How much is it to build a house in Yucatan: Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, etc?
Thomas Lloyd - Top Mexico Real Estate
The cost of building a home in any country can verify greatly depending on the quality of materials, finishes and added featured you select for your home. The same is true when looking to build a home in the Yucatan. Do you want to add a pool or a Jacuzzi to your home? Would you like to add standard fixtures or will you select top of the line fixtures? Will your new dream home feature imported wood or will you use local resources? All these little details can increase the total building...
The cost of building a home in any country can verify greatly depending on the quality of materials, finishes and added featured you select for your home. The same is true when looking to build a home in the Yucatan. Do you want to add a pool or a Jacuzzi to your home? Would you like to add standard fixtures or will you select top of the line fixtures? Will your new dream home feature imported wood or will you use local resources? All these little details can increase the total building cost.
Building a home in the Yucatan range from 9,500 pesos (around $550 USD) per square meter (about US $51 per square foot) to 20,000 pesos (around $1,150 USD) per square meter (about US $107 per square foot). The cost of building a home greatly depends on you and what you envision you dream home to look like.
(Terrace with a pool in a Playa Bambu homes, Yucatan, Mexico, pictured.)
David Berger - Tradewinds Hospitality at Orchid Bay
There are many English-speaking doctors in Corozal. Here in Corozal, there are US-trained physicians and there are Mexican-trained physicians, who provide healthcare as good as in the US.
To go to the doctor is a very simple process. You don’t need an appointment. You just go and ask for the doctor, and it’s usually very inexpensive. People ask me all the time what we do for insurance, to which I reply, “We can’t afford that;...
There are many English-speaking doctors in Corozal. Here in Corozal, there are US-trained physicians and there are Mexican-trained physicians, who provide healthcare as good as in the US.
To go to the doctor is a very simple process. You don’t need an appointment. You just go and ask for the doctor, and it’s usually very inexpensive. People ask me all the time what we do for insurance, to which I reply, “We can’t afford that; we just go to the doctor.”
Usually, if you had a good checkup or an exam, going to the doctor in Corozal would cost about BZ $35 (US $18) to spend a half hour with you and do a thorough check of you. The doctors speak perfect English. In fact, most of the doctors here in Corozal were trained in the US or in Mexico and learned English.
(Corozal Community Hospital, Corozal, Belize, pictured.)
How's the hiking and camping in and around Panama?
Mirhanna Sandoya - Lucero Homes Golf & Country Club
In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail.
Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of...
In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail.
Most of the hiking activities in Panama focus on the Chiriquí area. There is a smaller hiking trail in the middle of Panama called “India Dormida” which translates to “the sleeping aborigine.” It got its name because the mountain has the shape of a lady who is lying down. It’s about a 2-hour drive from Panama City, and is located close to the mountain town of El Valle, not very far from Coronado.
As for camping in Panama, you can also do that in Volcán Barú, in Veraguas Province, or at the beach where you basically just go and put up a tent. In Veraguas Province there is this beautiful reservoir that has a lake and a very large green area where people go camping. These are the spots for camping in Panama.
People don’t go camping in Darien. In fact, people don’t go to Darien because that’s where the military has set up a base to protect us from Colombian cartels, so if you’re there and you don’t speak the language, you may be mistakenly thought to be a criminal. Never ever go to Darien. Darien is the region in Panama up to the border with Colombia.
(Pictured: view from Lucero Country Club, near Boquete, Panama.)
What's the geography like in Nicaragua in general? Does Nicaragua have mountains, volcanoes, beaches, lakes, waterfalls, or rainforests?
Lucy Valenti - Liv Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a very geographically diverse country, even though we do not have very high peaks compared to other places like Guatemala. We do, however, have mountains, which have the advantage of being a little bit cooler the higher you go.
In the Pacific coast of Nicaragua we have the volcanic mountain range, which starts in the northern part of the country and ends at the lake, in Ometepe Island, which was formed by two volcanoes. Most of the volanoes are dormant,...
