Best Places In The World To Retire

WELCOME. WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT THE MAIN PARTS OF OUR SITE

Recently Answered Questions

What are the construction standards in Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?

Alfonso Reynoso - Jabre Construcción

House designed and built by Jabre construction, La Ventana Bay, Baja Mexico Sur, Mexico – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The first thing to do if you are going to build in Los Cabos and La Paz is to get the property. A foreigner who comes to the country and buys a property close to the beach should have a fideicomiso because that is a legal requirement. If you are building close to the ocean and you are a foreigner, you cannot own land within 50 meters of the ocean but you can buy it through fideicomiso, which is a trust. Never start with your construction until you get every legal document that is...

Once you have all your documents and you have legal ownership of the property, have an idea of what you are looking for. Think of the concept of the home that you want to build. Get a rough estimate of the construction cost and work the budget. When you have done that then you can start with the design process. Once that is done then you can proceed with the construction plan and getting the permits.

In Los Cabos and La Paz and in La Ventana (a small village about 40 minutes from La Paz), you need to have permits and legal documents before you can build. It is important to have everything under your name once you start this stage of the process because once your name is on the permits, then every office in the area will assume that you are the legal owner of your property. Your name should appear on everything and not just on your fideicomiso. You should have your power contract and water contract under your name. It will make things easier for you.

(House designed and built by Jabre construction, La Ventana Bay, Baja Mexico Sur, Mexico, pictured.)

In La Ventana, there are some restrictions for construction. Cabo also has construction restrictions and they have architectural restrictions as well. However, in La Paz, you would only have construction restrictions if you are building downtown but all the other areas are very open. You can build anything you want. If you want a traditional American, you can build that. If you want Santa Fe style, you can do that, too.

There are also inspections done by the government to make sure that you are building what you said you will build. In Mexico, I am proud to say that we build fine construction. The buildings here are made to withstand earthquakes. Construction inspections are done by DRO (Director Responsable de Obra). They check the construction style of all the houses and buildings here. Not a lot of people know about the quality of beams, bars, etc. so it is the responsibility of the DRO to check that these things are up to standard. What most people check for quality are the obvious things like the flooring, the walls, the tiles. This is the responsibility of the builder. So it is always my suggestion to go with good builders so you get good quality. Do not go for the cheap ones. In Mexico, we say, “lo barato, sale caro”, which roughly translates to, “cheap things turn out expensive in the end”.

(House designed and constructed by Jabre Construction, La Ventana Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico, pictured.)

What’s it like to retire in Portugal?

Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant

Trains from Sintra to Lisboa, Portugal – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Retirement in Portugal is very good and we have a tremendous amount of new people retiring here.

For the Portuguese who are retiring, because we’ve been through a big economic crisis here and they’ve had to cut down pensions, there are a lot of people struggling. The new government has promised that that’s all going to change but then you’ll wonder where they’ll get the money. But certainly for foreigners coming here,...

Retirement in Portugal is very good and we have a tremendous amount of new people retiring here.

There are several reasons its fantastic to retire to Portugal. Number one, the climate; number two, the wines; number three, the weather; number four, the people who are sympatico to foreigners. The lifestyle is easygoing. I think the weather helps a tremendous amount for people who are golf players or riders. A lot of people go horseback riding and a lot of people have brought their horses here. Portugal has an easy lifestyle.

A lot of people will go down to the Algarve, which is completely different to being up in the Lisbon coast area. The Algarve is sort of a permanent holiday atmosphere, almost like an extension of Spain except all of a sudden you’ll hear Portuguese and a lot of English. I’m not a great fan of the Algarve region because I don’t think it has a Portuguese identity. You know, you don’t feel that you’re really in Portugal even though there’s beautiful beaches, there’s beautiful homes, but that’s it, whereas up here you have good theater, you have good concerts, good shows, and you can still do all that—you can ride horses and you can be on the beach.

