Roadmap of a RETA Deal:
The Easiest Way to Get in on Profitable Real Estate

By Ronan McMahon

Boots on the ground is the single best way to identify true opportunity in overseas real estate. That’s why one of the biggest benefits of RETA membership has to be that my team and I do much of the work for you…

In 2019, we spent close to a million dollars on travel and research. I personally travel around six months out of any given year. Despite the disruption to travel in 2020, I expect we’ll be back on the road soon. I haven’t cut a dime from our 2020 travel budget. After all, given the way this crisis is playing out, we have more opportunities than ever to scout in more stunning overseas places.

In RETA I bring members one-off opportunities as I find them…screaming deals, undervalued properties, motivated sellers…

And I give you in-depth market analysis and advice and guidance on real estate investing.

But the real juice of RETA membership…the biggest benefit of them all…

That has to be the off-market RETA-only deal.

This is a deal I negotiate exclusively on behalf of RETA members on real estate I expect will rise in value. I use our awesome buying power as a group when negotiating.

For a deal to cut my muster, I have to see clear potential for us to double our money invested in five years. I particularly love deals that offer us rapid appreciation and enormous income potential should we chose to rent upon delivery.

I only bring deals I would be happy to invest in myself and I often do invest, alongside members. We get in before anyone else does…at pricing far below fair market value.

I get a lot of reasonable questions about our RETA-only deals. Questions like:

• This sounds too good to be true, what’s the catch?

• Why is RETA getting a discount, how does it work?

• Is the deal really as good as you say?

• Why would the developer give us such a big discount on something so valuable?

• Are you for real?

So, in this brief report I want to step it out for you…

Starting at the very beginning, I take you all the way through how it works in my 11-step guide to an exclusive RETA-only deal…

STEP #1: Identify Up-and-Coming Markets

There’s a whole world of real estate out there. But most of it doesn’t stack up when it comes to turning a profit. I’m in the business of identifying the trends, market forces, and early-in opportunities that drive real estate markets…and give us strong returns. For months or even years before I send you details of a members-only deal launch, I’ve been researching…putting boots on the ground…and meeting high-level contacts in the destinations where I feel there could be a hot opportunity.

By doing that, I identify the places where we can buy low in a market that’s set to take off.

I call this the “big idea” and it differs from place to place. By “big idea” I mean the strategy, market quirk, or trend that’s underpinning a profit opportunity…a growing middle class…a Path of Progress event…

I start with the obvious…is the place stable and safe? What’s the economy like? Can foreigners buy real estate there? Is there infrastructure? What are the medium- and long-term prospects? Etc.

And I drill down from there…

Once I’ve identified the “big idea” that will deliver a profit, then it’s step two…

STEP #2: Research: Armchair Analysis…

It’s taken me decades and millions of air-miles to create my global insider network. It’s a priceless Rolodex of contacts. Every day they’re feeding me potential opportunities by email, WhatsApp, in conversations on phone, Skype, Zoom, you name it…

My team and I dig deeper on this intelligence, then hit up other contacts in the area for a second, third, and even fourth opinion on the opportunity.

More often than not I might skip the “armchair” stage of this analysis and go straight to step 3, especially as years of boots on the ground scouting have primed me to filter through to the most exciting opportunities pretty fast.

STEP #3: Research: Boots on the Ground…

I or one of my most senior colleagues visits the opportunity in-person. Putting boots on the ground is the most important part of the analysis phase. I want to see the opportunity with my own eyes, kick rocks on the site of projects…speak directly with the key people involved. I want to walk the streets of the town, explore the wider region, and spend time in the markets, the hotels, resorts, on the beaches, in the mountains…I want the entire context of the potential opportunity. I talk with local business owners, homeowners, expats…everyone from taxi drivers to government ministers.

STEP #4: Pinpoint the Best-in-Class Developer

From there, I look for the best-in-class developer. This is a key step. I’m looking for someone with an impeccable track record. I like developers who have been around a while, for example, if they survived the 2008/09 crisis and came out stronger and smarter. Here’s a taste of the things I look for:

• An instinct to be extra conservative…

• But creative and dynamic at the same time. They will be innovators, but only through a succession of small incremental changes.

• They need to put their customer first.

• They must show that they know how to make money…if not, the first puff of crisis will blow them over…

• They need to be able to see the bigger picture. Be comfortable with selling at a huge discount to RETA members in pursuit of a bigger agenda. Greedy developers won’t work.

• They must take a long-term perspective…picture how they would feel living in the community they are building themselves 10 years out…

• And they must have a strong track record of delivering on their promises.

