Interestingly few Financial Planners have a real estate License and even fewer Stock Brokers possess one so why would Charles Schwab's minions recommend that a client buy a vineyard (real estate) when neither its Brokers nor Financial Planners have a real estate license to represent real estate legally and earn a commission?And why did Charles Schwab purposely, as evidenced by the word “vineyard” used twice in a short 30 second TV commercial, opt not to have its rotoscoping curmudgeon frown upon the suggestion from his Stock Broker or Financial Planner that he buy a Chinchilla Farm in Bolivia or a Teakwood plantation in Panama or a Shrimp Farm in Thailand?I believe Charles Schwab didn't use Chinchilla farm, Teakwood plantation or Shrimp farm because its sale's force is rarely confronted by and forced to compete with the latter investments.However, the same cannot be said about buying a vineyard.
History shows that wine and the vineyards that produce Bacchus' nectar are as old as humanity itself.During our lifetime most adults will have a daydream or two about actually owning a vineyard, a fantasy that includes walking among tranquil grapevines, caressing the clusters of ripening grapes and feeling the warm and soft fecund terroir underfoot.Don't be naïve, Charles Schwab is well aware of the alluring dynamics of owning a vineyard and is aggressively attempting to outright squash it even though facts clearly indicate that wine has been globally respected and enjoyed for thousands of years. I ask you, what is more romantic, walking in your very own vineyard or staring at 1,000 Share XYZ stock certificate?The popularity of wine and vineyard ownership is growing. China's burgeoning middle class of 300 million is just beginning to openly enjoy wine, especially imported wine. And for the first time in history France is no longer the largest wine consuming nation, the USA now has that title and wine consumption in Canada, the USA and Brazil for example is growing at a rapid pace. Wine loving people want la vida buena “the good life” and they want it now. An interesting correlation is that as one's passion for wine grows so too does an interest about vineyards and that piqued curiosity very definitely includes vineyard ownership.However, for most Americans the dream of owning a vineyard on American soil became unaffordable long ago (1970s). The cost of a vineyard in Napa or Sonoma, California climbed to $300,000 per acre (that's what Francis Ford Coppola reportedly paid) and thus a 5 acre Napa vineyard today might fetch $1,500,000 or more.Understandably most of us don't have an idle million and a half in cash stashed away in our cookie jar just waiting to be invested in a vineyard, so does this mean that the fulfillment of our dreams of vineyard ownership is forever destined to be a foolish fantasy?
Fortunately the answer is “No” and there are viable alternatives on how you can fulfill your vineyard dream?The Right Price – The Right Place – The Cash To Buy Only a selected few, about 3%, of the 45 million Americans with IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) have a clue that an ira or Individual 401(k) can buy a vineyard, yes, even a foreign vineyard in Argentina.Charles Schwab or any other Wall Street Brokerage House cannot take an ounce of credit for providing you information that your IRA can buy a vineyard and add it to your financial portfolio. The fact is Wall Street has never recommended real estate unless it was shares of a R.E.I.T. that pays a handsome 10% sales commission.Let Your IRA Or Individual 401(k) Fund Your Vineyard DreamWhile few people have enough money in their retirement account to purchase a vineyard in the U.S., millions of people have enough to purchase one overseas. Imagine owning a 5 acre vineyard that at maturity -5+ years of growth – can produce 20,000 kilos (45,000 pounds) of grapes capable of being converted into 12,400 liters of wine or 16,000 (750ml) bottles of wine – all for less than $140,000. This isn't possible in the U.S., but it is in a country like Argentina.If you do not want to spend the additional capital necessary to ferment the wine, store the wine in Oak barrels for 6 – 12 months (55 barrels per 5 acre vineyard) and bottle the wine you can opt to sell your grapes at harvest time to generate revenues of US$20,000 for a quite respectable 10% cash on cash return after expenses.The quality of Argentine wine has earned its pedigree over the last decade due to luminaries like Robert Parker Jr. with his Wine Advocate consistently granting Argentine Malbecs 90+ ratings and also because world renown wine makers like Michel Rolland's have personally invested in numerous Argentine vineyards. This fait accompli serves as proof that Argentine wines now stand among the best in the world.La Vida Buena Vineyards comprises 108 acres with fifteen 3 – 5 acre professionally managed turnkey boutique vineyards and yes, La Vida Buena Vineyards has had a Self-Directed IRA and an Individual 401(k) buy a vineyard.La Vida Buena Vineyards is located in the quaint city of San Rafael (population 120,000), Mendoza Province, Argentina and Fortune Magazine recently rated San Rafael as the 4th best place to retire in the world.
