Why Dubai Real Estate Can Beat Miami for Investors | Penelope Ramirez
Show summary
Penelope Ramirez shares her journey as a real estate investor across Wisconsin, Florida, and Dubai, and her mission to empower South American investors. Discover her strategies for success, future plans, and insights into thriving markets.
Key takeaways
- Penelope runs her flipping business in Wisconsin because her team there performs well and the numbers work, while Florida currently doesn't fit her numbers despite high demand.
- She is pulling investment money out of Florida and redirecting it toward Dubai, where she says developers have made price adjustments (not crashes) after years of rapid appreciation, creating a buying window.
- She argues Dubai offers better ROI than Miami for a comparable investment, plus favorable tax treatment for foreign investors and simplified processes for documents, transfers, and transactions.
- Her business model teaches the U.S. house-flipping system to South American (especially Spanish-speaking) investors, using her bilingual background (she's from Mexico) to build trust and connect them to U.S. real estate.
- She started investing at about age 26 by borrowing money from her father (who lives in Wisconsin) to buy a small, run-down house, renovating the kitchen and bathrooms, and selling it 2-3 years later for a profit that got her hooked on real estate.
- Future plans include moving into multifamily and commercial real estate and building a larger residential community project by pooling investor capital.
- Her advice to new investors: remove doubts and just make the first move, since details get refined along the way.
About the guest
Penelope Ramirez is a real estate investor originally from Mexico who studied interior design and lived in Cancun for about 20 years, working in hotels and an architecture office on residential development projects. She began flipping houses around age 26 using a loan from her father in Wisconsin, and now flips properties in Wisconsin, invests in Dubai real estate, and teaches the flipping business to South American investors looking to invest in the U.S.
Listen to the audio
“You can inject less money, get more ROI. And at the end you are having a great product.”
Penelope Ramirez
“Remove all the doubts. Just go. Like just do it. Because at the end we fix or polish anything through the journey.”
Penelope Ramirez
“Times of crisis they buy, good times they sell. So what is it? Buy low, sell high.”
Issa Hanna
Questions answered in this episode
Why does Penelope Ramirez think Dubai is a better investment than Miami right now?
She says developers in Dubai have made price adjustments after years of rapid price increases, creating a buying opportunity. She also points to favorable tax treatment for foreign investors, simplified paperwork and transfer processes, and a better ROI on comparable investment amounts than Miami offers.
Why did Penelope pull her investment money out of Florida?
She says that despite Florida's popularity and beautiful setting, the numbers no longer work for her specific investment criteria, so she has shifted that capital toward Dubai instead.
How did Penelope Ramirez get started in real estate?
She studied interior design in Mexico and worked in hotels and architecture in Cancun. Around age 26, tired of renting, she borrowed money from her father in Wisconsin to buy a small, run-down house, renovated the kitchen and bathrooms, and sold it 2-3 years later for a profit that convinced her to pursue real estate full time.
What does Penelope do for South American investors?
She teaches the U.S. house-flipping system and business model to investors in South America who want to put money into U.S. real estate but lack the connections or system knowledge. Being from Mexico and a Spanish speaker, she builds trust and communication with these investors to help bridge that gap.
What are Penelope's future plans in real estate?
She wants to move beyond single-family flipping into multifamily and commercial real estate, and to develop a large residential community project by pooling capital from multiple investors into one fund.
What advice does Penelope give to new real estate investors?
Her advice is to remove all doubts and just make the first move, since you can refine and fix issues as you go through the process.
Resources and links
Full transcript
Penelope Ramirez (00:00)
Well, right now it’s tricky because we know the situation, right now maybe it doesn’t sound like it’s a good opportunity, but it is. Because many people, many developers, they drop the price. Not crazy like everybody was expecting, but they make a good adjustment. They were getting crazy few years ago. They were just going up, And now it’s like, we have to adjust a little bit, So it’s great because the taxes works different for us as a foreigners. The opportunities, they give you support to come in.
