I Shot a Navy SEAL.
It’s OK. I was ordered to do it…

Dear Preferred Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

I was in the middle of the Nevada Desert…

I pushed through the door of the house, and shot the man on the other side…

The guy I shot was a retired Navy SEAL.

After hitting him, I took out two more guys…

What was going on?

The Navy SEAL was one of our SWAT force trainers for the day.

Lief and I had booked this outing for about a dozen of our close friends and colleagues.

Several among our group had never before fired a gun.

We gather with our close circle of friends and business partners for at least one adventure a year…
Yet there we all were, in the desert, in full SWAT gear learning to shoot and strategize in pursuit of “bad guys.” (The bullets weren’t real, of course. But, if one got you on an unprotected body part, it sure did sting.)

Our Portuguese attorney friend Duarte—one of these first-time shooters—got seriously into the role-play.

“Hey, I’m tired of being a good guy,” he said late in the afternoon, after we’d spent a couple of hours running house-clearing exercises.

“Could I play a bad guy next round?”

It’s times like these when you really get to know people.

Not everyone would be up for a day of SWAT in the desert sun, but, somehow, after three decades moving and doing business around the world the way Lief and I have, we’ve been lucky enough to find and form friendships with several dozen folks for whom the idea isn’t crazy…

These are hardworking, super-smart, uber-successful people who share a worldview and who have learned not to take themselves or anything else too seriously. People seizing opportunity at every turn.

Spending time and doing business with these like-minded, open-thinking guys and gals is, for me, the biggest benefit of the live-and-invest-overseas lifestyle Lief and I embrace.
I’ve had my passport in my hand bag for the last 27 years. You have shown me the way to use it. Thank you.
--Rod H., United States
This is Kathleen here, by the way, with Lief at my shoulder, watching every word I type…

Because the invitation I’m extending to you today comes from both of us…

It involves spending time with both of us—and this close circle of smart and successful friends—in our favorite places around the world… as well as new frontiers we plan to explore…

And, I’m not just talking about adrenaline-filled days out shooting targets in the desert.

Though we plan to gather for at least one adventure a year, there’s much more to this opportunity…

Ultimately, we’d like to expand our circle of experienced, globe-trotting friends by welcoming in a number of our like-minded readers…

People—maybe like you—who would welcome the chance to:
And, I’m not just talking about adrenaline-filled days out shooting targets in the desert.

Though we plan to gather for at least one adventure a year, there’s much more to this opportunity…

Ultimately, we’d like to expand our circle of experienced, globe-trotting friends by welcoming in a number of our like-minded readers…

People—maybe like you—who would welcome the chance to:
check
Tap into our experts’ decades of expertise (in person and on a regular basis)…
check
Join us on our travels (for both business and pleasure)…
check
Give yourself the ultimate international lifestyle (sooner rather than later)…
We invite you to spend time with both of us—and this close circle of smart and successful friends—in our favorite places around the world…
Could You Be Part Of Our New VIP Circle?
We’re calling this upper echelon of readers and friends our Private Network.

And, before I tell you about all the benefits we have lined up for members of this circle, I must point out one critical thing…

The success of Private Network hinges on its small size. We want to ensure that, whenever we come together, our meetings are productive—and that we give each of our members the attention he or she deserves.

So, at this time, we can only accept 20 Private Network members.

To be honest, this opportunity isn’t for everyone.

But, if the idea of keeping regular company with Lief and me and our trusted experts in the business of living, investing, and doing business overseas—the very people who can help you launch your new life in the smoothest and fastest way possible—appeals to you, then stay with me as I walk you through each of our Private Network special privileges……
Private Network Privilege #1: Exclusive Annual Retreat
Yes, that’s right. A members-only retreat every year.

It could be in Panama City… it could be in Medellín, Colombia…

But every year, we’ll organize an exclusive weekend retreat for Private Network members.

We’ll make it a point to get to know you.

And for you to spend time among your fellow members… as well as the experts (all Honorary Members of Private Network).

We’ll make sure we give you the time you deserve, in private… to fully understand your background so that, together, we can come up with an action plan that works best for you.

Here’s the overall shape your first weekend retreat—Planned for Panama City, Panama—will take…

Why Meet In Panama City?  
Imagine a country that uses the very same currency you do now… A business hub that’s at the center of the world… with tax advantages you won’t find back home… and a banking sector that has never had a single crisis.

On top of this: It’s a tropical paradise with year-round warm weather, some of the finest beaches on the planet… Its capital has skyscrapers that reach the clouds, and all the culture and excitement you can handle.

You don’t have to imagine this place. It’s real.


