see it with 
your own eyes!
Click here to download your registration form now.
We look forward to seeing YOU in beautiful Belize!
Let’s Go to Beautiful Belize!
Quick! Before you let your summer end, squeeze in just one more FUN trip! And to make sure you have no guilt about having going, let’s make it an EDUCATIONAL trip designed to ENHANCE YOUR INVESTMENT KNOWLEDGE. Now that sounds like a REALLY GREAT IDEA!
Do you feel the sand in your toes and the warm ocean breeze? No. Because this is only a picture. But we did when we took it. And so can you when you join us in Belize!
Here are SEVEN REASONS to join The Real Estate Guys™ on the next FIELD TRIP TO BELIZE:
- Belize is warm, beautiful, friendly and fun. Much better than looking at fixer uppers in Detroit or Oakland.
- Belize is still a largely undiscovered country. Imagine getting to Hawaii or the Bahamas before the rest of the world figured it out. But once you’re there, you don’t have to wait as long. The pace of discovery is much shorter now. There’s a reason Belize is one of fastest growing cruise destinations.
- Robert has been studying Belize for three years. He and his team have several dozen trips under their belt. It’s always better to go exploring with an experienced guide. You’ll be amazed at how much you see and learn in just 3-1/2 days.
- Did we mention Belize is warm, beautiful, friendly and fun?
- Robert will introduce you to real estate developers, brokers, bankers and other important local contacts. It’s power networking in your shorts. You’ll be better connected in one weekend than most people are after several months.
- It’s a GREAT ITINERARY! You’ll see the mainland, the biggest cities, the #1 tourist destination,and the islands (including Leonardo DiCaprio’s) while you travel by bus, boat and plane throughout the country.
- You’ll make new friends. Every field trip and investor summit, we not only get to know our guests, but they get to know each other. And you never know who you’ll meet or what good thing may come from it. But one thing is for sure: if you don’t go, it’s certain you won’t meet anyone. So come join the fun! Watch the video.
Still not convinced? Check out these comments from some past attendees.
Click here to get all the details on our next field trip to Belize. Or, download your registration form now.
This MUCH better than a seminar in a hotel conference center!
7/25/10: Entrepreneurs in the New Economy – Getting Paid to Solve Problems
Do you remember the old “new” economy? That was the one where technology companies could go public without profit. In some cases, they didn’t even need revenue. Ahhhh, those were the days.
The new “new” economy (the Great Recession one) hasn’t been nearly as fun – unless you’re an old school entrepreneur. That’s the kind who looks at problems as opportunities. Guys (and gals) like that are having a lot of fun right now because there are opportunities galore coming out of the Great Recession.
The Real Estate Guys™ headed off to Freedom Fest in Las Vegas a few weeks back. We heard that money manager / economist / author / Senate candidate Peter Schiff would be there (among many other people with very strong opinions about the U.S. economy) and we wanted to do some interviews. We’re happy to report we got lots of great stuff, including Mr. Schiff and the CEO of Forbes Magazine, Steve Forbes. Watch for those interviews in future broadcasts.
So we fly into Las Vegas in our private jet (the one operated by Southwest Airlines), and get to the convention venue and start setting up our booth. Before the event had even started, a man stops by and sees our banner for Belize (we were promoting our upcoming field trip to Belize) and asks a few questions. The short of it is that we find out he’s working on a very exciting project in the Caribbean – one that solves a problem we’ve been trying to figure out too. Russ gets so excited that he hugs the guy. Very weird.
After the appropriate apologies and some follow up male bonding, our new friend agrees to do a radio interview. And that’s what this broadcast is all about.
Manning the microphones for this edition of The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show:
- Your host, the Larry King of real estate radio, Robert Helms
- Co-host, our “I love you, man” booth babe, Russell Gray
- Special Guest, Investment Banker, Entrepreneur and assault victim, Jeff Villwock
Any time we get around smart people, we jump on the opportunity to talk with them. In this case, Russ literally jumped on Jeff. When Jeff recovered, we got him on the mic, so you can listen to what he’s doing, where he’s doing it and why. There’s lots of lessons to be gleaned!
Freedom Fest is an event that attracts people with strong political opinions. In many of the interviews we did there, those opinions come out. Great! We think the world works better when people respectfully debate important issues. Sharing ideas is among the most sacred of our freedoms, especially if you’re radio guys.
We also realize that the U.S. (the bulk of our audience) is pretty polarized right now. Now, we love our entire audience and our show isn’t political. However, policies affect economics and economics affects real estate. There shouldn’t be a serious student of real estate who can look at the last several years and deny that. So politics are going to get into the discourse from time to time, which is a very good thing.
We think these Freedom Fest interviews are great. If you disagree with the political views of our guests, don’t let that get in the way of hearing what’s being said. Here’s why: a big part of real estate investing is understanding demographics and human nature. How people think and believe affects where they (and their money) will be moving. Even if you disagree with them, if they believe it, it will affect their actions. So YOU need to understand them (even if you disagree) if you want to anticipate their behavior.
Did we mention that Jeff’s project is in St. Kitts? It just so happens that St. Kitts is one of the stops on our upcoming 9th Annual Summit at Sea! So we ask Jeff if we can visit his project as part of our already planned real estate shore excursion in St. Kitts. Not only does Jeff agree to allow us to visit, he says he’ll meet us there and show us around. Awesome!
Once again, we’re reminded of the importance of getting out of our cubicles and into the world where real people are. No doubt that virtual networking is powerful, but just as phones did not replace face to face meetings, neither will social media replace conventions as a great place to make important connections. This is one of the reasons we attend trade shows and promote our field trips and the Summit at Sea™. It’s a great way to get to know great people in the real world. We hope to see YOU at one very soon!
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Join The Real Estate Guys in Beautiful Belize!
The Real Estate Guys are going back to Belize! And who can blame us?
In our continuing quest for emerging growth markets, we’ve discovered great opportunities in the beautiful country of Belize!
Would you like to have invested in Cabo San Lucas Mexico 20 years ago…or Hawaii 30 years ago? Then come explore the white sand beaches, crystal blue seas and gorgeous rainforests of the only English speaking country in Latin America!
Robert Helms and his team have been to Belize nearly 50 times in the last 2 years! They will take you on a guided tour of both the forest covered mainland and the magical tropical islands which sit safely nestled inside the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere.
You’ll see raw and ready to develop land, single family homes, condos and more. Hear from bankers, appraisers, local real estate brokers and developers, and other experts!
Is it possible to profit in paradise? If you don’t go, you won’t know! Come discover Belize with The Real Estate Guys™ on our next field trip!
Registration is only $2,297 per person double occupancy* (add $400 for single occupancy) and includes $500 airfare credit, ground transportation, boat tours, receptions, 3 nights lodging, most meals; and all speakers, presentations and hand out materials
You can’t call this a vacation because we work hard and cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. But you’ll still have TONS OF FUN! Come hang out with The Real Estate Guys – and discover why we LOVE Belize!
It’s gonna be great!
But don’t take our word for it – check out comments from folks who’ve been to Belize with The Real Estate Guys™.
Download a registration form or call 1-888-489-7723 or use our Feedback page.
* We will make every effort to match same sex individuals as roommates so both may enjoy the double occupancy rate.
