Sept. 24, 2008
Panama City, Panama
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Dear Panama Insider,

Picture a place where rolling hills sprout lush greenery and flowering patches as far as the eye can see. A place where cool mornings bring a fine mist and afternoons smell of grass and sunshine. Now picture yourself in this place, taking in the view and clean mountain air. You’re using the high-speed Internet at a cozy café and sipping a steaming mug of the world’s best coffee…it’s like a small town in Colorado, but with no chance of snow.

How much will this cost you? Others would have you think this “Panamanian dream” is overpriced. Right now, people not in the know are looking for the next best thing, scouting out developments elsewhere in Panama (often ones that are new, with undeveloped infrastructure and no expat groups to speak of). But you could snatch your dream home off the market in a town that’s growing, where expats get together all the time, and where the infrastructure is not just good, but among the nation’s best.

When it comes to cost of living, this place is nothing like Colorado…because you can live well on so much less. Here you can still buy lunch for $3, visit a doctor for $10, or get two bananas for a nickel. But be careful…the fact that the town is growing means you have more options everyday. Buy lunch for $3 or spend $6 at the new gringo café down the street? Choose to indulge or stick to your budget…? It’s all possible here.

In the upcoming issue of Panama Insider, you’ll hear all about it from Richard Detrich, who moved to this mountain town in Panama four years ago. During that time he has learned about real estate, building, networking and more from the school of hard-knocks…and he’ll share that hard-won knowledge with you. Tune in next week for your info-packed October issue.

Thanks for reading, Panas.

Best regards,

Jessica Ramesch
Editor, Panama Insider