Lately I’ve been giving you a lot of information geared toward (I hope) helping you make an extremely important decision. You may be considering moving some of your money to Panama-making an investment, buying property or opening a business. On the other hand (or in addition), some of you are contemplating moving your entire lives and/or families down here.

Neither decision is to be taken lightly, and if you’re hesitant about taking the next step, hey, I hear you. You have a lot of things to evaluate. Maybe you have an IRA and are worried that using it for an overseas investment will spell trouble. Or perhaps you’re concerned about losing property due to titling or legal issues. Maybe you’re romanticizing the place and will hate it once you move.

All the aforementioned are real possibilities (except for the last one, which is an absolute certainty-every expat I’ve known has gone through an "I hate Panama" phase before truly settling in). And I commend you for taking them into consideration. Ultimately, you and only you will have to evaluate the information you’ve been given and make an informed decision.

On the other hand, I recommend that you not wait too long.

Time’s a wastin’

Things are happening here-forgive the cliché, but now more than ever, it is 100% true. Development is at an all-time high and there are some truly unique opportunities (real-estate, investment, and otherwise) to be taken advantage of now. Not to mention that the Panama Canal expansion proposal referendum is fast approaching (October 22 is right around the corner), and there is no way to predict exactly how the results will affect current process. The optimistic say things are about to take off.

I’ll give you another reason not to wait too long…the ultimate reason. This October 18-21, we are holding a little shindig we like to call (drum roll, please) International Living’s Ultimate Event. Why would we choose such a presumptuous a name for this event?

Because we can.

By now you know that International Living is the oldest organization of its type-and those years translate into some serious experience. With the help of our audacious readers we’ve explored the world in detail and come back with a true understanding of what it means to pick up and move to another country.

Now we’ve decided to hold back nothing and throw all of our expertise into one landmark event, the like of which I can guarantee has never been seen. In contrast with our other seminars, which have a streamlined, specific focus, the Ultimate Event will be a mind-blowing kaleidoscopic view of, well, everything.

That’s not to say we’ll be trying to confuse you. There’s a definite and precise order to our madness. First, we made a list of our best speakers, real estate representatives, tax advisors, legal specialists, experienced expats, IRA experts, and so on, and asked them all to be at this event. And the RSVPs flooded in…at last count, we had over 40 experts on our list.

Then we discussed the topics that you, our readers, have told us are the most important. Rather than narrowing them down to the basics, we’ve gone ahead and included some detailed sessions on topics you want to discuss.

As a result, we’ll be discussing everything. Yes, everything, including land titling (and which countries are not going to give you a headache), international health insurance, mortgages and financing (did you know you could get it here?), investment and real estate opportunities, rental management, legal considerations affecting expats, tax law (and what you won’t be taxed on), immigration and offshore considerations, legal IRA usage, infrastructure comparisons, communications and staying in touch while abroad, retirement and budgeting, opening a business or franchise, and so much more.

The best part? If you’re still on the fence about Panama, you can also take this as an opportunity to finalize an opinion, once and for all. We will be discussing all of IL’s "hot right now" destinations-who knows? You may choose to live in Panama and invest in Nicaragua and Mexico, too. (I know some expats who will be at the event and who have done just that-with modest means).

And that’s not all

We’ll be offering three optional tours after the conference (space is limited, so register soon). This will provide you with the perfect opportunity to actually see the types of properties we’ve been writing about.

We’ll offer a city tour, featuring the newest, most modern apartments and houses-from luxury highrises to cottages homes outside the city, there’ll be something for everyone. We’ll also go on a jam-packed beach tour. We have a lot to show, so we’ll keep you busy…but we’ll be sure to fit in some fun, too. Finally, we’ll offer an awesome tour of "Panama’s highlands"…we’ll take you to a spot that ranks among the top five retirement destinations in the world…according to more than a few publications.

Allow me to add that there are a couple more really good reasons to come down this October. Remember, we want to you enjoy yourself while we’re stuffing your heads full of information. To begin with, the conference is being held at one of Panama’s hottest new resorts-the Intercontinental Resort & Spa at Playa Bonita.

This place was made for fun-the bay-like formation makes for great swimming, the white-sand beach is perfect for laying out or tossing around a football. The tasteful, elegant atmosphere never fails to wow visitors and, well, I have to tell you, the bartenders make a mean island cocktail (yeah, fruity umbrellas and all).

We plan on having a great time. Excuse me for a moment while I blow my own horn, but we are known for creating memories…our conference attendees come away with not just priceless contacts, but also friends of a lifetime. Imagine sharing this conference-talking over cocktails and discussing property-with people like you (and a few who were like you…before they took the plunge). Needless to say, the opportunities are unlimited.

While the decision is yours to make, we’ve been there along the way, giving you the information you need in order to make up your mind. And now we’d like to give you that all-important push that will ultimately change your life. So make sure you join us. Sign-up takes no time at all. Read all about it and register here.

Best Regards,

Brandon Clogston
International Living, Panama

P.S. I am particularly looking forward to hearing two of my favorite speakers-people who make me think and laugh. The first is known as one of America’s greatest writers and political satirists. This person’s hilariously insightful work has appeared in humorous publications like National Lampoon as well as one of my favorite magazines, Rolling Stone. The other speaker is one of IL’s own, an irreverent travel writer from the UK whose saucy personality is loved by all. This person is a self-described agent provocateur, with a name that rhymes with "genie". Know who they are? Find the answer here.