I just returned from David, Panama, where I traveled to see the progress at one of the most popular investment opportunities that Live And Invest Overseas has ever offered.
The play is an investment in local housing. Panama has a growing middle class but a shortage of middle-income housing. This opportunity addresses that supply-versus-demand issue with support from the government.
Specifically, it’s offering zero- to low-interest loans for middle-income buyers as part of a bigger $1 billion investment in housing.
This offer just makes sense, which is part of the reason that 1/3 of current investors have already reinvested. It can hand you a 30% ROI in 24 months.
Before I tell you about what I saw on my recent visit, here’s an overview of this opportunity.
- The Deal: This is a hard-money loan investment. The developer owns the land and has the necessary construction permits in hand. He needs funding to construct the homes.
That’s where you come in. With as little as $59,000, you can pre-buy a housing unit that the developer will then resell at a guaranteed rate of return.
Specifically, it’s paid out at a fixed rate of 30% after 24 months. You will pocket $17,700 on top of your original $59,000 investment.
- How It Works: The investment funds are held in escrow with an attorney and released only as construction of the unit progresses.
The lot and house are your collateral if, for some reason, the developer doesn’t sell the house. You can take possession of the house yourself and sell it through a local agent.
This is highly unlikely, however, because the demand for housing is so strong. This project has a built-in sales market with over 400 pre-qualified buyers waiting to buy a home of their own.
Plus, buyers are supported by zero- to low-interest loans from the Panamanian government, making it easy for them to make purchases.
On top of this, there’s a shortage of affordable housing in the area, further enhancing the development’s selling power.
- Why Local Housing? The middle class is expanding across Latin America. The World Bank reports that it grew by 50% between 2008 and 2018, and it’s not finished yet.
This means that millions of people are looking for quality homes, which, for the most part, have not been built yet. In Panama specifically, there’s a deficit of at least 100,000 low- and middle-income homes.
To prevent a crisis, the government has invested $1 billion in local housing and will support developers addressing the deficit as well as middle-income buyers trying to get on the property ladder.
- Why David: David is the capital of the Chiriquí Province and the third-largest city in Panama. It’s western Panama’s commercial center, home to shopping malls, restaurants, car dealerships, international banks, and more conveniences.
Our development is in central David, where there aren’t many other planned communities. It’s 5 to 15 minutes from malls, the airport, supermarkets, hospitals, banks, and more (whereas most other developments are at least 30 minutes away, assuming there’s no traffic).
What I Saw On My Visit
I traveled to David with Tommy Slivka, a new sales agent at Live And Invest Overseas. He just moved from the United States to Panama City, so I got to see things through his newcomer’s lens.
The flight from Panama City to David takes less than an hour. The David airport is small, so you can be off the plane and out of the airport in five minutes if you don’t check bags. Tommy said it was the easiest airport experience he’s ever had.
Our driver took us by the Chiriquí Mall and local hospital before heading to the development. It’s under 15 minutes from most major amenities.
The road leading to the project is unpaved but will be finished this month. When complete, it will reduce the drive time to the airport even further, helping you avoid congestion on the Pan-American Highway.
The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the development is that a lot of progress has been made since my last visit in 2023. There are more finished homes and more homes under construction.
The site is also much more active, with about three times the number of workers present. Last time, many workers had to pause while waiting for their contracts to be renewed.
I saw work at different stages being done in real time, including land clearing, foundation work, home construction, road work, sewage work, driving machinery, and home finishes.
Tommy and I were pleasantly surprised to witness two key deliveries during our visit…
The homebuyers were over the moon to receive the keys to their brand-new homes. One told me that she purchased at this development because of the quality of construction, the central location, and the nice finished product.
I too am impressed by the size and quality of the completed houses. There’s no other project in Panama that I know of where you can get this kind of value at this price. The houses have an elevated look with nice quality finishes and spacious interiors, plus plenty of yard space.
The developers have been doing three or four key deliveries per week, and they expect that at least 50 homes will be delivered to their owners by the end of this month.
The developer works with each homebuyer individually if they want to make changes to their homes—something I like about this project.
They have a couple of set home designs, but if the client wants another bedroom or to close the laundry area, or they want their driveway paved in a different way, etc., the developer works with them to make it happen.
Progress is coming along nicely at this development, and it’s not hard to see why it’s such a good opportunity for the hard-money loan investors and homeowners.
What Makes This Investment A No-Brainer
First, Panama is a safe-haven market. It’s a booming hub—the economic powerhouse of its region, supported by revenue from the Panama Canal—critical to global trade.
Panama has proven to be bulletproof in times of economic and political uncertainty, coming through global recessions unscathed. It’s a safe place to put your money.
Next, this opportunity is clean and simple. It’s a hard-money loan with a fixed rate of return, paid out over a short period; specifically, it’s a 30% return paid out in 24 months.
It’s also a foothold in a market that’s not easy for the individual investor to access—Panama’s local housing market. You’d face a steep learning curve trying to crack into this market on your own. We’ve done the legwork of identifying the opportunity for you.
We’ve also vetted the developer, who has over 40 years of experience in the development of small- to large-scale projects. The developer has packaged everything to minimize headaches and risks.
Pay-outs have been on schedule, and current investors are happy, which is why 1/3 of them have already decided to reinvest. If you want to know more about how to get in on this investment, go here.
Sincerely,
Monica Linares
Managing Editor, Global Property Advisor