1/29/12: Where in the World to Invest? Tracking Trends in Global Real Estate
Emerging economies, free(er) trade, high speed communication and the troubled financial systems of the U.S. and Europe all add up to people, money and opportunities moving around the globe in unprecedented fashion.
It’s a lot to keep up on! But have no fear, The Real Estate Guys™ are here!
In the studio, behind the shiny silver microphones for another scintillating soiree into broadcast excellence:
- Your emerging, high speed host, Robert Helms
- Your troubled co-host, Russell Gray
In this episode, we flip the mirror around and look at the world from a different angle. Now that we’re big shot international podcasters (being downloaded in over 160 countries!), we can’t just look at the world exclusively through our U.S. centric eyeballs.
Besides, we’ve discovered through our recent trips to South Florida and Phoenix, that non-U.S. citizens are actively buying U.S. real estate that they view as being on sale. So even if you’re a U.S. citizen with no interest in off-shore investing, your domestic real estate is being affected by foreign activity.
Plus as the Chinese economy continues to climb up the food chain (nipping at the heels of Uncle Sam at last check), wealth being created overseas is affecting markets all over the world. One of our fastest growing audiences is in Australia. What’s the connection? Australia is a big exporter of commodities to…drum roll please…China! And how’s Aussie real estate been doing? Pretty hot for quite some time.
And just so you don’t think it’s just all about China, Brazil is starting to light up the economic scoreboard also. Our sources tell us the Brazilians make up a significant chunk of the buyers gobbling up South Florida real estate.
And don’t forget the Canadian dollar, eh? It’s been strong against the U.S. greenback, making U.S. dollar denominated assets more attractive. It’s too bad old guys like us don’t get more attractive when our dollars gets weak…but we digress.
Our point is, as we all learned as children at Disneyland, it’s a small world after all. And what happens in the big economies of the world, can affect you – pretty much wherever you are.
So, listen in as The Real Estate Guys™ talk trends in global real estate – and consider how those trends might create opportunities or challenges you should be aware of. Hey! It it was easy, everyone would do it. But if it can’t be easy, you can count on us to make it fun!
And speaking of fun (warning: incoming shameless plug), we’re getting close to last call for our fabulous annual Investor Summit at Sea™. As of this post, we have investors coming from at least 13 different countries. It’s a great opportunity to build you global network and gain direct personal insights into real estate markets and mindsets from around the world. To get in on the fun, click here now!
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5/16/10: Live, Work, Play – Designing Your Lifestyle as a Real Estate Investor
The world has changed! The internet has made it smaller, the economy has become much more global, and there are unprecedented opportunities to integrate real estate investing into an international lifestyle. But if you’re living in your home town, working at a day job and dreaming of going global, where do you start? We invited someone we know that went from Corporate America to international real estate development to come in studio and tell us not only how and why she did it, but where she sees the opportunities in today’s rapidly changing economy.
In the studio for today’s show:
• Your Host and Chief Globetrotter, Robert Helms
• Co-Host and Travel Coordinator, Russell Gray
• The Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
• Special Guest: International Real Estate Developer, Beth Clifford
This is a show we were super excited to do. For many people, real estate investing means tenants and troubles that interrupt their lifestyle rather than enhance it. But does it have to be that way? We catch up with our good friend Beth Clifford, who made the leap from a day job to a dream job using international real estate as the vehicle. Of course, we have lots of questions – and Beth is nice enough to hang out for the whole show and answer them.
We start out getting the Reader’s Digest on Beth’s career. While the history is interesting, what’s really useful is the mental process Beth went through to decide what she really wanted to do – and how real estate fits in.
Another very interesting topic of conversation comes up when Beth gives us the “big picture”. Now that she’s gone global, what macro trends does she see? What do they mean to her and her real estate strategies? What can we learn from her experiences to make us better investors? We have inquiring minds!
Beth also shares strategies she is using to gain competitive advantages in new markets – and how financial strength is much less important than you might think. Whew! That’s a relief – because this Great Recession has taken the wind out of a lot of folks’ sails. Knowing how to keep going when your financials aren’t as strong you’d like is a key survival skill for a real estate investor.
We discuss the importance of taking into consideration demographics, migration patterns, social and technology trends; plus your personal assets and interests when selecting which markets you will invest in. Careful planning on the front end can yield a portfolio that is both profitable and fun! And let’s face it, if you’re not having fun…well, it’s no fun.
Even though Beth is doing deals which have bigger numbers, the concepts she shares apply to everyone. Enjoy!
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5/2/10: The State of the Fractional Interest Real Estate Market with Dr. Dick Ragatz
Unless you’ve been living off planet, you know that the real estate world has changed dramatically in the last few years. Why? Because financing as we came to know and love it has all but disappeared. But does that mean people have stopped wanting to buy real estate? Of course not!
The idea of fractional (not “fractured”, though many underwater property owners may feel that way) ownership isn’t new. It’s a proven structure which is often used to allow people the opportunity to enjoy the use and ownership of resort properties. But it’s also a great technique for building a diverse portfolio of investment property. And of course, you can combine resort property and your investment goals in what we call Lifestyle Investing. That’s one of our FAVORITE ways to invest!
We think market conditions are ripe for more people to consider fractional structures. So we decided it would be a good idea to talk to one of the biggest brains on the subject, Dr. Dick Ragatz. Anytime you call someone “doctor”, you know they’re pretty smart.
Dr. Ragatz has a Master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from Cornell. He taught Housing Market Analysis at Cornell and also at the University of Oregon. He’s been an active participant and leader in many industry trade groups including the American Society of Planning Officials, the American Institute of Planner, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and our personal favorite, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). He won awards for outstanding contributions from ARDA in 1989, 1995 and 2006.
We could go on and on, but you get the point. He’s a really smart and accomplished guy, the kind you would want to sit down and talk real estate with. So, since you couldn’t do that yourself, we did it for you!
Check out this very informative interview with this highly intelligent industry leader. Get the inside scoop on what’s happening in one of the most interesting segments of the ever-changing real estate industry, courtesy of The Real Estate Guys Radio Show! You’re welcome. 
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