What's the cost of living in San Miguel de Allende?
Cathy Rocha
The cost of living in San Miguel de Allende depends upon what a person’s income is, and what their lifestyle choices are. Are they never going to eat in a restaurant? Are they not going to buy imported goods? Are they going to do without things?
I know people who live on US $500 a month in San Miguel de Allende, and I know people who live on up to US $5,000 a month. I personally am not willing to do without things that are important to me-...
The cost of living in San Miguel de Allende depends upon what a person’s income is, and what their lifestyle choices are. Are they never going to eat in a restaurant? Are they not going to buy imported goods? Are they going to do without things?
I know people who live on US $500 a month in San Miguel de Allende, and I know people who live on up to US $5,000 a month. I personally am not willing to do without things that are important to me- organic, non-GMO, and things of that nature. If I have to import something, I will import it. I will have things shipped to me, and I will go to the organic stores that are pricier and purchase things that I know to be familiar and that are good for my health. Those are the things that I’m not willing to let go of.
In San Miguel de Allende, one could live very well on very little. And I think that people live very elaborately.
You can’t live off of US $500 a month in California, and it would also be really hard to live in San Miguel de Allende for US $500, unless you owned your own home. I do know people who do own their own home in San Miguel de Allende who live on U$500 - $600 a month, though.
For example, I have a really close woman friend in her 80’s who only receives a little less than $500 in Social Security, and she moved to San Miguel de Allende from Southern California where she sold her properties about 18 years ago. She built several casitas in San Miguel de Allende, so she receives her $500 from Social Security, plus the amount that she makes every month from renting out these casitas that she built. She probably lives very well on under a thousand US dollars a month. Her casitas are very, very simple and are very inexpensive.
San Miguel de Allende is an expensive town compared to other towns in Mexico. We can drive an hour to Celaya or to Querétaro where things are less expensive, or 35 minutes to Dolores Hidalgo, where things are more than fifty percent less than in San Miguel de Allende.
How easy would it be for me to find a job in Belize?
Christian Burn
As a foreigner, you can get a job in Belize, if you first can beat out other Belizeans going for the job. Some expats are over- qualified for a job, and then they expect a paycheck that reflects their qualifications, and it just does not come. This is why I think it is best for expats in Belize to start their own business or by being creative and juggling between several jobs.
If you have a nice government job in Canada and you come to Belize expecting to get the same...
As a foreigner, you can get a job in Belize, if you first can beat out other Belizeans going for the job. Some expats are over- qualified for a job, and then they expect a paycheck that reflects their qualifications, and it just does not come. This is why I think it is best for expats in Belize to start their own business or by being creative and juggling between several jobs.
If you have a nice government job in Canada and you come to Belize expecting to get the same government job, you might end up getting frustrated. A company cannot hire you if they are able to find other Belizeans who qualify for the job you are looking to fill. A prospective employer has to be able to prove that he or she advertised a particular job opening for four weeks to the local Belizean community and was unable to find a qualified Belizean to do the job before that employer is allowed to hire someone who is not a Belizean.
How much does it cost for a gardener in Nicaragua?
Mike Cobb - ECI Development
A gardener in Nicaragua is $100 per month for full time. In many cases your gardener is also your caretaker.
We share a gardener with one of our neighbors, and the benefits are great. For one, since plants grow so quickly, we require constant yard / shrub care and the homes are beautifully landscaped. Plus, we’ve taught our gardener to change the oil in the car, maintain the blower / weed trimmers, and other small jobs around the house.
...
A gardener in Nicaragua is $100 per month for full time. In many cases your gardener is also your caretaker.
We share a gardener with one of our neighbors, and the benefits are great. For one, since plants grow so quickly, we require constant yard / shrub care and the homes are beautifully landscaped. Plus, we’ve taught our gardener to change the oil in the car, maintain the blower / weed trimmers, and other small jobs around the house.
Caretakers inside the city maintain vigilance on the home, accept deliveries, do small repairs and paint touch up.
In general, how does the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) affect me if I move overseas?
Jay Butler - Asset Protection Services of America
What the FATCA is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act?
Like a thief in the night, President Barack Hussein Obama enacted Public Law 111-147 (H.R. 2847) just after midnight at 00:01 hours on March 18th, 2010. This law provides the "fiscal transparency" promised under an Obama administration - but just not from the government; it is the citizenry who are subject to such scrutiny.
On February 8th, 2012 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the Proposed Regulations for
What the FATCA is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act?
Like a thief in the night, President Barack Hussein Obama enacted Public Law 111-147 (H.R. 2847) just after midnight at 00:01 hours on March 18th, 2010. This law provides the "fiscal transparency" promised under an Obama administration - but just not from the government; it is the citizenry who are subject to such scrutiny.
On February 8th, 2012 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the Proposed Regulations for the FATCA implementation and subsequent instructions on how and when to file Form 8938 stating, "U.S. taxpayers with specified foreign financial assets that exceed certain thresholds must report these assets to the IRS".
On the same day, the U.S Treasury released a 'Joint Statement' with the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom "Regarding an intergovernmental approach to improving international tax compliance and implementing FATCA".
