301. Investing in Panama: A Personal Journey with Steve Luther

301. Investing in Panama: A Personal Journey with Steve Luther

From Real Estate Investing School Podcast by Real Estate Investing School

April 20, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 301

About this episode

Steve Luther shares his personal journey of investing in Panama, focusing on healthcare, safety, and investment opportunities.

Steve Luther, founder of Cord Real Estate and Cord International, shares how a life-threatening COVID battle reshaped his priorities and ultimately led him and his wife to Panama. What began as a search for a Caribbean lifestyle shifted into a deeper focus on world-class healthcare, safety, and long-term optionality. Steve explains why Panama stood out, including its strong medical infrastructure, relative ease of doing business from the US time zone, and a dollar-pegged currency system that reduces currency risk. The conversation breaks down what investing in Panama can look like for Americans, including local financing options, typical deal sizes tied to residency-by-investment thresholds, and realistic return expectations. Steve also clarifies tax considerations, such as Panama's territorial tax structure, low property taxes, and key limitations like not being able to use a 1031 exchange on foreign real estate. The episode closes with practical ways to get started, including Steve's Invest Panama Summit experience designed to tour projects, meet vetted local partners, and evaluate opportunities firsthand. Book a free real estate investing strategy call! No experience…

People in this episode

Guest: Steve Luther

Topics covered

  • real estate investing
  • Panama
  • healthcare
  • tax considerations
  • investment opportunities
  • residency-by-investment

Keywords

  • real estate
  • Panama
  • COVID
  • investment
  • healthcare
  • tax structure
  • residency
  • currency risk

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cord Real Estate, Cord International

Books & works: Invest Panama Summit

Places: Panama, US, Caribbean

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