Growing up as a young entrepreneur I was very fortunate to have several inspiring and motivating mentors who invested time sharing knowledge, experience, and wisdom which helped me grow. Was it their influence?… or their success?… or was their lifestyle and definition of retirement in Panama that caught my attention? In all cases the word “Lifestyle” is something that I bought into a long time ago. As they say, “Hook, Line and Sinker” I saw the cars, I saw the toys, I saw the glitz and the glam, but is it all an illusion? Or are there truly accessible ways for the average person to obtain the lifestyle of their dreams and retire in Panama in time to enjoy it?

To answer that question I met with Mike Vuytowecz from Inside Panama Real Estate who is originally from North County San Diego in the US and one of the many expats living and decided to retire abroad in Panama. Mike’s journey began with a seasoned career in real estate as a mortgage broker for some of the biggest giants in the industry. Listening to his years of experience dealing with multi-million dollar portfolios of real estate investments in Panama, the curiosity was eating away at my stomach and I wanted to know how he did it, and more importantly how can someone else less experienced do it? Before we get into his response to that question it’s important to understand what caused us to meet in the first place.

Like many people with a little extra time on their hands and high speed internet connection, the mind starts to daydream followed by hours of getting lost online looking at all the listings of exotic homes, boats, cars, and other shiny objects. It seems there is no lack of assets being sold around the world from exotic beach homes, super yachts and vehicles, existing turn key businesses, even raw land waiting for the right person to come along with a master plan development where they will cash in and check out for retirement plan in Panama. It seems there is only a lack of buyers who are properly positioned and ready to act on such dreams. As the hours passed by browsing websites I was ready to call it quits when I came across a unique opportunity, a small development in Panama located an hour and a half south of Santiago City in the Veraguas District.

What caught my eye was the private airstrip about 80% complete within the property. A friend of mine, Dr. Raj, founder at the California Wellness Institute of Stem Cell Research in Brentwood, recently shared his vision with me about a future wellness retreat where he can help people around the world overcome their illnesses through alternative medicine including the use of stem cells. He was sold on the beauty of Indonesia and Thailand as a location to invest into a property where he could make this a reality but felt the distance could be a challenge for his North American patients. That’s when he started talking about the importance of a private air transport as he is a licensed pilot with a small plane and helicopter. This opportunity was a perfect match for all he had shared with me so it was time to introduce myself and get some more info.

After a series of emails and phone calls I was able to meet with the North American born and raised developer. As he shared his story with me about visiting Panama as a independent broker of exports, he took advantage in the late 90’s to explore the countryside of Panama. He stumbled upon what is known today as Lago Bay and purchased the farm land. After years of infrastructure work and construction he built his personal home and sold of a portion of his land to a hotelier who plans to develop a small boutique hotel of ecological cabanas along the beach. He then incorporated a aquaculture and agricultural project to help sustain the future community followed by the airstrip. His own personal story of how he purchased a large piece of land with the intention to develop a sustainable community was impressive and he was able to pay off his initial investors and self fund the majority of his project while living a quality life away from the stress of the high paced US lifestyle which he escaped from in the 90’s. With the feeling of a small rural community with a couple of custom homes already built out, he was now looking to sell off the remaining lots for a 100% profit and use the money to travel Europe. To do so, he had invited multiple people out on a discovery tour to help him market and sell his remaining real estate investments in Panama. I went to explore the idea of showcasing this property to Dr. Raj for his future wellness retreat and Mike was invited to be the listing company for the property and project. We talked shop and explored the site then learned about the ultimate cherry on top, Coiba Island!

