Is Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico safe? What's the crime rate in general in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Richard Tingen - Coldwell Banker Chapala Realty
Our main crime here in Chapala and Ajijic would be petty theft. Personally, though, I can’t remember having being robbed here in the last 40 years. I tell people that when we were living here up in upper Ajijic, we missed one of the kid’s bicycles 30 years ago and they may have left it out in the street anyway.
If you leave your front door open I’m sure somebody’s going to come in and remove your computer, but being...
Our main crime here in Chapala and Ajijic would be petty theft. Personally, though, I can’t remember having being robbed here in the last 40 years. I tell people that when we were living here up in upper Ajijic, we missed one of the kid’s bicycles 30 years ago and they may have left it out in the street anyway.
If you leave your front door open I’m sure somebody’s going to come in and remove your computer, but being robbed at gunpoint is very unusual. It has happened and we do have crime just like any place in the world but it’s not very much. The bars in the windows are a traditional thing, like the high walls with the broken glass on top of them. In my personal house, I don’t have a wall, I’m right on a main drive going into Chapala, and I’ve never had a problem.
There was an American in the last 5 years who was held up at gunpoint, resisted and got shot. That hasn’t happened in 30 years but it happened about 5 years ago. So sure, we have crime. It’s not crimeless. There’s no place in the world that’s crimeless.
(Home overlooking Lake Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
Does Panama believe in property rights and the rule of law, or is Panama more corrupt?
Vannessa Solano
If you have a valid contract in Panama, it will be honored.
There are some areas in Panama that were abandoned for quite a while, where squatters started living in abandoned properties without paying anything, as well as stealing electricity and water. So now that these properties are being renovated, these squatters are being relocated, and given other places to live. (This process can take a long time.) In Panama, even though a person doesn’t own a...
If you have a valid contract in Panama, it will be honored.
There are some areas in Panama that were abandoned for quite a while, where squatters started living in abandoned properties without paying anything, as well as stealing electricity and water. So now that these properties are being renovated, these squatters are being relocated, and given other places to live. (This process can take a long time.) In Panama, even though a person doesn’t own a property, if they have been living there for a long time and they have to move, they are given some recompense for their loss in order to live somewhere else.
When you go to buy a property in Panama, make certain that the person who you are buying it from has the rights to sell it. Ask for all the legal documents that identify the rightful owner.
When you work with a reputable real estate company, they should make certain, before they offer a property for sale, that the seller is the actual owner of the property.
In general, without specific regard to real estate property, if you wind up in a court in Panama as a foreigner, you can expect to be treated fairly, and just like a Panamanian. The law here in Panama and the judges here in Panama are very fair. Be aware, however, that the court process does take a while, perhaps around a year.
Your neighbors in the Algarve would be a mix depending on where you live. If you live in a town they would more likely be Portuguese. The bigger the town the more likely it would be to have Portuguese neighbors. Further out it is more likely there would be a mixed bag of people. There are certainly municipalities where six or seven nationalities could surround you, a little bit like Florida.
When I lived just north of Miami, I had neighbors from three or...
Your neighbors in the Algarve would be a mix depending on where you live. If you live in a town they would more likely be Portuguese. The bigger the town the more likely it would be to have Portuguese neighbors. Further out it is more likely there would be a mixed bag of people. There are certainly municipalities where six or seven nationalities could surround you, a little bit like Florida.
When I lived just north of Miami, I had neighbors from three or four nationalities who were very transient. The Algarve doesn’t have quite the same transient society that I felt in Southern Florida, but certainly from a heterogeneous perspective, there are a variety of nationalities that reside in the Algarve. It’s fairly likely that your neighbors will be Portuguese, English, Dutch, or German because of the number of people from those countries who have settled in the Algarve.
Most of the people who move to the Algarve would tend to be wealthy by Portuguese standards and comfortably middle class or wealthy by international standards. Most people who have made the decision to come here so they do so because they are financially able to afford to do so. This is a pensioner’s paradise. These are people who have their pensions intact and can afford a good living in the Algarve, where you could easily live on a lot less than you would if you were living in London, New York, Stockholm, Helsinki or Paris. And so, what we find is that people here who come from abroad and in particular the pensioners have a much higher quality of life and spending power, than the average across Portugal and from whence they came.
(Jose Mourinho, Portuguese football manager, pictured.)
What does it cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
David Smith - Nicaragua Sotheby's International Realty
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as...
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as little as $50 or $60 a night.