Then I uncover the best project they have in the works. Next, I have my lawyer check the paperwork and permits, etc.

STEP #5: Negotiating a RETA Members-Only Deal…

If things still look good, it’s time to talk numbers. Because of the combined group-buying power of all Real Estate Trend Alert members, I’m able to negotiate some serious discounts on retail pricing, like 10%, 20%, even 30% off and more.

An off-market RETA-only deal must see us paying much less than anyone else, which means we’re locking in significant gains from the get-go.

It’s usually pre-release, off-market, meaning that we’re buying way in advance of the developer’s official wide-scale retail launch. Oftentimes you’ll find that local brokers and insiders aren’t even aware that RETA members are getting a deal, and when they find out they don’t believe the RETA-only price.

Why do these developers agree to offer us the unbeatable pricing they do? Well, it’s a simple win-win for each side. The developer gets quick and discreet sales from our group…allowing him to go to the local market with sales under his belt and the confidence to charge higher retail prices (i.e. the price everyone else pays)…and we get a deal at a price no one else can even dream of.

But, there’s more to these deals than just the price...

I also negotiate Members-Only pre-approved finance in some markets like Mexico, where foreigners can’t normally access bank loans. In many cases not only are you pre-approved, but you can borrow direct from the developer for half what a local bank would charge you.

Remember, at RETA we expect to double our cash invested within five years. So, with finance we can be only into the deal for 50% of the purchase price, meaning we can double our money with only a 50% appreciation. When you consider that many of our deals have already appreciated by more than 20% immediately after retail launch, this goal is very conservative.

STEP #6: The D.E.A.L. System…

With the final numbers agreed upon, I filter the opportunity through “The D.E.A.L. System…” With the combined power of Discount, Earning Potential, Appreciation, and Leverage, does this opportunity give Real Estate Trend Alert members a chance for massive profit?

STEP #7: Forensic Analysis…

Now my team and I run a fine toothcomb through the opportunity, forensically analyzing every detail. One final phase of deep due diligence before I bring the deal to Real Estate Trend Alert members.

STEP #8: Deal Launch Week…

99% of the deals I investigate don’t make it to this step. The tiny number that do have passed months (and sometimes even years) of vetting. They are the cream of the crop.

Over the course of about a week, I share everything about the new opportunity with RETA members in the form of reports, photos, sometimes renders, maps, podcasts and videos…everything you need to assess my analysis and the deal.

I’ll tell you what makes this deal so good, why it makes sense as an investment, and why I expect it will be profitable. I tell you to be ready on a certain day and certain time—when the deal will be open.

Then I launch it to all Real Estate Trend Alert members.

Normally, I will send several emails over the course of a launch because one email is easily glanced over or missed.

STEP #9: YOU Decide How to Proceed…

After reading my research, it’s up to you whether to act on the deal or not. Since most deals have limited inventory, you need to act quickly when the deal goes live, so you should carefully read all of my alerts beforehand.

If the deal is for you, you inquire, and the developer’s team walk you through picking the best available home or lot, figuring out the payment plan and financing, and any other questions that you might have.

Every deal won’t suit your personal investment needs. That’s okay. RETA is designed to bring you a range of deals so that you can choose the ones that suit your needs best. But all of them come with big profit potential.

The good news is, most deals can be reserved for a small, fully refundable deposit. So, you can lock down a unit without fully committing to anything.

STEP #10: Your Due Diligence…

Though I and my team have vetted the deal, it’s ultimately your responsibility to decide if it is right for you—or not.

Normally when you reserve, you have a couple of weeks to do your own due diligence before making any commitments. I always recommend that you speak to a lawyer. (I share the contact details of the attorney I use in the area the deal’s located in, to make it easier for you.)

MOSTs are often subsidized, so you only have to pay for your airfare and a few meals.

STEP #11: Profit or Pleasure?

Congratulations! You’re the owner of a property overseas. Now comes the hardest decision of all… are you going to rent your property for serious profit, or keep it all to yourself. The choice is yours.

Let’s Look at the Background to 3 RETA-Only Deals

1. Tao Tulum on the Riviera Maya

I first met developer Benjamin Beja in 2005 in Puerto Vallarta on Mexico’s Pacific coast. I could tell he was going places. Not by his words but by his actions…

He was delivering best-in-class communities in those boom times. Then things slowed…but Ben didn’t run for the hills. He ground through the difficult times when buyers didn’t have the funds to close and the world was upside down. He hung in there…and because he did, he was able to capitalize on the opportunity of the 2008 crisis. He was able to buy land in the Riviera Maya cheap…and off he went…

I bought condos from his Tao business in his first Tao community, then in Tao Tulum, in Edena, and also close to the beach in Santamar.