This is Panama City.
It’s the place where Live and Invest Overseas is based, and the city where Lief and I have spent most of our lives over the past 15 years…

I know Panama… and all its opportunities… the best places to dine or for a glass of Prosecco… like the back of my hand.

When you join us as a Private Network member, I look forward to sharing all my city tips with you in person… in Panama City.
Second, we’ll make sure we give you the time you deserve, in private, over this weekend… to fully understand your background so that, together, we can come up with an action plan that works best for you.

We’re still working on the final details of our upcoming retreat, but basically, here’s the overall shape…

check
We’ll get to know you. We may have met before, of course. But whether it’s our first or fifth time together, we’ll welcome you—and your fellow Private Network members—to a wine tasting in an exclusive  venue.
check
We’ll schedule one-to-one consulting sessions. Over the weekend, you’ll have a timetable to meet with each of our experts. This is where we’ll have our pencils and paper out, to make a note of your wishes, your needs, and any preferences you have about where you’d like to live or invest. We’ll talk through these with you and suggest places that deserve your attention… as well as highlighting places you should avoid.
At our Annual Retreat, we’ll give you the time you deserve, in private… to fully understand your background…
check
We’ll get to work on your road map. It would be impossible to figure everything out in a single weekend. (At the very least, you’ll need some time to walk away and think about things on your own.) But, before we’ve clinked glasses for the last time, we’ll give you a plan for what you can do—as well as any action we can take to help—to keep things moving until the next time we meet.
Who’ll be at your service? Of course, Lief and I. We’ll welcome you on the first evening—and we’ll be on hand all weekend, at every retreat… both for personal consulting sessions and to answer any questions that may come up (even over lunch or dinner).

We’ll also have our team of experts...
This exclusive retreat is something we’ll host for Private Network members every year—though you can expect the location to change. It will be a chance for you to take stock, assess your progress from the previous year, form a solid plan for the next 12 months… and, of course, catch up with the rest of the group.
Private Network Privilege #2:
Quarterly Meet-Up Opportunities Around The World
As we move around the world, we’ll welcome our Private Network members to join us… to share our international lifestyle…
For Private Network to work, we’ll need to keep in regular touch. So, in addition to your exclusive annual retreat, you’ll be invited to catch up with us each quarter until the next exclusive retreat comes around.

We’ll hold this kind of meet-up in a far more informal setting—without any official agenda…
It could be an invitation to meet Lief and me and a couple of experts at a favorite café in Paris… a tapas bar in Lagos, Portugal… the Flute Champagne bar in New York City… or for cocktails at our private apartment in Medellín, Colombia… You could even join Lief at the gun range in Panama City… Or go fishing with us in Nova Scotia when we visit our property there…

These meet-ups will be a chance for us to see how you’re getting on and for you to ask us your questions… and share any concerns…
In the past, Lief and I carved out time around Live and Invest Overseas conferences to meet with attendees. But as our businesses continue to grow, we’re no longer able to be at every Live and Invest Overseas event.
And, with our kids grown and enjoying their own full lives, we plan to embrace our status as empty nesters and stay on the move… traveling between our favorite places and exploring new territory… sometimes on a whim…
In other words, we’re a tough pair to pin down. At least for the average reader…

But, as we move around the world, we’ll welcome our Private Network members to join us… to share our international lifestyle… to answer your important questions (big and small)… and set you up with the people who can make things happen wherever in the world you wish to make a move…
Now that our son has started university, we plan to embrace our new status as empty nesters and stay on the move…
In fact, we already have several of these special meetups for our Private Network members planned for next year…

We currently have on our schedule a gathering in the heart of Belize, surrounded by Mayan ruins and rainforest…

Next to the Mediterranean on the Costa del Azahar (the Orange Blossom Coast) in Spain…

And on a stunning island escape in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

This is the kind of access—and the kind of fun opportunity—that’s only available to members of our Private Network
Private Network Privilege #3:
Two Free Nights (A Year) At Our Private Apartment In The
City Of Eternal Spring
I’m particularly excited about this one…

Medellín, Colombia is one of our favorite places to spend time and escape the world.
Thanks to its climate and its elevation, every time we step off the plane here is like entering a wellness zone.

“The countryside reminds me of Ireland,” my mother once said as we drove out of the airport. “It’s like a patchwork quilt in shades of green.

“I told everyone back home how nice it is here after my first visit a couple of years ago. But no one believed me. They just humored me when I tried to describe what it’s really like here. ”
Coming to Medellín is like entering a wellness zone…
For the retiree or expat looking for a new life in a cosmopolitan setting, The City of Eternal Spring offers a Euro-chic lifestyle supported by innovative modern comforts. Medellín has received an international Smart City award for its social, urban, and cultural transformation. The recognition was given out by Netexplo (an international digital area trend observatory sponsored by UNESCO) and today Medellín continues to be an open-minded city committed to continued change, growth, and improvement.