The location of this property not only has direct beach access but it’s positioned near the main launch site for divers, fisherman, adventurers and thrill seekers looking to experience Coiba Island. For years the Panamanian government had kept this island quiet as a prison and in the recent years has opened it up for tourism. To share with you how amazing this island is would require an entire article of its own and will be done in the near future. However for us who knew little to nothing about the place we were in for an adventure, I mean what’s work without a little play. The following morning we headed out by boat this amazing chain of islands for some snorkeling, diving and beach hopping. Within an hour we were in one of the most surreal places I have ever been. Like the opening setting from Jurassic Park these islands rise up out of the Pacific Ocean with their white sandy beaches and overgrown lush jungles where the trees and roots meet the oceans waves crashing on them. As we geared up to get wet and see the underwater world of Coiba, the only way I can describe it is like sticking your head into an aquarium filled with so many species of marine life I had to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming. To book a trip to Coiba Island CLICK HERE.

To snap out that dream and fantasy world we headed back to the mainland with the mind completely blown away by what we had just experienced. As we got settled in and rinsed the dried salt off our skin and from our hair we enjoyed a open air dinner and talked about the past and future of The Lago Bay Project.

The following morning we enjoyed coffee sharing some stories on what brought us all to Panama. During that time Mike had elaborated on Panama’s current status pertaining to real estate investments in Panama and the insight he had was very encouraging. I knew at that moment a new mentor had arrived but this time helping position ITA – International Tours Alliance to sell real estate. Selling real estate indirectly to tourists and travel enthusiasts has always been a part of our business model as a tour operator, however our relaxed approach and “soft sell” hindered us from educating the travelers properly on the opportunities, risks and rewards of such real estate investments in Panama. The formalities and experience that Mike and Inside Panama can offer interested travelers now gives us the full confidence to sell them real estate and position themselves for a lifestyle and retirement plan in Panama.

Therefore as the President of International Tours Alliance I am proud to announce that ITA Global has formalized an alliance with Inside Panama to offer tourists a travel experience to better understand if the investment they are about to make is the right one, an intelligent one, a strategic one. We are confident that our new alliance will give the investor or traveler all the comfort they seek while traveling abroad to investigate and analyze the market conditions for real estate investment in Panama but now you can leave all the travel logistics up to us from hotels, to transportation, to food, entertainment, even fun for the family and kids so that you can stay focused on the investment you are about to make. Now you can see, feel and touch the asset during your vacation before you decide if you like it enough to purchase. You can now experience lifestyle in Panama in Latin America during your travel with a maid, cook, driver, & caretaker to better understand your lifestyle needs before you commit to an investment over your head. You now have a clear and clean path to invest, live and retire in Panama.

Having a clear path is one part of the puzzle but understanding what makes Panama a wise investment has almost everything to do with the canal. No other country in the region has an economic powerhouse of such magnitude as the Panama Canal. This financial machine has given Panama a leaping head start in modernization, advancements in healthcare, schools, infrastructure, amongst other things which gives tourists and expats living here a comfortable transition. With Panama City & the canal dominating the spotlight of international fame the remainder of the country sits quietly awaiting. There are both Pacific and Atlantic coastlines with numerous virgin beaches, islands, farms all waiting to be discovered by the outside world.  Now is a great time to consider for real estate investments in Panama.

 US and Canada have already started implementing their plan "P" for PANAMÁ

Timing is everything in business as well as life. With the Panama market conditions down and the US markets instability and uncertainty, many people from the US and Canada have already started implementing their plan “P” for Panama and making moves to secure themselves a future here.  It could be in the form of a small business, rental property, commercial projects, vacation homes, or full time lifestyle and retirement in Panama. There is no secret anymore that wealth and lifestyle can be achieved much faster with real estate in your portfolio. By watching trends, listening to credible sources with knowledgeable insight, and taking action the average person can make small investments in real estate in Panama and see great returns. After a few years of being ahead of the trend you will appreciate your new lifestyle and retirement plan in Panama.

If you are interested in more information or seeing impressive returns on your real estate investments in Panama please email investments@itaglobal.com. Ask about our FREE E-BOOK which is loaded with valuable information for living and retirement in Panama.

Chris De Pew 

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