Nicaragua is a very geographically diverse country, even though we do not have very high peaks compared to other places like Guatemala. We do, however, have mountains, which have the advantage of being a little bit cooler the higher you go.
In the Pacific coast of Nicaragua we have the volcanic mountain range, which starts in the northern part of the country and ends at the lake, in Ometepe Island, which was formed by two volcanoes. Most of the volanoes are dormant, but a few are still active, so it is very interesting for those adventurous people who want to learn about volcanoes, and do hiking on them, etc.
The coastal areas of Nicaragua are very interesting because we are one of the few countries that has two main oceans. The bays of our coastal areas are bathed by the Pacific Ocean and by the Caribbean in the eastern part of the country, and we have about 900 kilometers (560 miles) of coastal areas on both sides together, which is mainly still virgin. We still do not have big hotel chains on our coastal zones. We have many small hotels in those areas that have started to be developed.
We have a lot of reserves in this country and Nicaragua has the biggest natural forest in Central America, which is till protected—we call it the Amazon of Central America, because after the Amazon, it is the biggest reserve in the region. It is called Bosawas Biosphere Reserve.
Another very important natural reserve, which is in the region of the San Juan River and the boarder with Costa Rica in the southern part of the Caribbean area is called Indio Maiz Biological Reserve (“Indian Corn”). Both Bosawas and Indio Maiz are biosphere reserves, as declared by UNESCO.
Also the lake is an iconic, very important place in the country, because Lake Nicaragua is one of the 10 biggest lakes in the world, and the only one that has fresh water sharks. (In Nicaragua, you will hear Lake Nicaragua referred to as Lake Cocibolca, which is its indigenous name).
The biggest island in the world on a fresh water lake is also on Lake Nicaragua-- Ometepe Island, which is made of two volcanoes, one active and the other inactive. The inactive volcano is called Maderas Volcano, which is a natural reserve and protected as well.
Then we have the San Juan River in the southern part of the country, which is also a beautiful region of the country. It is full of stories of pirates and history like Cornelius Vanderbilt and the transit route that so many Americans used during those times, where Mark Twain wrote beautiful stories about Nicaragua and a wonderful river, as well as where the Spaniards built a castle to protect themselves from the pirates in Colonial times. Pirate Morgan used the San Juan River, and the legends say (although this is disputed) that it was in this area that Lord Nelson lost his eye.
In the central part of Nicaragua is the region of Chontales where much of the cattle in Nicaragua are raised. Nicaragua exports a lot of meat (including to the US), most of which comes from this region. Boaco and Chontales are the two main cities in this area.
How easy would it be for me to find a job in Portugal?
Duncan MacGregor - Duncan MacGregor Accounting
It is very difficult to get a job in Portugal. The unemployment rate in must be hovering at 15% at the moment.
It might also be difficult for a foreigner to find a job here but that could also depend on his area of expertise. The Portuguese are trying to attract high value added professions, which is in part why the government came up with the Non-Habitual Resident regime, to try and get highly skilled people to come here or to be transferred...
It is very difficult to get a job in Portugal. The unemployment rate in must be hovering at 15% at the moment.
It might also be difficult for a foreigner to find a job here but that could also depend on his area of expertise. The Portuguese are trying to attract high value added professions, which is in part why the government came up with the Non-Habitual Resident regime, to try and get highly skilled people to come here or to be transferred here by multinationals.
The local job market, though, is extremely tight. So if you are a foreigner, depending on your skill, it may or may not be easy for you to find a job in Portugal. If you are an IT expert, for example, you would find a lot of opportunities here but if you are a doctor or a lawyer, you would probably find the market saturated. There are some niche areas where there is a shortage of really top class professionals.
(Logo for Duncan M cGregor Accounting, DMA, whose proprietor Duncan McGregor is an expat doing business in the coastal town of Cascais, Portugal, pictured.)
What do I need to know about international pet shipping, international pet travel, and international pet transport?
