What's the price of a home, condo or apartment in Puerto Vallarta?
Sheryl Novak - SOLutions Mexico Furniture Store
Once you find your dream home in Vallarta Nayarit, the next step is how to finance it.
We often hear people say: some day when we retire, or some day when I win the lottery, or some day when the kids are grown. They are thinking about how they can cash out from their home and investments in Canada or US to finance a home in Mexico. A better way is to consider right now to use the equity in your Canadian or American home as leverage for a...
Once you find your dream home in Vallarta Nayarit, the next step is how to finance it.
We often hear people say: some day when we retire, or some day when I win the lottery, or some day when the kids are grown. They are thinking about how they can cash out from their home and investments in Canada or US to finance a home in Mexico. A better way is to consider right now to use the equity in your Canadian or American home as leverage for a line or credit or reverse mortgage to buy the property in Vallarta Nayarit.
With interest rates so low, this is often the best way to finance your property. And, especially if you are planning to use your Mexican home for only a few weeks a year for the next few years, the rental income more than not will offset the cost of the interest on the borrowed money, all operating costs, taxes, etc. In fact, you will most likely see a positive cash flow after only 2 months of rental per year!
Dont put off buying that property - now might just be the best time to buy. Before the market turns to a sellers market!
(Dining room in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)
Does the ocean in Panama have dangerous animals in it?
Jim Brennanj - DREAM TRAVEL PANAMA
There are dangerous animal all over. I've been here In Panama since 2007 and have never heard or experienced an attack of any kind, shark or otherwise. The only thing I've done was stepped on a sea urchin, which was my fault. Now that was painful! I spend a lot of time all over as a a diver and security consultant. I also own dreamstravelpanama so I have experience to answer this question
There are dangerous animal all over. I've been here In Panama since 2007 and have never heard or experienced an attack of any kind, shark or otherwise. The only thing I've done was stepped on a sea urchin, which was my fault. Now that was painful! I spend a lot of time all over as a a diver and security consultant. I also own dreamstravelpanama so I have experience to answer this question
For me, Spain would be one of the best places in the world to live. I love Spain. The cost of living in Spain is less expensive than most of Europe, the people are great, very fun and lively, and the climate is terrific. In Spain, there’s so much to see if you’re interested in castles and medieval history, beaches, and beautiful mountains. The food in Spain is also great. Overall, I find the people as one of the biggest draws to Spain.
The second best place in the...
For me, Spain would be one of the best places in the world to live. I love Spain. The cost of living in Spain is less expensive than most of Europe, the people are great, very fun and lively, and the climate is terrific. In Spain, there’s so much to see if you’re interested in castles and medieval history, beaches, and beautiful mountains. The food in Spain is also great. Overall, I find the people as one of the biggest draws to Spain.
The second best place in the world to live is Brazil. Brazil has an absolutely stunning natural beauty. It’s absolutely beautiful. In addition, the people are one of Brazil’s best resources and the cost of living in Brazil is much lower than in the United States.
However, people are getting a bad impression of Brazil because of the way the press shows crime. The crime in Brazil is not really as bad as people think or say. Brazil is just like Mexico, where you get respected if you mind your own business, do your own thing, and stay out of areas where you shouldn’t be, anyway. I lived in Brazil for over a year and can attest to that based on my experience. I never had one problem at all in Brazil. In fact, I had more problems in New York and Chicago than I had in Brazil.
One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you...
One of the best reasons to retire in Portugal is the safety. Where I live here in Portugal, I can go to the café or to the supermarket around the corner and I don’t have to lock my front door. The neighbors know each other and if anything happens, everybody watches for each other. In contrast, in England, everybody keeps to themselves. They don’t trust anybody because of the crime. We don’t have that here in Portugal because you know your neighbors. In England, you can live on the same street and not know your neighbor next door.
Another good reason to retire in Portugal is the lower cost of living. My daughter lives in England but she comes here four times a year and she is constantly amazed by the prices here in Portugal. It’s very cheap.
The quality and taste of food in Portugal is another factor for retiring here. Food here has a flavor. We have very good cuisine. The fish is unbelievable. Meat is very good as well. You only need to You just haves to know where to buy your food. Once you know that, you will have food that is very tasty.
Healthcare in Portugal is good. I would recommend the private health system here in Portugal because of the good quality and fast service. Relative to the US, healthcare I Portugal is extremely inexpensive and it’s possible to get insurance for a couple in good health, without pre-existing conditions for around €60 to €100 (US $65 or £44 to US $109 or £73) a month. If you have insurance and you go to see a doctor, it would cost €30 to €40 (US $33 or £22 to $44 or £29).
