In this episode of the Generations of Wealth Podcast, Derek talks with Ladislas Maurice, founder of The Wandering Investor, about building a decade-long career investing in real estate across emerging markets — and how buying property overseas can also get you a second residency or even citizenship for your entire family.
Watch the episode here
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📄 Summary
Ladislas spent his twenties working for Nestlé in Switzerland, South Africa, and Ghana before a road trip with his parents from Oman to Paris — through Iran, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey — opened his eyes to real estate opportunities in frontier and emerging markets. What started as one deal turned into a decade-plus career, and a blog he wrote to test his own thesis eventually grew into The Wandering Investor, now one of the largest firms helping clients invest internationally and acquire second residencies and citizenships. He explains that overseas investing works differently than in the US: markets are typically apartment-focused rather than single-family, financing is rare (it’s largely a cash market), and liquidity and transparency are much lower, meaning the best realistic outcome is often paying fair market rate rather than getting a steal. He shares a story of going to Uzbekistan intending to buy real estate and coming home with a brokerage account instead, after discovering undervalued local stocks with double-digit dividend yields. A major focus of the conversation is citizenship and residency by investment: Turkey grants citizenship (passed down through generations) for a $400,000 real estate investment held 3-5 years, while Panama offers permanent residency for investments of $200,000-$500,000 depending on the path and timeline. He closes with a perhaps surprising answer to the “stumper” question: despite his business, he believes the US remains the best place to actually build capital before diversifying internationally.
⭐ Key Takeaways
- Overseas real estate markets often lack financing, MLS-style data, and liquidity — meaning the realistic best outcome is paying fair market rate, not finding a steal.
- Sometimes the best opportunity in a new market isn’t real estate at all — Ladislas found undervalued stocks in Uzbekistan more compelling than property.
- Tenant and eviction laws vary enormously by country; research local landlord-tenant law before buying rental property abroad.
- Real estate is taxed in the country where it’s located, though US/Canadian investors typically receive a tax credit for foreign taxes paid.
- Some countries grant residency or even citizenship for real estate investment — Turkey (~$400K) and Panama ($200K-$500K) are two accessible current options.
- A second residency or passport can matter most during a crisis — both COVID border closures and the Ukraine war created situations where a second residency determined who could leave a country.
- Always use a reputable local law firm when investing overseas — most overseas real estate losses come from skipping this step, not from the investment itself.
- Despite running an international investing business, Ladislas believes the US is still the best place to build capital before diversifying abroad.
- International investing is as much about self-actualization and optionality as it is about financial diversification.
- The best deals are usually in markets you know well — your own backyard — because that’s where you have the time, network, and insight to find them.
💬 Relevant Topics Discussed
- International real estate investing
- Emerging and frontier markets
- Citizenship and residency by investment
- Turkey and Panama investment programs
- Cross-border taxation on real estate
- Landlord-tenant law differences by country
- Market liquidity and information asymmetry overseas
- Diversification vs. self-actualization
- Using legal counsel for overseas deals
- Building capital in the US before investing abroad
🌍 Citizenship and Residency by Real Estate Investment
A major thread of the episode is how real estate can double as a path to a second residency or citizenship. In Turkey, a $400,000 real estate investment held for 3-5 years leads to full citizenship — a passport that passes down to children and grandchildren — in under a year. In Panama, investments between $200,000 and $500,000 (depending on the property type and desired timeline) grant residency with most of the rights of citizenship, short of voting or military service. Ladislas frames this less as a speculative bonus and more as genuine optionality: both COVID-era border closures and the Ukraine war created real situations where a second residency was the difference between being able to leave a country and being stuck.
🎧 Why Should You Listen?
If you’ve ever wondered what real estate investing looks like outside the US — or whether buying property abroad could also get your family a second passport — this episode lays out the real tradeoffs: lower liquidity and transparency, limited financing, but also unique opportunities and, in some countries, a path to residency or citizenship most people don’t know exists. It’s also a grounded reality check from someone whose entire business is international investing: build your capital at home first, then diversify abroad once you’ve reached a level of safety that makes it worthwhile.
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About Ladislas Maurice
Ladislas Maurice is an international real estate investor, entrepreneur, and global investor who has spent the past decade traveling the world while managing his own investment portfolio. After building his early career with Nestlé in Switzerland and Africa, Ladislas transitioned into full-time investing and began exploring opportunities across emerging markets. Over the years, he has invested in real estate and other asset classes internationally, gaining firsthand experience navigating different markets, cultures, and investment environments.
Today, Ladislas runs a company focused on helping individuals and investors take advantage of international real estate opportunities. His work goes beyond property investing, helping clients explore options for international residency permits and second citizenships as part of a broader global investment and lifestyle strategy.
With his experience living and investing internationally, Ladislas brings a unique perspective on global real estate, emerging markets, international diversification, residency, citizenship, and building wealth beyond one’s home country. He is particularly knowledgeable about how investors can evaluate opportunities in unfamiliar markets, understand the potential benefits and risks of international property investing, and think strategically about geographic diversification.