Passport to Exotic Real Estate

STEVE BERGSMAN is a real estate, financial, and travel writer with more than twenty years' experience and visitations to 125 countries. His news stories and travel articles have been published in more than 100 publications around the world, and he has appeared on local and national radio and television. Bergsman is also the author of two previous real estate books, Maverick Real Estate Financing and Maverick Real Estate Investing, both published by Wiley.

Acknowledgments. About the Author. Introduction. Chapter 1. American History: The Evolution and Migration of Second Home Investments. Chapter 2. Hawaii: Condo Demand Ebbs and Flows Like Strong Ocean Tides; Southern California Real Estate Good Market Indicator. Chapter 3. Alaska: The Beauty of Summer Here is Unequal to Anything Else; It's Not All Remote Cabins As Golf Homes and Ski Condos Attract Folks from Lower 48. Chapter 4. Puerto Rico: Skyrocketing Housing Market Comes To Abrupt Halt; Bank Problems Mean More Scrutiny, Time In Mortgage Process. Chapter 5. Virgin Islands: Popular Second Home Market for East Coast Investors; Crime Issues Worrisome but Certainly No Deterrent. Chapter 6. Guam: Military Buildup Rolls Back Real Estate Depression; Take a Second Home Here and Travel to Asia and Other Pacific Islands. Chapter 7. Saipan: The Last Real Estate Bargain under the Stars & Stripes; Federalization, Leasehold Law Liberalization May Be Needed to Save this Economy. Chapter 8. American Samoa: Storied Tropical Paradise in the Heart of the South Pacific; Communal Property Ownership a Real Impediment to Development. Chapter 9. Mexico: Reverse Migration as Americans Head South across the Border; Ownership Regulations Complicated but Trustworthy. Chapter 10. Costa Rica: Salubrious Climate, Beautiful Topography Creates Countrywide Market; Lack of Regulation Means Buyer Beware. Chapter 11. Panama: High-Rise Condominium Market in the Tropics; Cheap Living, Senior Discounts Attract Retirees Chapter 12. Honduras: The Island of Roatan Boasts Caribbean Lifestyle; Investors Enjoy Full Ownership Rights to Beachfront Property. Chapter 13. Dominican Republic: Punta Cana Second Home Market Hot, Hot, Hot; Prices Remain Moderate Except in Upscale Projects Like Cap Cana. Chapter 14. Newfoundland: An Unlikely Canadian Success Story; Europeans Rediscover New World and Create a Second Home Market on Shores of Mountain Lakes. Notes.