Angela Passman - World Pet Travel
Pet travel into or out of another country can be tricky. To be properly prepared you should seek out as much information as possible from those that have done this before. In addition, you should seek the assistance of a professional pet travel agent.
With all international pet travel it is required that your pet have vaccinations that meet the country's requirements you are traveling to. At the very least a pet traveling should have a rabies of more than 30 days or less...
Pet travel into or out of another country can be tricky. To be properly prepared you should seek out as much information as possible from those that have done this before. In addition, you should seek the assistance of a professional pet travel agent.
With all international pet travel it is required that your pet have vaccinations that meet the country's requirements you are traveling to. At the very least a pet traveling should have a rabies of more than 30 days or less than one year. A three year rabies is not acceptable for international pet transportation at any time.
Also needed for most countries are the DHLPP for dogs and the FVRCP for cats. Again, both of these must be under one year at the time of your pet's travel.
Some countries require that you have an import permit before your pet arrives in said country. You must check with the Ministry of Agriculture to see if this is applicable to the rules of your new location.
After we bought our property in Belize we were getting excited about building something where we could go and hang out
Initially it started as a cabin with enough room for us and the occasional visitors/family.
We began researching costs and wanted to pay cash for everything. After looking around the country at different types of construction, we realized our budget was not going to let us build a U.S. style home.
At the culmination of Cancer Awareness Month, a huge rally was held on the last Sunday of October in Panamá City. Thousands of enthusiastic Panameños from all over the country marched down the length of the Cinta Costera in support of fund raising for cancer research. Marching bands, dancers in traditional costumes, school groups, bomberos (firefighters), the Darien frontier police, and many other organizations participated in this special event.
Shortly after Any (my wife) and I finished building our new home in Panama, Any's three children and her mother came for a visit from Colombia. We had a great visit for Christmas and the New year at our home on the Caribbean side of Panama.
It was a little bit confusing for me, but no big deal (because of the language differences) and we settled in as a bigger family. It was fun and interesting for me and I enjoyed her children very much. I decided that since...
The cost of building a home in any country can verify greatly depending on the quality of materials, finishes and added featured you select for your home. The same is true when looking to build a home in the Yucatan. Do you want to add a pool or a Jacuzzi to your home? Would you like to add standard fixtures or will you select top of the line fixtures? Will your new dream home feature imported wood or will you use local resources? All these little details can increase the total building....jpg)
There are many English-speaking doctors in Corozal. Here in Corozal, there are US-trained physicians and there are Mexican-trained physicians, who provide healthcare as good as in the US. 
In Panama, you can go hiking to the Volcán Barú. There are hiking tours to the Volcán Barú that go on every day. There’s also a trail that connects Boquete to Volcán, called the Quetzales (named after the bird). People from Panama City come all the way to Chiriquí just to walk that trail. 
country, even though we do not have very high peaks compared to other places like Guatemala. We do, however, have mountains, which have the advantage of being a little bit cooler the higher you go.
interesting because we are one of the few countries that has two main oceans. The bays of our coastal areas are bathed by the Pacific Ocean and by the Caribbean in the eastern part of the country, and we have about 900 kilometers (560 miles) of coastal areas on both sides together, which is mainly still virgin. We still do not have big hotel chains on our coastal zones. We have many small hotels in those areas that have started to be developed. 
and Nicaragua has the biggest natural forest in Central America, which is till protected—we call it the Amazon of Central America, because after the Amazon, it is the biggest reserve in the region. It is called Bosawas Biosphere Reserve.
place in the country, because Lake Nicaragua is one of the 10 biggest lakes in the world, and the only one that has fresh water sharks. (In Nicaragua, you will hear Lake Nicaragua referred to as Lake Cocibolca, which is its indigenous name). .png){kind=logo}
It is very difficult to get a job in Portugal. The unemployment rate in must be hovering at 15% at the moment. 
After we bought our property in Belize we were getting excited about building something where we could go and hang out 
