9 Reasons to Open an Offshore Bank Account
There are many reasons to open an offshore bank account and it is a good idea for anyone with even a little bit of money. No, offshore bank accounts are not just for criminals and to dodge taxes. In fact, it's increasingly hard to hide money with FATCA and CRS now in...
8 Ways to Invest in Gold
So you've decided to invest in gold? Great, but how do you go about it, and what are the different ways you can invest in gold? As a gentle reminder, my first article, which was published in June 2019, made the point that everyone should invest in gold. Since then,...
The Real Estate Investment Market in Tbilisi, Georgia
Making a real estate investment in Tbilisi, Georgia, is increasingly making headlines in the “offshore” world. Georgia is being sold as a great place to do business as well as being affordable and populated by friendly people making delicious wine. Guess what, this is...
14 reasons AGAINST a Real Estate Investment in Paris
One of the few, truly global cities, Paris has been the “capital” of Europe for centuries. Surely, making a real estate investment in Paris is wise and would count as a great store of value. Paris is beautiful and well connected. Paris is a center of culture and...
Is a real estate investment in Kiev, Ukraine, attractive?
My previous piece on the Ukrainian economy, which you should read, started with the insight that residential prices are down 75% from their peak in Kiev, Ukraine. Generally speaking, a 75% drop in prices in a capital city, with a few years of consolidation at the...
An ambiguous case – is now the time to invest in Ukraine?
I’m often asked if a real estate investment in Kiev, Ukraine, is a smart move. From a peak of over USD 3500 per m2 in 2007, prices dropped for over a decade to slightly over $1050 per m2 in Q2 2019. I’ll examine the Kiev real estate in a future article, but in the...
10 Learnings from a Real Estate Investment in the United States as a Non-Resident Foreigner
Non Americans are almost all familiar with scenes of people striking it rich in real estate in the United States. People speculate, flip, use credit, become rich and then sometimes lose it all. It’s a vast and attractive market, not just for the potential returns, but...
How to start a company in Uzbekistan as a non-resident foreigner
So you have a business idea for booming Uzbekistan (read this) that requires you to start a company locally? You might think it’s very Soviet, complicated, expensive, and that legal help is required. Some lawyers won’t hesitate to overcharge you. Guess what, it’s...
The Impact of Demographics on Real Estate Investing in Eastern Europe
Real Estate has been booming in Central & Eastern Europe over the past few years. Investors who got in on cities like Budapest, Warsaw, Bucharest, Prague, Sofia have made very decent returns since 2014/2015. Prime Budapest properties can be had for less than 3500...
A Real Estate Investment in Tashkent, Uzbekistan?
Making a real estate investment in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is an attractive proposition. One can find core downtown properties at about $1,000 per m2, and gross yields that can reach 8-11%. In a world of negative interest rates and low yielding real estate, the...
How to obtain a residence permit in Uzbekistan
Why would anyone want to obtain a residence permit in Uzbekistan? Sure, it’s a beautiful place for an amazing adventure & history-packed vacation, but living there? Well, yes, an increasing amount of foreigners want to obtain a residence permit in Uzbekistan. The...
The Pros and Cons of a Real Estate Investment in Astana, Kazakhstan
I recently spent a few days in Astana, or Nur-Sultan (its new name), and decided to analyse whether a real estate investment in that part of Kazakhstan is worth it. Kazakhstan got its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and has since been rebuilding itself...