Opportunities are abundant.  Find out some of my recommended spots for huge returns.

Cambodia. The real estate market in this country has evolved dramatically over the last seven to 10 years. Today, the local housing market is booming. Friends and contacts who have been building houses and flipping land in Cambodia report profits in recent years of 100% and more…per year. Impressive returns, no question, but realizing them can be complicated. Foreigners can’t own real estate in this country directly, so you need to work with a local partner. And, of course, it’s not easy to find a local partner you can trust, not only here but anywhere, so this market isn’t for everyone. However, if you’ve got a portion of your portfolio ear-marked for high-risk investments, this country deserves consideration.

Bottom line, this market offers the potential for extraordinarily high returns…but this comes with an equally high risk.

The Philippines. This market is opening up, and it’s now possible for foreigners to own condos directly. Manila has seen good appreciation over the last few years, but I wouldn’t say that’s the play right now. I think the up-and-coming resort destinations of Cebu and Boracay are the places to look this year.There are many new construction opportunities. Buying pre-construction to flip may make sense, but buying to rent could have more potential. Proposed rental returns for condo-hotel units range from 10% to 12%, which is well above the 5% to 8% return you can typically expect worldwide. These yields won’t hold up long-term, but you can expect these higher than average returns until the market becomes more discovered and purchase prices are pushed up (which will lower rental yields). Meantime, you should see good capital appreciation as well.

The Philippines are less risky than Cambodia and still offer the potential for well above-average returns, both from capital appreciation and rental.

Romania. Now is the time to invest in Romania, as there is a steady increase of tourism, resulting in plenty of opportunities in the short-term rental market. There is also a growing demand for apartments in the capital, Bucharest. I’ve never been able to say this before about a market…but in this city right now, it’s almost impossible to not make money on the right type of real estate deal.

Poland. Poland has already seen serious appreciation of values and should continue to do so for the coming years as its economy continues to expand. It’s the biggest market in Eastern Europe and still hides many pockets of opportunity, both for local residential housing and commercial rentals. Krakov has been an area of rapid growth, which will continue.

I will keep you updated as I see the markets move.