So what the FATCA just happened? In layman's terms, "The U.S. government has once again increased its power and scope of authority to intrude, investigate and regulate virtually every sizable international financial transaction you make starting in 2013."
The focus of this answer is to look at House Resolution 2847, or the HIRE Act (Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act). And within the legislation, under Title V "Offset Provisions", we shall examine one section of Subtitle A, which is where you can go to find more on how to get FATC "Foreign Account Tax Compliant".
Here are some highlights of "Change You Can Believe In". When Americans wish to send money offshore next year, we find it reads in Part 1, Section 501(a), Chapter 4, Section 1474(a):
"In the case of any withholdable payment to a foreign financial institute which does not meet the requirements of subsection (b), the withholding agent with respect to such payment shall deduct and withhold from such payment a tax equal to 30 percent of the amount of such payment."
The aggregate amount for foreign financial assets has initially been set exceeding $50,000. Eerily, the federal income tax started at a mere 3% wartime tax, was never repealed, and has brackets today well over 40%. History has demonstrated governments will expand their power and attempt to lower this $50,000 threshold.
The term "withholdable payment" is broad and covers virtually all salaries, wages, dividends, annuities, periodical gains, profits, and income; or gross proceeds from the sale of property which can produce interest or dividends from sources in the United States.
The term "foreign financial institution" does not refer to just offshore institutions, but any financial institution which does not meet the requirements of subsection (b) to "comply with such verification and due diligence procedures as the Secretary may require with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts." And if any financial institution is not in compliance with these yet to-be-determined procedures required by the Secretary before 2013 (some by 2014) then such financial institutions shall be considered "foreign".
The term "withholding agent" refers to the bank who is sending the money and is responsible for deducting the payment. Generally, banks charge a fee to send a wire transfer and are not designed to be an administrative body capable of determining if the receiving financial institution has a tax-sharing agreement with the IRS and is currently in compliance with the requirements of subsection (b).
Under this law, foreign financial institutions shall be pressured to report the name, address, and Tax Identification Number (TIN) of each account which has a United States person as a beneficial owner, including foreign entities. Banks will be forced to disclose account numbers, balances, receipts, withdrawals and payments.
So, in short, Obama has turned your bank and financial institutions around the world, into tax policemen. Since banks will not assume any liability for failing to withhold the 30% from your transactions, they will likely turn these payments over to the IRS or will begin refusing to comply with the disclosure requirements altogether and close-out the accounts of American citizens as has Hong Kong, Switzerland and other prominent jurisdictions.
Americans have never had so many reasons to protect their assets than with the passage of this Draconian bill.
How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Algarve?
Luis Teixeira da Silva - Algarve Senior Living
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a...
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a scent that repels mosquitoes. These candles are easily available at the department stores or hardware stores and cost between €1 (US $1.10 or £ 0.75) and €5 ($5.50 or £ 3.69) depending on the size of the content. It’s a very efficient way of getting rid of mosquitoes.
Inside houses, you can also have electric, plug-in mosquito repellant units, but overall, there is no need to use mosquito repellant all the time here in the Algarve. To date, there has not been any outbreaks of any kind of diseases which are brought about by mosquitoes, such as malaria or dengue.
(Medieval castle, Castelo de Alcoutim on the San Marcos River, Algarve, Portugal, pictured. )
I have been living in Belize for all of my 30 years, a descendant of many cultures. My great-grandfather was a Scotsman who moved to Belize and married an African who became my great-grandmother. Thus was created the blend of what I am.
I've had opportunities to work with and for many foreigners who came to Belize, like my great-grandfather, to fulfill their dreams. With this exposure, I became interested about life in other countries and how the experiences of the...
We were looking forward to visiting Puebla again, so as one of our few extravagances while returning to Lake Chapala as quickly as possible, we booked two nights at the hotel in Puebla we had enjoyed so much. Staying there an extra night would also make it possible for us to see a bit of the city.
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One of the wonderful advantages of living in Panamá is the variety of lifestyles and environments in this small country. Think of California on a smaller scale. You can live in one of the Pacific Coast beach communities, in the cool highlands of El Valle or Boquete, the islands of Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean side, in a country home in the interior, or in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Latin America. When my wife and I first moved...
The cost of living in San Miguel de Allende depends upon what a person’s income is, and what their lifestyle choices are. Are they never going to eat in a restaurant? Are they not going to buy imported goods? Are they going to do without things? 
The mosquitoes and other insects are not that bad here in Algarve. We are not Florida and we are not Central America. Anyone who is accustomed to living in those places would find Algarve to be a welcomed relief. We clearly do get some flies and mosquitoes in the summer but they are not at the epidemic level. Some houses here have pools so sometimes mosquitoes breed in the water and we have to swat them away but it’s not a big deal. People here often get wax candles that have a...
I have been living in Belize for all of my 30 years, a descendant of many cultures. My great-grandfather was a Scotsman who moved to Belize and married an African who became my great-grandmother. Thus was created the blend of what I am..jpg)
We were looking forward to visiting Puebla again, so as one of our few extravagances while returning to Lake Chapala as quickly as possible, we booked two nights