Mike and Fran Smith lived in Florida and wanted to escape the constant barrage of tropical storms every season. They researched several countries and when Mike, an engineer, received his retirement package from Chevron, they decided to make Panama their permanent residence...
When my wife, Karen, and I decided to retire in 2004 we knew we needed to look outside our home state of California for a cheaper place to live.Retiring in California and finding affordable beachfront property was out of the question...
In 2005, when our friend told my wife and me that he had purchased beachfront property in Panama, I thought he was crazy. After several months of research, I decided that not only was he a genius, but I joined him as his next-door neighbor in the beach community of La Barqueta.
As a resident of Panama for the last decade, I’ve seen this country grow and develop. It’s become a place where getting around is easy…all the better for us to be able to explore everything that this country has to offer.
Nestled in the Panamanian mountains along a rocky road, off the paved highway, is the home of Dr. Dave Ahrend. To get there, you drive up a newly constructed freeway for about 45 minutes before turning off onto a paved road that takes you up into the mountains.
Bill Brown wanted a beachfront property. When he decided he needed a change from his teaching job in St. Louis...a home on the beach was his dream. But where could he find beachfront property that would be affordable? He conducted internet searches on the best countries to live in before he settled on Panama. He was intrigued by the culture.
Peter Roberts and his wife, Sally, were never really intending to move to Panama. They had even less inkling that they would buy a property—specifically a working farm. Two bird enthusiasts, Peter and Sally visited the mountain region of Boquete to take a bird-watching tour.
In 2007, my wife and I were ready to make a change. We were looking for a more affordable, healthier way of life and there was one country that ticked all the boxes: Panama. Before we moved, we did a lot of research on Latin American countries that we could consider retiring to. Panama's benefits really stood out. The country is stable, with a literacy rate higher than the U.S., health care is inexpensive, and the country's diet is healthier. Additionally, the currency here is the American dollar and the culture is friendly and welcoming.
We knew we would have to do considerable downsizing after retirement. We were living in Pasadena, California and our pension income would be one eighth of our working income. In Panama we found we could comfortably live off approximately $800 a month.