For us, it’s the most comfortable and pleasant place we know to settle in, settle back, and simply savor the setting, the circumstance, and the company.

And, should you become a fully-fledged Private Network member, Lief and I invite you (along with one guest) to spend two nights a year at our family’s private apartment. You get to choose the dates that suit you best—as long as they’re not already taken, the place is yours.
As a Private Network Member, you get to enjoy this view from our apartment in Medellín…

Our apartment is in the heart of El Poblado, the center of the city, yet—just as my mother testifies—everywhere is green… not only in residential neighborhoods like ours, but along the highways, too. Trees, shrubs, hedges, flowers, and plants of great variety are all around all the time.

This is the most exclusive part of the city, and the most popular with expats. Accommodation is hard to find here these days, because it has become so popular… but you’ll have your own personal base, on us.

Funnily enough, our apartment is just down the street from where Pablo Escobar once lived… It’s an interesting piece of history, but Escobar’s Medellin is long gone. The city has escaped its past and become a true haven…

As you explore Medellín, you’ll find, on one hand, carefully maintained parks surrounded by small colonial structures… and urban chic zones with sushi restaurants, funky bars, contemporary art galleries, vintage clothing stores, and antique shops…

It’s a city that tempts you out-of-doors at all times of day and evening.

I sincerely hope you’ll take advantage of this privilege… at least once. But remember, this invitation isn’t for a once-off stay. As long as you remain a Private Network member, you’ll be entitled to two complimentary nights at our private apartment in Medellín every year.

But if you can’t make it to Medellín…

Lief and I are also opening up our other properties—all over the world—to our Private Network members.

You’re welcome you to spend your two free nights a year in any of our properties, anywhere around the world…

You can stay in our spec house at the private gated community we’re developing on Panama’s Sunset Coast, Los Islotes…

If you’d prefer to spend those two nights in downtown Panama City, we have a place for you… Or how about Paris? You’re welcome to our apartment there…

In sun-soaked Northern Cyprus, or up-and-coming expat haven Montenegro… whenever our homes are available, they’re yours to enjoy—two nights every year.

Private Network Privilege #4: Be In The Room (And At The Table) On Exclusive Investment Deals
As a Private Network member, you’re welcome to join Lief and his team on property scouting trips.

Sometimes, we’ll go on to share these investment opportunities with our readership. But, at times, we come across special, one-off deals that we can’t open up to everybody.
Tag along for Lief’s deal-scouting trips…
This could be a chance to get one of the best lots in a development… to save tens of thousands of dollars on an early-in investment opportunity… and sometimes both.

Best of all, before you make any commitment, you’ll have Lief to run your questions by… and to help you figure out whether a particular opportunity makes sense for your portfolio.

Lief takes trips to look at deals firsthand all the time… and as a Private Network member, you’ll be invited to tag along.
Once on the ground, you’re under no obligation to act, of course… but it’s another chance for you to enjoy the overseas investing lifestyle.
Private Network Privilege #5: Join Us On An
Unforgettable Adventure
As I mentioned earlier, Private Network is not only about adrenaline-filled days out. But these unusual outings we like to take are a big, fun part of being in this group (where we really get to switch off, try something new, and learn more about our friends)…
These adventures are something Lief and I always look forward to planning. And, for Private Network members, we’ll organize at least one per year…

To give you an idea of the kind of things we like to do in our downtime, here are some experiences we’ve shared with our close circle over the past few years…
check
SWAT training in the Nevada desert (that time we got kitted out in full SWAT gear to capture the bad guys)…
Our cowboy shootout in San Antonio, Texas (where we split bullets firing at a tree trunk)…
check
A cowboy shootout in San Antonio, Texas (where we split bullets firing at a tree trunk)…
check
Tank-driving in Minnesota…
check
The running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain (we didn’t run—but it was a thrill to watch)…
check
Watching the Palio di Siena in Italy (the world’s most dangerous horse race)…
So far, these adventures we’ve shared with friends have been one-day experiences. But Lief and I have a growing to-do list that includes walking the Camino de Santiago, a luxury African safari, island-hoping in the Philippines… and, lots more…

Next year’s adventure has already been confirmed.

