Best Places In The World To Retire

Construction standards are broadly defined, Readers, speaking to you as an architect turned Realtor. Let’s talk about what that might mean.

 

The type of construction here in San Miguel de Allende, as in most all of Mexico, is overwhelmingly reinforced-concrete structural components infilled with red brick or sometimes adobe brick, with cast-concrete floors and roofs.  Almost without exception, any wood you see in a home is ornamental (those viga...

Construction standards are broadly defined, Readers, speaking to you as an architect turned Realtor. Let’s talk about what that might mean.

 

The type of construction here in San Miguel de Allende, as in most all of Mexico, is overwhelmingly reinforced-concrete structural components infilled with red brick or sometimes adobe brick, with cast-concrete floors and roofs.  Almost without exception, any wood you see in a home is ornamental (those viga beams we all love are just decorative, for example). That means the homes are uninsulated, which can be problematic in a cold winter if your home was not designed with any consciousness of the solar orientation of the home. Conversely, it has positive benefits: the structural component of a wall is at the top of the wall and usually spans the entire room.  If you want to double the width of a door or window, it’s easy to do!

 

However, if you want to discuss construction standards as they might compare to the U.S., there is little if any building code that builders must adhere to as they must in the U.S. You will seldom see electrical outlets placed every eight feet along a wall, seldom see GFI outlets in the bathrooms and kitchen, stair treads considered life-threatening and illegal in the U.S. are par for the course here, handrails are a bonus not an expectation and, well, you get the picture. The homes here are often (although not always) well built, just not to the same standards to which you might be accustomed. The good news is that if you don’t like running a 15-foot extension cord across your living room, adding a new outlet is very inexpensive!

 

Be sure to work with a good Realtor (maybe one who is also an architect!) who will guide you through these issues and expectations, and who can steer you to the best home inspector!

If you are a Portuguese resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, if that income is taxed in the other country, then you can get relief under the double tax agreement, with the refund provided by Portugal.

 

As an example, let’s say you’re from the US, you live in Portugal and you are a legal resident of Portugal.  Portugal will tax you on all of the money that you make worldwide, which includes income in the US, in...

If you are a Portuguese resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income. However, if that income is taxed in the other country, then you can get relief under the double tax agreement, with the refund provided by Portugal.

 

As an example, let’s say you’re from the US, you live in Portugal and you are a legal resident of Portugal.  Portugal will tax you on all of the money that you make worldwide, which includes income in the US, in Portugal, and in any other country; it makes no difference. But if you have paid tax on the same income in a foreign country, you can claim a deduction on your Portuguese tax return of the tax that was paid or withheld in the foreign country. You get a tax credit, which will then lower the amount of tax that you pay in Portugal. 

 

In order to be a tax resident of Portugal, you have to be in the country for 183 days within the year or alternatively, you could rent a home, which is considered to be your permanent residence. If you are not a tax resident in Portugal, you are only taxed on the income that you earn in Portugal and not on your other worldwide income.

 

There is a special regime that was set up about 5 years ago, which institutes a special 10-year tax holiday for people who come to retire to Portugal from another country, called the Non-Habitual Resident Regime. If people who qualify receive foreign income in Portugal, they have to declare that income but they do not have to pay tax on that income for 10 years.  This includes both earned income and retirement income. They will only pay taxes on the income that they earn in Portugal. This tax regime has attracted a lot of Northern Europeans to come to Portugal. It has also attracted a lot of French people who were trying to escape the very high taxes that are now being applied to wealthy people in France. 

 

There has been a big takeover bid by the left wing parties who are now the governing parties in Portugal. They may overturn this particular regime in order to fund the increase in pensions of the local people and increase the salaries of the public servants, which were cut under the previous government. Whether they will overturn it or not, I cannot answer, but I can report that Portugal has a habit of introducing really attractive legislation (for example, doing away with inheritance tax) and then when another government comes in, the legislation may get repealed. When this happens after a lot of people have already made arrangements, it can become an absolute nightmare.

 

(The town of Évora, Portugal shown with its medieval walls, drawn in 1501, pictured.)