Issa Hanna (02:11)
Welcome back to another episode of the Real Estate Pros Show. I’m your host, Issa Hanna, and today we have Penelope Ramirez here to share her knowledge. Penelope, welcome to the show.
Penelope Ramirez (02:19)
Thank you so much for having me.
Issa Hanna (02:20)
I’m super excited to have you. You are a real estate investor, Wisconsin markets, Florida markets, even an exotic market that we’ll get into later. And you also help people invest here in the United States from South America. So I mean a wealth of knowledge. I just kind of want to dive into what you’re focused on nowadays and then what a day-to-day looks like in your world.
Penelope Ramirez (02:43)
Sure. right now honestly the market in Wisconsin is for me. I handle very well. I have a good team over there and it’s been working for me amazing. So right now I’m trying to teach this system or business, the flipping business, to people in South America. Because even that sleeping a house is not something impossible. In the United States, we have systems, we create already like a good foundation to be creating more and more wealth with this model, right? So people in South America has a lot of interest to put their money in this area, in this country. So I try to teach these kind of people because I’m from Mexico. So obviously the Spanish is my first language. And having that communication create the connection between them and me that I’m here, it’s very, good for everybody. So that’s something that I’m doing right now is more like the teaching. And through the years, flipping is It’s been the first thing that I I I’ve been willing to do for many years. And like you say, Florida also is a good market. Everyone everybody wants to live here in Florida, but the market, at least not for my numbers, is not the correct right now atmosphere. So basically I try to pull the money of the investments and bring the money to other places like Dubai.
Issa Hanna (04:14)
I love that. and we’re gonna get into Dubai later because it is a flourishing investment market that a lot of people aren’t aware of. but I love that you have the infrastructure. So you flip on your own, you’ve been doing it, said, Hey, there’s a lot of people in South America and Latin America that have the money, that want to invest up here, they don’t have the connections, they might not know how the system works exactly like you would know it. So You’ve got the system in place. You’ve got the infrastructure, which means getting this the properties done, finding the properties, running the numbers. I mean, so you make it easy. And all great entrepreneurs in the real estate space find a way to make things easy. So you found a way to make it easy for them to just Nelpy, here’s my money, invest it. you run the numbers, which I always say it makes dollars, it makes sense. So, like you said, the Florida market looks nice, beautiful, hot beaches, water, whatever you want. But Wisconsin, the Midwest, cold, snowy, the numbers work better there. So that’s why you you’ve decided to really invest in Wisconsin. and I wanna shift to Dubai. Can you give our viewers a little bit more about why Dubai’s such a hot investment market right now?
Penelope Ramirez (06:10)
Well, right now it’s tricky because we know the situation, right? right now maybe it’s not it doesn’t sound like it’s a good opportunity, but it is. Because many people, many developers, they drop the price. Not crazy like everybody was expecting, but they make a good adjustment. They were getting crazy few years ago. They were just going up, And now it’s like, we have to adjust a little bit, right? So it’s great because the taxes works different for us as a foreigners. The opportunities, they give you support to come in. They make everything very easy, honestly. Every process. Every process, every document, every transaction, every transfer is just the easiest way. And when you compare the product or property that we have, let’s compare Miami, Dubai, okay? When we compare these cities, obviously both has the excitement about every detail about every corner about every person in town but the numbers it doesn’t create a good return like ROA and is it’s not the same so we can see how the opportunity in Dubai is so different and you can inject less money get more ROI And at the end you are having a great product because this is something nice. When you see the results of the construction here, it’s okay, it’s very good. But when you see the finish and details like Dubai in that aspect, wow. In something that it is not like really luxury, you can see beauty all around. So it’s very You feel happy when you make those steps or investments. You feel like I’m doing something good. Like you make a good decision. And at the end we have to create this kind well, we have to get the opportunity when it’s right there in front of us. Maybe the political situation or the society situation, it doesn’t good look, but hey, everybody’s having their life. As normal, everybody goes to work, everybody goes to the gym, everybody goes like they are having a normal day. But obviously, the news give you more rough idea, but it is what it is. anyway, if someone has the opportunity to jump in, I promote
Issa Hanna (08:44)
100%. Dubai is been courting international investors for years. So the tax incentives, the type of help, like Penelope says, the ease that you can get into investing over there is surprisingly unbelievable. Political situation aside, interest rates aside, these are the times to buy. If you have the money during times of crisis when prices dip, especially something like the political situation that we’re having, one day it’s gonna end, those prices are gonna jump back up. So it’s an it’s a it’s you can tell what’s affecting the prices. These are the times that to buy if you have the extra money. That’s what all great investors do. times of crisis they buy, good times they sell. So what is it? Buy low, sell high. And that’s basically what Penelope’s bringing to her investors. I mean truly, unbelievable. And now I wanna get your background. I wanna get your origin story, right? We all have a cool I got into real estate this way story. What’s Penelope’s story?
