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Recently Answered Questions

Is it safe to drink the water in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?

John K. Glaab - the settlement company®

Agua_de_jamaica, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

We tend not to drink the water from the taps in Los Cabos and La Paz. The water in Los Cabos and La Paz comes from aquifers in the ground so people don’t drink it. There is a certain amount of minerals in the water. There used to be a lot of mining around here years ago so the water is processed and comes out of the tap and used for cooking, hand washing, laundry, etc. People buy treated water in big garrafons, which are 5-gallon containers of water. You can also buy smaller bottles...

How's the nightlife and entertainment in and around the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?

Dennis Dean Smith - DennisDeanSmith

How's the nightlife and entertainment in Pedasi, Azuero?

The last time I went to Pedasi was in the middle of last year. I stayed at a friend of mine's small hotel. They had a vibrant, local clientele who enjoyed eating, drinking and gossiping until around 11 at night. Over the next few days, I strolled the streets at night. Safe and relaxing but most everything shut down early. Pedasi is a nice place to kick back but if you are a party animal who wants discos,...

What do I need to know about pet shipping to Nicaragua, pet travel to Nicaragua and pet transport to Nicaragua?

David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty

Bringing your pet with you to Nicaragua is very straight forward. I brought my dog here several times before I moved permanently.

You get a health certificate from your vet at home and export certificate, which I believe is around $25. It’s a stamp by your vet at home that says that your dog has received vaccinations and is up to date with worming, etc.

You bring that, they check through those documents and you bring your pet...

Do I still have to file my US income taxes if I retire, work or just live abroad?

Stewart Patton - U.S. Tax Services

Bora Bora St. Regis Hotel – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Yes, Americans who live abroad are still required to file a U.S. tax return, even if there's no tax due. In fact, filing an annual U.S. tax return is actually MORE important once you live abroad. Here's why:

You may be familiar with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (the "FEIE")--that's the rule that allows Americans living abroad to make up to about $100,000 from working without paying any U.S. income tax. Some people think that...

How’s the economy in Belize?

Frik De Meyere

Belize street outside traditional village – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Belize has a small population of $300,000 people. 70% are younger than 22 and the main reason for that is the youth of the country. In Belize, we are just on our 30th year of independence.

70% of the population in Belize are younger than 22, so do your calculations. This country is similar to the US and Europe after the World War II or the baby boomer generation. After independence 30 years ago, the economy started growing, roads were built, and the world changed down here. They built social security, they built schools, they built roads. People just got started having more kids.

The economy in Belize is traditional. Belize is an agricultural country, based on sugar cane, bananas and citrus. The rest of the economy is tourism and nothing else. In my personal opinion, there will never be any other big industry to develop here. We do not have a single industrial park in the whole country; not one. I have seen the all scouting by all those big car manufacturers and other production companies that are very active in Mexican and Guatemalan countries in the production of cement, glass, windows and other big scale production companies, but they don’t put up their own facilities here in Belize because there are no roads, there are no harbors of a decent size, there is no guarantee of electricity, and there is no guarantee of anything. You wouldn’t even see 5,000 people located together anywhere in the whole country. Even if you wanted to build a factory to cater to 5,000 people, you need to build 5,000 houses around that. It just isn’t working in this type of country.

It’s a governmental thing. The government just can’t afford it. They cannot give you the guarantee of any of those, because they do not have the money. Not a lot of those thousands of people who live here in Belize are paying their taxes. Going back to the population count, we have 300,000 people and 70% of them are the kids who don’t work yet. The 30% that are left to work at low-income jobs do not pay taxes. Only a few thousand people pay taxes. It’s a few million-dollar budget per ministry for the whole country, including assumed fees and wages. There is nothing left.

How are Americans, British and Canadians in Algarve treated? How are expats in Algarve treated generally?

Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living

The George Pub celebrates fallen British solideris with poppies in Lisboa, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

From the economic perspective from the time of the discovery of the New World, Portugal has always been outward facing nation. This is reflected in the way that it receives foreign people. Most people who come to or go to Portugal immediately say that they are made to feel so very welcome.

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated,...

Americans and other expats in the Algarve are treated like kings.

As far as how Americans in particular in the Algarve are treated, it’s tough to tell because there are not that many residing here full-time. Generally, Americans are very interesting folk in that sense that Americans are very inquisitive. They love to understand the historical background of the region and they’re very interested in the details. So they pay attention and show interest in a lot of the traditional aspects of the country; the tiles, the road, the balconies, what happened to the river course and what it was used for in the past, whether a castle was inhabited or not—all these kinds of small details typically interest Americans. This attitude helps aid the integration because local people in particular like to talk about their little place in the world. So when they see someone with mutual interest, of course, they like to talk. The first way to break down the barrier is to engage with someone even if there is a slight language barrier.

So what you find is that Americans in particular integrate very well in the Algarve because typically Americans come with a very inquisitive mind. The Americans who travel here love Portugal and love the Algarve. They really do love it. I wouldn’t be overstating it by using the word “love.” It’s kind of a love affair that starts with a statement such as, “This is a place that I should’ve been in or I want to be in.” We often get that reaction from Americans.

(The George Pub memorializes fallen British solideris with poppies in Lisboa, Portugal)

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Living Safely In Belize

machete and sheath – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I hear you are Belize bound. Maybe I can help. No, packing plates wasn’t what I had in mind. Sorry. Be of good cheer, though, that your porcelain will remain safely out of my CLUMSY hands.

Now then, let’s consider some handy things you may want to toss in that last box before you tape the top. First, have you included a goodly number of chains among your household items? You look at me wildly. Take it easy, now. I am not...

Dancing Across the World

We thank Daryl Ries for giving us the idea to have Jet Metier interview select contributors of Best Places who enliven our pages with their experiences and revelations. The conversation began with Daryl talking about a real estate expo she had attended just prior to their scheduled talk, and then continued with Daryl reviewing her life on four continents. In a chronological sleight of hand, we present the second part of the interview first, where Daryl speaks of her...

Unexpected Tango Lessons At The Magnolia Inn In Casco Viejo

We were walking around Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama, looking for who knows what, having fun exploring, until, absorbed in our adventure, we became lost. I dug in my heels, refused to go any further and insisted that my husband consult the map. As we did, we must have been quarreling loudly, for a voice came from the balcony above, a woman busy with something, talking on her phone, working on the net, maybe combing out her hair, maybe all three, I can’t quite remember, but...