The weather is great in Portugal. During December, we have sunshine and the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). That is winter, so it’s great. We are not on the Mediterranean but we are by the Atlantic Ocean so we have mild temperatures. We don’t get snow or frost. In the winter, the temperature goes down to about 10 to 20 degrees Celsius (50 to 68 Fahrenheit).
The lifestyle here in Portugal is very nice as well. People are very friendly. There are a lot of outdoor activities so you don’t spend too much time at home. You can definitely keep yourself busy by going to the beach, golfing, horseback riding, playing water sports, etc.
So to me, those are the best reasons to retire in Portugal; the safety, everything being cheaper here, the food, healthcare, great weather, and the wine. What else do you want in life?
What's the price of a home, condo or apartment in Cayo, Belize, including San Ignacio and Belmopan?
Virginia Krohn - Villa Cayo Belize
You can buy an average little house on one lot in an average neighborhood in Cayo for between US $125,000 to $150,000. For $150,000, you can get a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with wood frames and wood floors. It would be a finished home between 1,000 and 1,200 square foot. There are some houses that have three bedrooms and two bathrooms priced between $250,000 US and $600,000 US on a 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot.
Another option would...
You can buy an average little house on one lot in an average neighborhood in Cayo for between US $125,000 to $150,000. For $150,000, you can get a two-bedroom, one-bathroom home with wood frames and wood floors. It would be a finished home between 1,000 and 1,200 square foot. There are some houses that have three bedrooms and two bathrooms priced between $250,000 US and $600,000 US on a 1/4 to 1/2 acre lot.
Another option would be buy an inexpensive prefab Mennonite home and finish it yourself. Mennonites build little wood houses that can be brought on a truck and set up on your lot. You can have it put on wood or concrete posts or on a concrete pad and finish it yourself as you have time and money. However, you do need to exercise some oversight because the quality of the wood they use is not always very good. In their haste to build cheap and quick they might use soft wood that could have dry rot. If they don’t put the studs on 24-inch centers when you put your 4 x 8 sheet of finish material you will have to add studs. In short, what they build is cute little wood houses that you can get into quickly and inexpensively if you can finish it yourself or hire a Belizean to help you.
Carlos Roman Gutierrez Solis - Casa Granada Properties
In order to learn the business culture in Nicaragua, my suggestion is to always ask around and do some research. Talk to two or three lawyers just to see what they think about the regulations and your plan on setting up your own business. If you do not meet a good lawyer, you can get into trouble with regulations. Do not immediately open your wallet.
I think the best way to do your research is to rent a house and stay here in Nicaragua for at...
In order to learn the business culture in Nicaragua, my suggestion is to always ask around and do some research. Talk to two or three lawyers just to see what they think about the regulations and your plan on setting up your own business. If you do not meet a good lawyer, you can get into trouble with regulations. Do not immediately open your wallet.
I think the best way to do your research is to rent a house and stay here in Nicaragua for at least six to seven months to learn the business the culture. Do some online research regarding government regulations. Talk to an accountant about the taxes and ask about your obligations if you open a business. Try to talk to different people in the embassy. Walk into some businesses and ask around. Some businessmen will give you some knowledge on how they run their businesses. While you do your research, you also have to be aware of people who might offer you false help like people who ask for a payment so they can help you start your business.
"Why would anybody want to build a house in a foreign country?"
That’s what I asked my friend who was buying land here in Guatemala. She was looking for a partner, and I thought she was a bit crazy to attempt it. I went with her and her real estate agent to look at land. When she chose to buy this one with an amazing view, I took more interest. I told her I would start making drawings of what she wanted that she could take to an architect to have plans made. The...
Jet Metier has noticed there are three things you can do after reading a person’s reason for moving to Panama. You can 1) learn from them; 2) laugh with them; or 3) interview them to learn and laugh some more with them.
Giselle Otero lives in a world in which she hears operatic airs from humpback whales and smells the “life-giving bitterness” of the flowers that lent their essence to coffee beans. In this interview, Giselle shares with...
Barro Colorado… bird watching and scientific research center.
The 1,560 hectare (3,854 acres; a little over 6 square miles) island of Barro Colorado is situated in the man-made Gatun Lake, in the middle of the Panama Canal. This island is the primary site of the Smithsonian Institute for the study of tropical forests. The Smithsonian also has additional land adjacent, which, together with Barro Colorado island totals...