Penelope Ramirez (09:36)
Well, I study interior design in Mexico and that was the beginning. but then I went to Cancun. I live in Cancun for 20 years, I think, and that’s home for me actually. I grew up in that area. So I was involved in hotels business and I was participating in this architecture office. And I was part of developing residentials projects and here and there. but I start with my first house as a flipping when I was probably 26. I remember that I was renting and I was tired of that. So I called my dad and because he lives in Wisconsin and I say, Dad, give me some money. I have to buy something here, something small. And I get this house with the loan that my dad gave me. And it was like a really tiny little thing house, ugly. And I start making the remodelations. I change the kitchen, I change the bathrooms, little things. After probably two or three years, I sell it. And I was already making projects with my boss and I already have the idea of how to how to get involved with that. And when I see the capital gains, I’m like, this is good. I love it. So that was the first, that was the beginning. That was beginning.
Issa Hanna (10:57)
Amazing. And that’s literally like we say, you get bit by the bug, right? And it’s usually that big check. You’re like, man, I can make this much money off of one transaction. Light bulb goes off in your head. I’m a real estate investor now. truly unbelievable. Shout out to dad for the loan, he gave you just a little seed, and my god, have you been able to grow it in LP? Unbelievable, and now I want to look into some future plans for you because You told me one of your strengths was you’re a woman in this space. You don’t take no for an answer. You don’t get thrown off. You get to the other side. And now you have these future plans cooking up to expand. So I’m going to let you take the floor and tell us how, your future plans are expanding.
Penelope Ramirez (11:38)
Well, as a woman, I have many ideas all the time. I’m not sure if that happened to you, but for me is I want to do many, But talking about real estate, definitely I want to jump in multifamilies, commercial, develop a huge residential area. I’m creating a community. So these people who are getting involved, the plan is to put money, everybody, in one basket and let’s go for something big. But obviously it takes time, right? And in the personal aspect, I’m also doing other stuff. I have a book about my personal life. I create a podcast also. Maybe one day we can share up something about that. But yes, I’m very creative and I’m very spontaneous and I love to do many things. But yeah, real estate definitely that’s the that’s the way. That’s kind of the goal. And I love the idea to bring people on board, people from the Hispanic side, that they can they many times they are just afraid to make a move and I don’t. So sometimes it’s just like you need one who pull the rope for everybody. So that’s the idea.
Issa Hanna (12:54)
One hundred percent. Great leaders, move the people. And people are scared, They’re like, Man, I always wanted to get into it. I don’t know how. You meet Penelope, she’s like, Hey, I can show you how, I’ll do it for you. She’s making money for these people and like she said, created a community in the real estate game. If you treat people well, you treat like family and you truly care for them like Penelope does, they don’t leave you. They stay with you, they become your community. So easily Penelope can now come to these people and say, Hey, we’re scaling up. No more single family. We’re getting into multi, we’re getting into commercial. This is the numbers. And because she’s proven to already make them money and change their lives, they’re not gonna question her and they’re gonna say, Hey, yeah, let’s pull our money together and let’s go. I mean, truly unbelievable. And I wanna say, women, you guys are a lot more headstrong than us. men and you guys can take a lot more than we can. You guys are built for this game. You’re living proof of it. I mean unbelievable. Maybe
Penelope Ramirez (13:52)
Maybe not a stronger, but more crazy for sure.
