Take the Plunge: Three IL Subscribers Are Glad They Did
Over the last 30 years, IL has helped many readers fulfill their dreams and move overseas. Below we profile three couples: Lifetime Members Anna and Joel have been living blissfully on the tropical island of Roatan for the past four years; Derek and Lesley have just quit their jobs and are leaving Canada in an RV, in search of Paradise; and Scot and Kristine have recently opened a new resort on Little Corn Island off Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Their stories are all different, but—like so many IL readers who have taken advantage of opportunities on new shores—these three couples share a common spirit of adventure…
We Broke The “Rules” and Moved To Roatan
By Anna Moskowitz
After a lifetime of doing what we were expected to do, my husband Joel and I finally broke several “rules” and moved overseas—to our new house by the sea. But when we visit with friends on our front porch at sunset, sipping Margueritas and watching the waves break on the reef in the turquoise Caribbean, it is hard to feel guilty.
So what “rules” did we break? Most important is what we didn’t do. We didn’t follow the crowds jostling for resort condos in established “First World” locations. After years of scouring beachfront property on both coasts of the U.S. and the eastern Caribbean, we became Lifetime Members of International Living. That’s when the idea of living our dream at an affordable price caught our eye.
In 2003, we traveled with International Living on a real estate tour to the Bay Islands of Honduras. We were amazed at the choices available: beachfront lots, view lots, secluded luxurious homes and beachfront condos.
On the same tour we visited Palmetto Bay Plantation in Roatan…and we knew our search was over. Touring the dramatic Balinese-themed restaurant building with attached pool and miles of tree-fringed white sand beach, we knew we were going to break the next rule, which our guides sagely repeated: Rent for six months, including the season with the worst weather, before you buy. But what could we do? Before we left, we made a deposit on a beachfront lot, where the developer would build our house for $250,000.
For the next five years, the resort’s management rented our house to guests, which covered all our expenses. And because we were in a gated and guarded resort community, we were not anxious about what would happen to our house while we were gone. At 1,600 square feet, the house was a little small for us, but we figured it would be our toe-hold on the island when we retired.
The island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras has long been known to divers for its aquatic beauty. The world’s second-longest coral reef reaches to and surrounds the island, allowing direct access from white-sand beaches. The water is clear and warm all year, reflecting colors from deep blue to turquoise. Roatan’s lush green-clad hills and valleys offer dramatic views from every perspective.
But for a place to live, you must look to the people, not just the scenery. Roatan has a rich and varied multi-national culture. Locals mix with a large expat community from the U.S., Canada, Holland, Germany, and several other countries, all living together in an atmosphere of welcome relaxation with a slower pace of life. In fact, we have more friends in Roatan and a more active social calendar than we ever had in the U.S.
The reasonable real estate prices in 2003 (now reasonable again during this current economic climate) and the lower cost of living allowed us to reassess our lives.
With only so many healthy years left, we built a budget that we hoped would reflect reality over the next decades, then took a third of our savings and bought immediate annuities to cover fixed expenses. We closed Joel’s law practice and took off—seven years before “normal” retirement age, and five years before the traditional 65.
This is not what parents are supposed to do, some of our children insisted. We were supposed to live in the same city, and if not on the same block, at the very least close enough for monthly Sunday brunch. What about the (so far nonexistent) grandchildren? Before we left, we bought five weeks at a nearby timeshare and assured them that we’d see them at least that long each year.
Three of our five children have visited us here…and the other two will, but they all have busy lives. Part of the reason we chose to live in Roatan is because it is an easy (2½-hour) trip to Houston, and then Los Angeles.
But if a higher wisdom is to know when to follow inspiration and not just expectations, then moving to a tropical island is not the end of the story. A year ago, one of Joel’s former clients called and asked him to help part-time. Since then, we’ve shuttled between Roatan and Los Angeles every three weeks, while building another house atop the island that looks out over two coasts. At first Joel planned to work for about a year. But half time here, half time there, suits us pretty well, so our plan is keep doing it this as long as we like it.
