“This is frontier country… You won’t find much here. Starbucks hasn’t made it, and there’s no Home Depot. But you will find an open door to immediate residency in Panama,” writes IL Offshore expert, Bob Bauman, in your May issue of International Living magazine. Bob explores an opportunity in Panama’s Darien province and reveals the ideal visa if you want to live in Panama, but don’t qualify as a retiree, or you want to avoid the process needed for an investor’s visa.
Thinking about retirement, we usually focus on money. Are we saving enough? With the cost of living ticking up and interest rates near zero, it’s a reasonable question. But preoccupied with funds, we often forget to reflect on why we save to begin with. What we’re really after, I’d venture, is an enjoyable, meaningful, comfortable lifestyle. We save, ultimately, so we have greater control over how we live. But at home today, it often feels like we have less control…and fewer options.
The idea of living better for less overseas has been around for a long time. So long, in fact, that there are a surprising number of people doing it right now. As a constant participant in International Living’s events, I notice this surprise on the faces of attendees every time we do a seminar or conference.
When it comes to living the expat life, there is only one candidate that deserves your vote: You. As your own commander in chief, you can live wherever you like and by your own set of rules. I’m Suzan Haskins and I’m writing to you this week from Cancun, Mexico, and the International Living Ultimate Event 2012.
“This is my first time,” a pretty lady named Jos confided to me. She lives in a beautiful home overlooking the ocean on Australia’s western coast. “I love my home and I have no complaints with my life there,” she said. “But my husband has been working and living in Vanuatu (a gorgeous South Pacific island) for five years…and he has wanderlust.
Where in the world shall we go today? If you’ve been dreaming of Belize, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, or the Dominican Republic (wow!), come on—let’s go. I’d like to take you on a whirlwind tour of these countries. With only the best, most knowledgeable (and most entertaining) guides, of course. I’m Suzan Haskins, reporting to you from International Living’s Ultimate Event, going on now in Cancun.
He had a huge panoramic photo of his home—although you really couldn’t see the house for all the brilliantly colored bougainvillea tumbling over the walls and the fruit trees in the yard. Mango, lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, passion fruit, banana, and much more we weren’t familiar with…even coffee.
Skeptics inquire: Are the opportunities overseas really as great as we at IL portray them to be? The short answer is “yes.” But don’t take my word for it… Listen, instead, to the many firsthand stories we’ve collected in the current issue of International Living magazine—on-the-ground reports from folks who decided to answer the question for themselves…at the beach…in the hills…in cities…or on islands…
Five years into my expat life, I look forward to downsizing. In fact, I recently bought a small, manageable, lock-and-leave property in Guanajuato, in the Colonial Highlands. It’s a far cry from what I thought I wanted when I first moved to Mexico… Then, I’d wanted a good-sized house, instead of an apartment as I’d had in the U.S.
When my wife, Suzan Haskins, and I moved overseas in 2001, we had no idea how much we didn’t know about living abroad. But we learned quickly. I still remember trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of Spanish hardware…literally.
If you’re a U.S. citizen you’ll never be able to walk away from the dollar completely—even if you move overseas. Likewise if you’re a Canadian or citizen of another country—it’s hard to totally divorce yourself from your national currency. Here are two reasons why…
The quiet turquoise waters of the Caribbean…a mountain retreat with views of snow-capped peaks…an elegant pied-à-terre in one of the world’s most historic cities…where is your ideal “live overseas” location? Take our 45-second quiz and instantly discover your ideal overseas haven. Plus, you’ll get a free country report you can use right now. It takes less than a minute.
Years ago we’d talk confidently about the benefits of Mexico versus Argentina…or Ecuador versus Costa Rica. I’m finding that we don’t do that as much these days.
When my wife, Suzan Haskins, and I visited the Ecuador coast recently, one of the nicest surprises was Bahia de Caraquez. It’s hard not to describe this little city of 20,000 people as a gem.
Columbus landed in the Dominican Republic in 1492—the same year he “discovered” some of the other Caribbean islands. Like those other islands, the Dominican Republic is ringed by white sand beaches and coconut palms. Unspoiled towns boast stone churches and candy-colored home facades.
Timing is critical when it comes to rescuing your retirement. Now more than ever, hard-working folks just like you are asking themselves: How do I do it? Do I work longer, try to save more… or do I have another option? Our response: You have lots of options.
Every week, many IL readers make the crucial decision to “just do it,” and get moving on a new life overseas. Often we’re lucky enough that they send in their stories. Here, briefly, are four of my recent favorites…
This time last year I couldn’t wait to attend the Live & Invest Overseas Conference in Las Vegas. I wanted to find out as much information as possible about my country of choice: Panama.
Times were good until the economy began its downturn, crashing the real estate market. We were concerned that our retirement savings wouldn’t see us through, so we began looking overseas for a place where our ever-shrinking nest egg might last longer.
Winner of the 2011 Global Retirement Index, Ecuador offers sophisticated historical cities…miles of unspoiled, sun-kissed beaches…fertile farmland…and temperate mountain hideaways…and all of it for pennies on the dollar.
What makes a place “easy?” First, it’s not too far from home. If you need to get back for an emergency or friends and family want to visit, it’s not a chore. When you can still get many of the same goods and services you’re used to, culture shock won’t disorient you.
I retired abroad almost 10 years ago. And since then, I’ve re-retired and relocated a few more times, just to continue the adventure I started back in 2001. I’ve accumulated a large body of personal knowledge about where to retire…and how to evaluate retirement destinations.
“I don’t like being called an ex-patriot,” my friend Jack said. He’s a former elected official and about as red-white-and-blue as they come. His wife is a former trial judge. But now that they’re retired they’ve chosen to live in Ecuador…for the adventure, the pleasurable lifestyle, and definitely for the lower cost of living.
My wife Suzan and I have been living abroad for so long in so many places now that we’ve almost stopped talking about the merits or disadvantages of entire countries.
Every morning I open my eyes and see Agua Volcano framed by my window, looming above the red-and-gray mishmash of tin and tiled rooftops. Out on the terrace sipping freshly-ground, locally-grown coffee, I can see three volcanoes: one extinct, one dormant, and one active.
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