Joel and Anna broke the "rules" and moved to Roatan, Honduras
Name: Joel and Anna Moskowitz
Nationality: American
Living in: Roatan, Honduras
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.
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