It really is a relaxed kind of life filled with lunch parties and coffee parties. And with the big expat community that you have here, it’s good social life and a lot of people will entertain at home a great deal.

I live in the Lisbon coastal area, about 20 minutes on the train from the center of Lisbon and if you drive, depending on the time of day, of course, it’s about 20 minutes as well if you haven’t got all the traffic. Nothing’s very far here. We’re a little bit inclined to think, when we’re out in Cascais in Estoril, “Oh gosh, I’ve got to go into Lisbon” and vice versa, but it’s really very, very close. The style of life in Lisbon is more city life than it is along the coast. It’s quite different but I think that it’s mainly because parking is more difficult in Lisbon and there’s a lot more traffic.

(Trains from Lisboa to Sintra, Portugal, pictured.)

Can I get a good caregiver in Panama and what is the cost of a good caregiver in Panama?

Antonio Cheng - Romero Realty

The cost to have a caregiver in Panama varies. If you get a retired nurse or a certified nurse, the rate is around US $800 per month. They are really good caregivers, since they are retired nurses. There are also caregivers who are not certified, but who went through some training and they charge a bit less, around $500 or $600 per month.

Caregivers here in Panama do not usually live in the house of the people they care for, but if you want them to be a...

How much does it cost for a gardener in Ambergris Caye?

David Drummond - Georgetown Trust

palm trees in Ambergris Caye Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

The rates here in Ambergris Caye for a gardener are a little bit different than the mainland. To hire a gardener in Ambergris Caye, you will pay around US $20 to $30 per day. You might get someone who will do the gardening for a little less than that amount, but generally, the rate is somewhere in that range.

They will come to your house and perform tasks depending on what you agreed with them. I have a guy who takes care of the gardening for some of...

What's the best strategy for asset protection and wealth preservation offshore?

John Gilbert - PanamaKeys

Beach in Panama – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are three overriding views for asset protection and wealth preservation offshore, and those are diversification, diversification, and diversification. You want to make sure that your asset classes are diversified- that all your eggs aren’t in one basket. It would be foolish for an investor to hold 100% of his assets in cash. It will also be just as foolish for an investor to hold 100% of his assets in stocks. I think just as stocks are an important asset class, just as an...

How's the standard of living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?

Diony Fuentes

Life is simple and easy in San Juan Del Sur. It is even better if you are a retiree because you can have a really nice life in San Juan Del Sur if you have what, by North American standards, is not that much money. You can just go out and have a nice meal anywhere you want.

For locals, life is easy, too, but for me, in order to really enjoy San Juan Del Sur, you have to go out and enjoy the town. San Juan Del Sur is a little town by the beach and everybody knows each other.

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Everything Changes, However Slow it Might Be

Welcome to Boquete. This charming town View is a side street in Boquete. – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

has changed a little and a lot in the last four years. We have watched as the economy has improved for the community. A great deal is based on tourism and the influx of expats. There has also been a worldwide increase in the higher-end coffees that grow in the mountains that tower over the towns of both Boquete and Volcan. Many small businesses have come and gone in the last four years. Growth is evident as the high school is currently...

The Secret Love Life of Dolphins and Whales

In Part Two of their interview, Anne Gordon de Barrigón of Panama Whale Watching Panama/ Emberá Village Tours reveals to Jet Metier the highly tactile and social qualities of dolphins and whales, and when it comes to forgiveness, how their hearts maybe bigger than their legendary brains.

Jet: How do think the orcas feel about you, Anne?

Anne: [laughing]

Jet: How would...

Presidential Palace In Panama

In Panama City, there is one place that is not normally included in general city tours; the Presidential Palace (located in Casco Viejo), a recently renovated, beautiful old building that offers every visitor a significant part of history. A unique place to visit, totally free. All you have to do is send a note in advance, with names and passport numbers (for security reasons), and request a specific date. They will reply with confirmation, or...