For $500 a week, you would get a two-bedroom home with an ocean view and a pool. For $1,000 a week, you would get you something bigger, nicer, and closer to the water; perhaps a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, closer to town or on the bay of San Juan, walking distance to the restaurants.
(Pool overlooking the bay at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, pictured.)
A “holiday” in Ambergris Caye is when you get a day off of work. “Celebrations” are days when, as a community, we celebrate something that we did. We have a Township Day. We take a day off and it’s a national celebration since it’s something that we really take pride in because that is the day when Ambergris Caye was no longer a village, but a town. That’s why we take pride in it and...
A “holiday” in Ambergris Caye is when you get a day off of work. “Celebrations” are days when, as a community, we celebrate something that we did. We have a Township Day. We take a day off and it’s a national celebration since it’s something that we really take pride in because that is the day when Ambergris Caye was no longer a village, but a town. That’s why we take pride in it and we come as a community to celebrate Township Day. This is just in Ambergris Caye. You are going to see a lot of people come out and celebrate.
In the month of June, we celebrate Dia de San Pedro, which is Saint Peter’s Day. That is when the whole community comes together and there are fireworks, there is a party, and most people here promote because it is a huge thing for us. It is our saint’s day. I am in the dance company from here for almost 8 years and we do shows on that day. It’s pretty festive.
Then there is Lobster Fest in July. That is one of the big things. It celebrates the opening of the lobster season. The restaurants here do a block party and they make lobster pizza, lobster ceviche, lobster tacos, lobster ice cream, and a lot of other things that can use lobster. That’s something we look forward to because lobster was how we got on the map of tourism. My grandfather used to be a fisherman and my dad used to be a fisherman as well until he became a dive master. People know that Belizeans are fishermen, they know that we have fish, and that’s how we got recognized in the tourism industry.
Then we have Costa Maya, which is an international festival that we have almost every year. Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and I think Panama and Nicaragua as well, hold a pageant similar to Miss Universe. People from these countries come here and compete in the pageant. It’s a 4-day celebration and we have different kinds of shows. It starts on a Thursday, which is the pageant and you have to pay for it. On Friday, international dance companies come here. On Saturday, an international artist comes here to perform. And Sunday is the huge beach party. This is celebrated on the first week of August. It’s a big celebration. Not only do we get people from other countries coming over but Belizeans come back home from the States and Belizeans from the mainland come here to celebrate.
(Fishing for lobster at the start of the season for Lobster Fest, pictured.)
My husband is 73 and he was on several medications over the last few years in America. We have been in Panama only 10 months and he has cut his medications in half. He feels better, has more energy and feels less stressed. We attribute our good health to foods, climate, and less stressful lifestyle here. He has lost over 12 pounds, walks often and enjoys our life here.
We were paying almost $700 per month additional to Medicare for supplemental...
Our gated condo community is a good place to call home. It has been our home for longer than a year and is located in a great location.
Some of the condos here are owned and some are rented out. Others have owners who come for a several months out of the year, while there are long-term residents here almost all the time.
The floor plans consist of two bedroom, two bath units with large patios on the back. The condos are all pretty much the...
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Our main crime here in Chapala and Ajijic would be petty theft. Personally, though, I can’t remember having being robbed here in the last 40 years. I tell people that when we were living here up in upper Ajijic, we missed one of the kid’s bicycles 30 years ago and they may have left it out in the street anyway. 
Your neighbors in the Algarve would be a mix depending on where you live. If you live in a town they would more likely be Portuguese. The bigger the town the more likely it would be to have Portuguese neighbors. Further out it is more likely there would be a mixed bag of people. There are certainly municipalities where six or seven nationalities could surround you, a little bit like Florida. 
The cost for a vacation rental in San Juan del Sur can range anywhere from US $50 a night to $500 a night, so you can stay on a luxury resort. You can rent a luxury home in Pacific Marlin and pay $500 a night. You can pay more if you want a chef provided. There are many vacation homes that will provide you with chef services and maid services for which you can pay a thousand dollars a night. San Juan del Sur has some super luxury options. And then we have lovely options for as...
A “holiday” in Ambergris Caye is when you get a day off of work. “Celebrations” are days when, as a community, we celebrate something that we did. We have a Township Day. We take a day off and it’s a national celebration since it’s something that we really take pride in because that is the day when Ambergris Caye was no longer a village, but a town. That’s why we take pride in it and...
It is possible to lower your US taxes if you qualify for the Foreign Earned Income Tax Exclusion. 
What does it take to build a house in Panama? (1).JPG)
condo community is a good place to call home. It has been our home for longer than a year and is located in a great location.