We’ve already planned… for Spring 2025… a 10-day trip to the land of the ancient Silk Roads
Dinner with our friends and Private Network Honorary Members after watching the Palio di Siena in Italy…
This will be a full-service tour… and our tour guide has arranged for us to stay in four- and five-star hotels at every stop…

This is affordable luxury: The total cost of the 10-day trip is coming in right now at just US$1,500 per person!

We’ll take camel rides… explore a 2,200-year-old ancient capital… watch a traditional folk show… discover how silk paper is made… take First Class train rides through the desert… and much more.

Whenever we’re planning trips like this, we’ll get the word out to Private Network members so you can make your travel plans.

What other trips are we planning?

I don’t know if you know this… But the legendary Orient Express is being relaunched as a cruise…

Yes, the company famous for its luxury train journeys has commissioned the largest sailing ship in the world, which will have 54 luxurious suites and even a speakeasy bar aboard.

Lief and I plan to be on board when it sets sail… and, as a Private Network member, you’re very welcome to join us…

The pandemic lockdowns taught us… maybe you feel the same way… that life is just too short to wait to complete our bucket list.

We’re getting back out into the world with a “bang”… It’s the perfect time to do it…

That’s why we’ve resolved to visit at least one exciting and wondrous new destination every single year…

Our Private Network of friends can be right there alongside us.

These are the kind of travel opportunities you might never hear about from anyone else… let alone get the chance to experience.

And you’ll do it alongside two of the world’s most experienced travelers (me and Lief)… and our friends from our years in the business, who—I hope they don’t mind me saying—are some of the most interesting people you’re ever likely to meet…
Your Private Network Founders
And Honorary Members
 Kathleen Peddicord 
Founding Publisher, Live and Invest Overseas
Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world’s foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.
Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland… then to Paris, France… next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.
Live and Invest Overseas team members celebrating our 10th Anniversary in Panama…
Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.
Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.
In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.
 Lief Simon
 
Offshore and Real Estate Director,
Live and Invest Overseas
Lief Simon is our resident real estate investing and offshore diversification expert. His twice-weekly free newsletter, Offshore Living Letter, covers both topics with direct and easy-to-understand language.
Lief has lived and worked on 5 continents and traveled to more than 75 countries. His real estate investing experience began 30 years ago with a multi-unit building in Chicago.
After selling that building for a leveraged total return of more than 1,800% in two and a half years, Lief began to diversify internationally. In the decades since, Lief has bought more than 45 properties, investing in 21 different countries around the world. He has developed land, managed rentals, and flipped pre-construction buys. Lief has more experience buying and profiting from real estate around the world than any other individual investor you’re likely to find.
Lief Simon specializes in offshore diversification, asset protection, and tax mitigation…
In addition, Lief specializes in offshore diversification, asset protection, and tax mitigation. Over the last two decades living and doing business around the world, he’s built a network of reliable and expert contacts he trusts on such matters—attorneys, bankers, tax consultants, and other advisors, both Stateside and in the jurisdictions where he spends time and money.
These are the people who keep the entire Live and Invest Overseas team up-to-date on important changes… as they happen. We know of no other reliable source where this kind of from-the-scene intelligence from the world’s top offshore havens is shared in real time by someone with real world, first-hand experience.
Private Network Privilege #6:
Access To Our Most Trusted Colleagues
This ties in with much of what I’ve said above… but it’s worth drawing out as a benefit of its own. Because, I’m not just opening my Rolodex to you…
I’m putting you in direct contact with my most trusted international colleagues and friends—all movers and shakers in the business of living and investing overseas. These ladies and gents are passionate about what they do… and they aim to make your move as smooth as possible.

I hope you’ll get to know these people out in the field—at our retreats and special events. But, when you’re in town, you can also arrange time to meet with them… and the contacts they work with on the ground.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that having access to these experts can… and will… save you years of figuring things out by yourself.
Our most trusted international colleagues and friends are Honorary Private Network members…
I can say this, because I’ve seen the other side.

On our first adventure in expating, Lief and I showed up for our new life in Waterford, Ireland, with an empty black book. It took us weeks… sometimes months… to figure out the most basic things. And that was in an English-speaking country…
One of the best experiences and decisions in my adult life.
--Bob J., United States
How did we make it through the red tape of Paris? How did we build a global office in the Hub of the Americas (where the mañana attitude still reigns)?

With the best help we could find…

But only after much trial and error.

Decades on from that first international move, we’ve weeded out the bad guys and built a Rolodex of trusted contacts in more than 20 countries… so, whenever we have something to do in any of these places, we know who to call.