For years I had been watching the Aldea Zama community in Tulum.

Every project I looked at was too high priced…no prospect for gains. Ben got the chance to buy land cheap there and planned his Tao Tulum project. I persuaded him to do a deal for our group.

RETA members got in well below market, and Tulum continued to take off. The deal launched at our annual RETA Gathering in 2017. Members at the Gathering got to visit the site, check out the Aldea Zama community, explore Tulum…and run the rule over the deal. That was in October 2017.

In April this year I sold my Tao Tulum condo. The RETA-only price on the type of condo I bought was from $154,500.

The gains on some of the premium condos in Tao Tulum were even higher. In 2017, members could buy penthouses for just $230,556. In mid-2019 list price was $449,000—a whopping paper gain of $218,444.

2. Copala, Cabo

This opportunity shows the benefit of having a rolodex of global insiders…

In 2014, a member of my team was contacted by a friend in Panama named Fernanluis.

Fernanluis is the kind of person who knows everyone and anyone. Formerly Panama’s cultural attaché to France, he spent decades living in Paris. When he moved back to Panama, he focused on real estate.

During his time in Paris, Fernanluis met a young Mexican who stayed in touch with him over the years. In 2014, this Mexican became the master broker for a new project in Los Cabos, on Mexico’s Pacific coast. He connected with Fernanluis, looking for new markets and new buyers for the project.

Fernanluis in turn reached out to my team member based in Panama…

Things got rolling pretty fast from there and before long I was on a plane, Cabo bound. I’d scouted Cabo for many years but never found a deal that cut muster. Until this one…

When I arrived, the marketing director was scheduled to take me for dinner. She twisted her ankle…and asked her friend to take me instead.

I was sold. I not only found an incredible RETA-only deal and personally bought a condo, I married the marketing director’s friend and now spend half my year in Cabo.

But back to the deal…

It was in the Copala community, inside the 5-star Quivira resort just outside Cabo San Lucas.

When I first drove through the entrance gates to Quivira, I was seriously impressed. It's a little oasis...private and exclusive...that looks like a slice of Southern California luxe.

The resort boasts a Jack Nicklaus oceanfront course that’s a masterpiece. There’s an award-winning spa. A swish beach club. A gym. High-end restaurants with Mexican, Asian, and Italian cuisine, shakes and salads at the wellness bar, coffee and gourmet chocolate…

The homes in the community are high end.

In 2015, when I bought my two-bed ocean-view condo along with fellow members in Copala, the RETA price was $336,156. Last year, when I checked availability there was only one condo of this type available and it was listed for $630,088. That's a very nice paper gain of almost $294,000.

3. Playa Caracol, Panama

My first overseas real estate purchase was in Panama, back in 2005. I did well, buying a pre-construction centrally located condo in Panama City. When I sold, I made $72,370. Not bad at all.

But Panama’s real estate market got frothy in 2007. I stepped back from buying…stopped recommending it as a place to invest.

But although the market softened, it didn’t crash. While much of the world was reeling from the 2008 economic collapse, Panama’s economy was on a tear.

The market eventually stabilized. The glut of top-end condos was absorbed. And, in 2015, I went back to Panama on a scouting trip…

I traveled with one of my team members who’s based in Panama City. We hit the road with a van and driver. Going along the country’s Pacific coast, we dipped in and out at any project that looked at all interesting. We thought we were done…but then we saw a billboard with a huge red arrow pointing at a tiny real estate sales office. How could we resist?

We followed the instructions given to us by the sales lady…drove down a little road…and came to the land. Its beachside setting was stunning.

Moreover, it was a project from a developer we knew only too well.

We have been connected in Panama at the highest levels for almost two decades. The developer was Alfredo Aleman, one of the country’s most established and foremost developers. We first met him in the early 2000s. We were starting out…and so was he, taking the helm of the family business.

We got in touch with Alfredo, explained that we had seen his beach community and that we’d like to know more. His response was immediate: Tell me the best time for you.

Over the following weeks, we thrashed out a deal for RETA members. And then told them all about Alfredo’s unique Playa Caracol community.

RETA members have done well in Playa Caracol. For example, they bought beachfront condos with amazing beach and ocean views in The Palms building at Playa Caracol in 2017. In August 2019, a similar-sized condo farther back from the beach in Caracol with only a side view listed for $299,000—a $100,000 paper gain in just two years.