*****************************
Buying a Business on a Tiny Island Off the Coast of Nicaragua
By Scot Smyth
Five months ago, my partner Kristine and I opened our new business on Little Corn Island off the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. Little Corn Beach and Bungalow is on our piece of tropical island paradise. Our place, or “Scots place” as the islanders call it, is situated on the “breezy” side of the island and has eight casitas on the beach with a small restaurant and bar. Nine months of hard work, trials and tribulations have converted native jungle into our eco-friendly resort.
We first visited Little Corn Island in December 2007. While there, we met a wonderful islander who owned the hotel where we were staying. We convinced him to adopt a starving puppy that would not have made it without his help. After seeing that his new companion was a female, he expressed concern about having a bunch of starving puppies to take care of on an island already burdened with too many. We promised we would help (in fact, we established two free veterinary clinics, the first in June of 2008 and the second a year later). This meant frequent visits to the island to organize the whole thing, giving us ample opportunity to fall in love with the people and the island.
Back in Colorado, in the U.S., Kristine and I had owned successful businesses for years and were ready for a change. We wanted to own a business somewhere different, where the challenges were myriad and the opportunity rare. IL was our resource, and we found what we were looking for on Little Corn Island.
In January 2009 we purchased raw land and built our own hotel. We lived on the island during construction.
Little Corn island has no cars, motorcycles, golf carts or airports. To get around, you walk or ride a bike. To get materials or supplies means a one-week trip from Managua via truck and freighter. To make a phone call, you must be standing on the “spot,” the only place where your phone actually picks up a signal. Planning ahead and patience are a must.
Along with all of the other challenges associated with running a business on an isolated island, helping our native staff understand the value to tourists of good customer service is more-or-less a full-time job.
Finding property to purchase took relationship building with the local property owners and lots of time. There are no real estate agents here. You need good leg work, sincerity, patience and desire.
In Nicaragua, you can own property outright and an American title insurance company will offer title insurance if you qualify. Title insurance is a must as there are (as elsewhere) hucksters trying to make a quick buck selling property they don’t own.
The joys of living in a little community are abundant, the pitfalls equally so. A smile and good connections go a long way. Always be looking for ways to create and grow relationships with the people that are community, business or government leaders. Our good fortune in that realm has saved the day for us more than once.
If changing your life was easy, everyone would do it. If making your life experience more rich and in the process overcoming special new challenges is something you would consider, think about changing your life in Nicaragua. After years of “shoulda, woulda, coulda,” Kristine and I took the plunge and are glad we did. For more information, see: www.littlecornbb.com.
************************
A New Beginning Overseas: On the Road in Search of Our Paradise
By Derek MacPhail
My wife and I have been IL subscribers for two years now and are getting ready to leave Canada. Whether or not it will be permanent, we don’t know quite yet. However, thanks in large part to IL, I’ve convinced my wife that we can improve our standard of living by moving to Mexico…or Central or South America.
Last week, I resigned from my job and yesterday we bought an RV. Our house is for sale (via an online auction) and the contents will be dealt with by the same auction company. Our goal is to be on the road July 1.
The plan is to head to the east coast of Canada and then make our way down to Mexico, Belize and maybe Panama. We’re going to rent a house in Belize for a few months this winter, giving my wife and me (and our Miniature Schnauzer) a break from the RV (we’ve never owned one, so we’re not sure what to expect!).
After the winter….well, we’ll figure that out then. All we know is that we need a break from our jobs, and for me, the North American “lifestyle” (we have it so wrong in Canada and the
U.S.—we should be more laid back like Latin Americans and some of the European countries).
IL gave us the extra push to go out there and live life. We look forward to exploring the different real estate and lifestyle opportunities written about in the pages of the magazine and in the daily Postcards.