What’s more, wherever we go these days, Lief and I are rarely stuck for dinner company. Our biggest problem is keeping up with everyone.
Having access to our experts can… and will… save you years of figuring things out by yourself…
You may never travel as much as Lief and I do (sometimes we question our own sanity). But when you do, you’ll have the support of the Private Network community… and, often, you’ll have someone to meet… even on your first time in town…
This Unique Membership Comes At A Deeply Discounted Price
This is the fattest package we’ve ever offered in the history of Live and Invest Overseas… and the first time we’ve invited readers to meet us regularly on the road in a small-group setting…Not only that, but none of these membership perks are one-off opportunities.

Once you’ve been accepted as a Private Network member, all of these privileges are yours for life.

But before you decide whether to apply for membership, let’s do a quick recap on the full list of Private Network privileges…
  1. Annual exclusive weekend retreat with one-on-one consulting sessions (value: US$6,000+ per year).

  2. Quarterly meetings with us, Kathleen and Lief—and our expert guests—at casual venues in Paris, Medellín, Lisbon, New York, and beyond (value: US$500+ per quarter).

  3. Two free nights’ accommodation per year in the heart of Medellín, Colombia—staying at our private apartment—or at any of our rental properties around world. (value: US$800 per year).

  4. Join Lief on his property scouting trips—and be at the table with him as he asks the important questions… and negotiates the best deal (value: priceless).

  5. Join us on our adventure trips—we’ll do at least one fun activity a year in some part of the world (value: priceless).

  6. Access to top experts on living and investing overseas—the people who can help you make your move… and guide you step-by-step. You’ll get to meet these out in the field at our retreats and gatherings… And, you’ll have their contact details, too, for whenever you need to call on them (value: priceless).
Because so many Private Network privileges are priceless, it took us some time to put a price on this exclusive membership.

We had nothing to compare it to. No other membership out there comes close…
I want to thank you for the fabulous experience that gave such an enormous and extensive amount of information on moving and investing overseas. The expertise of such an array of topics was outstanding.
--Dora M., United States
Like the opportunity to be on a property scouting trip with Lief… and save thousands of dollars on an investment opportunity (or maybe on your new home)…

Or to be in the room with our experts for a full weekend—every year—and have them draw up a step-by-step plan based on your needs. One weekend like this can be life-changing.

In the end, we fixed on a price we feel is a great deal…

But, we still weren’t done…

To reward the first members who join us this year, we slashed that price even more…

So, past this first intake of 20 members—should we have any free spots in the future—we’ll charge incoming members the full rack rate.

But, the membership fee we’re asking of our first 20 successful applicants to Private Network comes at a deep discount of more than 35%… which we’ll give you full details on once you take the action to apply for membership.
settings
Apply For Private Network Membership!
Only 20 Places Available:
Don’t Leave It Too Late!
This is a rare invitation to get a higher level of service than we could ever offer to our full readership.

It’s an invitation to cross the line and join us at the table for our most intimate gatherings… and to experience a set of privileges no reader has ever had access to before.
Kathleen and Lief, I appreciate that you’re sharing what you’ve gone through with all your moves. I also am so glad to have the names of trustworthy attorneys and bankers.
--Iris W., United States
It won’t appeal to everyone. And, frankly, not everyone shares the same level of expectation for their future as we do… or is willing to open their minds to the possibilities…
But, if you want to make the leap to the lifestyle you deserve… sooner rather than later… with the peace of mind that comes with having expert guidance at your side all the way… and to do it all in great company… then please follow the link below to submit your Private Network membership application…

Once we’ve received your completed application, we’ll be in touch to answer any questions you may have… and, should you wish to move forward, count you in our member selection process.
Join us on our adventure trips—we’ll do at least one fun activity a year in some part of the world…
I urge you to act fast. With just 20 packages on the table, we don’t expect this offer to remain open long.
settings
Apply For Private Network Membership!
Lief and I hope to welcome you soon, in person, to our upper ranks. (We promise to be unarmed.)

Sincerely,
Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon
settings
Apply For Private Network Membership!

P.S. Annual retreats… quarterly meet-ups… property scouting trips… quirky adventures… how will you keep up with it all?

Don’t worry, I (Kathleen) will write to you personally on a regular basis… in a letter exclusively for Private Network members…

I’ll share details of our upcoming events and trips (and the travel advice you need to know)… I’ll let you know what I personally am looking forward to, and give you the “scoop” on what Lief and I are planning, before anyone else…

We’ll give you plenty of time to arrange your plans… and you’ll also be able to contact our team directly by phone…

Reach us with questions and comments at CustomerService@liveandinvestoverseas.com 
or by phone, toll-free from the United States, at 1-888-627-8834.
Copyright © 2008-2025 Live and Invest Overseas, Founding Publisher Kathleen Peddicord
[bot_catcher]