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Cape Properties: Exotic and a Bargain - Cape Properties: Exotic and a Bargain - I've come to the conclusion that property in South Africa is now among the best bargains in the world, in both absolute and relative terms. On this trip, I stuck to Jo'berg and the Cape; it's a big country and I simply put myself in the hands of my fairly numerous South African relatives. I can't make any recommendations on Jo'burg property because although it's cheap, I can't see the opportunity, and have no personal interest in it. That's not to say parts of Jo'berg aren't quite nice. - Doug Casey on South Africa. .
Looking At Real Estate In Bangkok, Bali & The Philippines - Looking At Real Estate In Bangkok, Bali & The Philippines - I then went to Bangkok, a hot and crowded place, but my favorite city in this part of the world, probably even ahead of Hong Kong. Poor planning got me there in the middle of the Thai New Year, which meant everything was shut down for a week, and I didn't get a chance to see a lot of property. On the other hand, the whole city goes wild with a water festival; you walk down any street and after five minutes you're completely soaked from squirt guns and buckets of water thrown at you, day or night. It's great fun. Bangkok reminds me of L.A. without the social problems. If you're thinking of living in the Orient for a while, this is the place. - Doug Casey looks for real estate in the Orient. Looking at Russia - Investing in Russia - By Douglas Casey. Doug Casey needs no introduction, he is one of the most astute expatriate investors in the world. In this article he turns his attention to Russia and gives seasoned advice. Opportunity in Mozambique - Opportunity in Mozambique - I stayed mostly with an Afrikaner who had staked out 20 hectares (50 acres) of beautiful beach about an hour out of town; his cost basis is basically zero. The government gave it to him because he committed to develop it for tourism; someday it's going to be worth what prime beach front just outside a city is worth anywhere else in the world. He'll fill his property with Germans and Swedes flying down to beat the European winter while taking advantage of fresh lobster and fish that cost almost nothing. And there aren't just hundreds, but thousands of miles of pristine deserted beach on this country's coast. Plantations In The South Pacific - Vanish To Vanuatu - There are perhaps three ways to look at property: As a productive asset, as a speculative holding, or as a lifestyle proposition. I've spent a fair amount of time and money flying around Vanuatu to get a grip on property, and I think it's worth considering, possibly on all three bases.Vanuatu is certainly one of the world’s more beautiful locations. James Michener used it as the model for Bali Hai when he wrote Tales of the South Pacific while he was stationed here during WW II. The French developed numerous copra plantations on the islands over the 100 years up to independence in 1980, and they're still the dominant factor in today's economy. Romania - Doug Casey Evaluates The Gypsies, Real Estate, Stock Market & Culture Of Romania - The Gypsies, Real Estate, Stock Market & Culture Of Romania - Romania, with brief intervals of respite, has been a hard luck story for most of its history. Unlike a lot of other countries of which that's true, I have a good feeling about the place. But most investors give the country a discount, mainly because they're unfamiliar with it. And, insofar as they are familiar with it, they've heard mostly dated and unfavorable things. That's fine. It's why the opportunity exists. - If anything, property is a better buy than stocks. Bucharest is very cheap by most standards; I'll guess about 25% of Western European levels for equivalent buildings. But that's not what got my attention. The fact is that the country probably has the best farmland in Europe-- flat, deep, rich topsoil in the Danube basin, combined with a fairly mild climate. The Gold Coast - Making Millions In Ghana - Making Millions In Ghana - Doug Casey always seems to write stuff that's fun to read. In this article he has us believing that we can make zillions in Ghana. As he puts it, "Making a zillion dollars in a country like Ghana is potentially much easier than making it in the U.S. That's because you (the reader) have unique experiences, connections, knowledge, and capital that - while they're commonplace in more advanced countries - go a long way in an less developed countries (like Ghana), where you're automatically a big fish in a little pond." ~
The Less Friendly and More Inquisitive Skies - The Less Friendly and More Inquisitive Skies - By Doug Casey - There are many unsavory features about flying today. Crowded airports, packed planes, squalling kids, people dressed like they're coming from the gym (except they're usually too fat for that ever to be the case). The lower class atmosphere surrounding the whole experience is reminiscent of Riding the Dog (taking a Greyhound bus) in years past. It's even worse, since bus travel never subjected passengers to impertinent questions, mandatory x-ray of luggage or a possible strip-search by minimum wage dingbats. If Hieronymus Bosch was alive today, he'd paint airport scenes. The Most Powerful Bank You’ve Never Heard Of - The Most Powerful Bank You’ve Never Heard Of - You know banks like Citibank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, etc. You read about the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), even if you’re not quite sure what they do (not to worry—they’re a little confused, too). And you’re probably aware that the Federal Reserve is neither federal nor a reserve, but a consortium of privately owned banks. Chances are, though, that you’ve never even heard of what is arguably the most powerful financial institution on earth, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). From Doug Casey's "What We Now Know" Mar/06
Trouble Ahead for Junior Uranium? - Trouble Ahead for Junior Uranium? - As Casey readers know, I’ve been bullish on uranium for almost eight years now. And despite the fact that uranium has more than tripled, I continue to like it today almost as much as when I was a lone voice in the woods. April/06 Turning Haiti Into A Tropical Paradise - With The Correct Investment Structuring Any Nation Can Excel - ...in essence, it's possible to transform a hellhole like Haiti into the kind of place you'd want to move to, no matter where you now live, regardless of other considerations. If there were ever a true free market country, the place would be so overrun with rich people that workers now making $1 a day would be in demand at $15 an hour... Doug Casey has a plan to turn Haiti from a basket case into a tropical paradise - Is this just a pipe dream or is it a possible reality? Doug Casey's reputation is world renown, his expertise is amazing. Two Dollars - Evaluate the economy of a foreign destination - This article by Casey shows readers a way to evaluate the economy of a foreign destination so as to make certain their accustomed standard of living won't be endangered. Using Purchasing Power Parity can enable escape artists to compair cost-of-living in various destinations, live more cheaply abroad, and live their dreams now before it's too late. Using New Zealand as a good example, Casey writes, "The world’s weakest currency since January 1—not counting units issued by Afghanistan, the Congo and surprisingly few other places that are currently in that class—has been the New Zealand dollar. It started down from a recent high of about 70 cents US in 1996, drifting down to about US$.50 this time last year (at which time it became a genuine bargain). Based on PPP, the same meal, the same cab ride, the same work, cost about half what they did in the US. That wouldn’t be surprising in a Third World country, but NZ has pretty much the same standard of living as the US. With a Kiwi dollar buying as much in NZ as a US dollar did in the US, and American could move (or vacation) there for half what it would cost at home. But now that number is 40%. The place is so cheap I feel like I ought to be wearing a mask when I go into a store." (PAIS)
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