Yes, there is a lot of flooding in Belize, especially in the last 2 to 3 years. People have lost homes and there was a time, about 7 years ago when there was a hurricane, in which the entire southern district and the Stann Creek District was flooded and an entire family died. Also one of the major bridges that goes to Stann Creek and Toledo got washed out, so we do experience a lot of flooding.

 

I’ve heard people in Belize City who...

Yes, there is a lot of flooding in Belize, especially in the last 2 to 3 years. People have lost homes and there was a time, about 7 years ago when there was a hurricane, in which the entire southern district and the Stann Creek District was flooded and an entire family died. Also one of the major bridges that goes to Stann Creek and Toledo got washed out, so we do experience a lot of flooding.

 

I’ve heard people in Belize City who experience rain for an entire day, and the entire streets are filled with water and the roads are blocked. It can get problematic in some areas because there is only one way to go to work or one way to go to school. Children cannot go to school that day because they can’t pass the road or the people can’t go to work. Some villages and some towns have some flooding, but it’s mostly during the rainy season. It does not flood all year. It’s mostly during the months of October and November in which we experience most rain.

 

Lately we have been experiencing some changes in the weather. We normally get the rains in October and November, but last year and the year before, we got a lot of rain in December as well, and sometimes even up to January.

 

Flooding in Belize is not a reason for you not to move here. If it floods here, it could last for days because the water cannot get out. But I guess, if you are planning to move here and you’re concerned about the flooding, then maybe you can move to the higher areas.

 

I haven’t heard of one incident of flooding in the cayes, but here in San Ignacio, it can get flooded. There are times when it comes, and then it goes. It can get flooded for a day and as soon as it stops raining, the water will drain. I think the problem of flooding would be if we had a major hurricane coming, but we do not experience many hurricanes coming to Belize. We mostly get rains, but that’s about it. I personally live beside a creek and I have lived there for 10 years and my house hasn’t ever been flooded. There were some years where the water almost came close to our house, but it didn’t flood our house. Here in San Ignacio, drains and streets could get flooded, but not the homes. 

 

(Men  navigating a small boat on the waterways of the Belize River, pictured.)

For me personally, I was surprised by how friendly people are and how much help and suggestions they give. I constantly encountered someone who would say, “Oh, try this,” or to go to a particular store if I’m looking for a particular item. I was surprised at how friendly they were because I think they have also experienced or at least they have an idea of how relocating is, and they just want you to feel comfortable.

 

I was also surprised...

For me personally, I was surprised by how friendly people are and how much help and suggestions they give. I constantly encountered someone who would say, “Oh, try this,” or to go to a particular store if I’m looking for a particular item. I was surprised at how friendly they were because I think they have also experienced or at least they have an idea of how relocating is, and they just want you to feel comfortable.

 

I was also surprised at the different pace of life. What is important changes sometimes when you move abroad. Having the latest in fashion is no longer the most important thing for me anymore, whereas before I left London, that was the most important thing. I love being able to go to the beach at the drop of a hat and being able to organize a barbecue next weekend because it is going to be sunny without having to worry about these other things.

 

It is nice to live in a country where family is the first priority. It is very easy to make friends and spend time with them. You might go out once or twice a week maybe in the UK, but here in Panama, there is something going on every night and you can always attend it if you want to. All these things and many others made me happy when I moved here to Panama.

One can see flowers, plants and trees in Coronado, Panama. However, I recommend a better place: El Valle de Antón, which is located about 30 minutes by car from Coronado, up in the mountains. Coronado is great for the beach, sand and sun, but if you'd like to see foliage and beautiful flowers, please visit El Valle de Antón, where there is a market with plants for sale.

Just be sure, when you buy a plant or flowers for your garden, that the plant you...

One can see flowers, plants and trees in Coronado, Panama. However, I recommend a better place: El Valle de Antón, which is located about 30 minutes by car from Coronado, up in the mountains. Coronado is great for the beach, sand and sun, but if you'd like to see foliage and beautiful flowers, please visit El Valle de Antón, where there is a market with plants for sale.

Just be sure, when you buy a plant or flowers for your garden, that the plant you buy is appropriate for the conditions in the area where you live.  Many people buy beautiful plants in El Valle and try to seed their gardens in Coronado,or or some other similar place.  Some plants are for cool weather and couldn't exist in a hot place like the beach.