Issa Hanna (13:55)
More crazy, ready to go. And then visionaries, right? You guys have great visions. And the people that do well in our game are visionaries, right? So when you can think of something, when you can see it, and then walk towards that plan, unbelievable the things you can do. And now I want to ask you the classic five year plan. I’m gonna look you up in five years like I did today before we started our interview. What am I gonna see right in next to your name?
Penelope Ramirez (14:18)
probably more about the personal aspect about me because definitely we are talking about business. We are talking about, what is the job that I’m doing every day. But right now I’m in this point of my life of when I really want to go more in depth. Mmm inside, help others, be more with my kids, do something for society. create more tangible thing in the personal or emotional area. So that’s the orientation.
Issa Hanna (14:50)
I love that. I love that because real estate does afford us the luxury of time, right? To be around the kids, to be around the family. Not like we don’t work all the time, right? We’re working all the time, but we’re working from home, we’re working around our family. It’s our businesses, we’re working for ourselves. so amazing. I mean, I talk to a lot of people, and the more successful they get in the real estate industry. the more that’s exactly what they say. I’m gonna take a step back. I wanna help people. and I wanna be around the family because no amount of money can buy by that. And that that’s true happiness. unbelievable stuff we’re getting from you today, Nell L B. And now one question for my new people, right? I have a lot of people that watch this show, listen to this show, and they’re just getting their real estate license. They’re just starting out as an investor. so they’re brand new in our business and you kind of touched on it, you’ve built a community, growing your network, establishing relationships, the most important thing. So if you had to give them one piece of advice on where to start, what would you tell them?
Penelope Ramirez (15:50)
Remove. all the doubts. Just go. Like just do it. Because at the end we fix or polish anything through the journey. So just make the step, make the first move.
Issa Hanna (16:03)
Amazing. Make that first move and go. I mean, that right there. Simple, plain, to the point. make the move and go because if you’re gonna have the nightmare, at least you’ll get through it, you’ll learn from it, you’ll get to the other side, and you’ll be that much better of an investor for doing it. And then you’ll be happy because real estate can make you generational wealth. You can start from zero and go to multiple of your generations off of the work that you have so just start truly golden knowledge and now I know people are watching and listening and they say I want to get involved with Penelope I want to invest with her so if they wanted to get a hold of you they wanted to reach you how could they do that?
Penelope Ramirez (17:26)
Well right now my Instagram account probably because I’m not a big company, right? I’m just it’s just me and I hire the people dependent of every project, every property has their own formula. but my Instagram, yeah, is @kp.houses. K is kilo p is peter dot houses. That’s my instagram account.
Issa Hanna (17:49)
Beautiful. So kp.houses. Make sure you guys go follow Penelope. wealth of knowledge. You want to invest with her? Slide into her DMs and she will put you together. She’ll make you tons of money. Very friendly, personable, knowledgeable person. It’s just her. She’s not a big company. So you’re dealing with the source right here. So make sure you guys go follow her. kp.houses on Instagram. Penelope, thank you so much for coming on the show. You brought so much knowledge, so much light to the show. I wanna invite you back on the show later on, if you’d have us.
Penelope Ramirez (18:22)
Awesome. Perfect. Thank you so much.
Issa Hanna (18:24)
Thank you. I truly enjoyed the conversation. And to our viewers at home, if you enjoyed my conversation with Penelope and want to see more like it, make sure to hit like and subscribe. I talk to people every day that can bring us different knowledge on every aspect of the real estate industry. Until next time, the Real Estate Pros are out.
