Best Places In The World To Retire

The price of land in Puerto Vallarta is all over the place because just like anywhere else we have neighborhoods that are dense and considered highly desirable because they’re close to the beach or maybe they’re nestled in the side of a mountain.  And then we have the areas inland and further from the beach and town.

 

And Puerto Vallarta is big.  It’s the entire Banderas Bay area, which covers a lot of miles.  Much of it is...

The price of land in Puerto Vallarta is all over the place because just like anywhere else we have neighborhoods that are dense and considered highly desirable because they’re close to the beach or maybe they’re nestled in the side of a mountain.  And then we have the areas inland and further from the beach and town.

 

And Puerto Vallarta is big.  It’s the entire Banderas Bay area, which covers a lot of miles.  Much of it is ocean front and much of it inland.   The good news is that someone coming down to buy a starter home or vacation/retirement property who didn’t need to be right near the beach, could buy a beautiful little house or condo for $50,000 to $100,000.  The prices can go up well into the Millions for luxury beach front property in prime areas.

 

A 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home, 2,000 square feet in a nice, safe neighborhood, not on the beach but maybe 10 minutes away, would cost $150,000 to $200,000 for the home and the land.

 

(A little town only accessible by boat in Banderas Bay, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.) 

Yes, it safe to drink the water in Portugal in most areas. Sometimes, if you’re out in country houses, a lot of people will have their own wells and then they say not to drink the water or they’re just fine because people will have their well water filtered.

 

A lot of people buy bottled water, but, I, for example, drink from the tap. It depends on how you respond, but on average, it’s fine.

 

(Ancient Roman...

Yes, it safe to drink the water in Portugal in most areas. Sometimes, if you’re out in country houses, a lot of people will have their own wells and then they say not to drink the water or they’re just fine because people will have their well water filtered.

 

A lot of people buy bottled water, but, I, for example, drink from the tap. It depends on how you respond, but on average, it’s fine.

 

(Ancient Roman aqueduct near Tomar, Portugal, pictured.)  

The cost range to go to the movies in Nicaragua is from US $3 to $7. You may wonder why there is a difference in price, so I will explain the difference below. 

 

The lowest cost of $3 is for a regular ticket, in which case you don't have the option to select your seat location and you will sit in a location based on availability. If you are a university student or a retired person from Nicaragua they would even give an...

The cost range to go to the movies in Nicaragua is from US $3 to $7. You may wonder why there is a difference in price, so I will explain the difference below. 

 

The lowest cost of $3 is for a regular ticket, in which case you don't have the option to select your seat location and you will sit in a location based on availability. If you are a university student or a retired person from Nicaragua they would even give an additional discount. 

 

The higher cost is for the VIP movie hall, where you have the option to make a reservation online, select your seat location and enjoy the movie on the leather seats with reclining system. In addition they offer waiter service in the lobby and halls and an extensive menu for imported liquor which you can accompany with different options of fast food. 

 

I definitely recommend to go to the VIP lounge.  It's always nicer and more relaxing. 

The entire Placencia peninsula has completely changed. From north down to south, Placencia has undergone huge development, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the entire country of Belize. The development is very big all the way up north to the Placencia Hotel and it continues as you go down the peninsula going south.

 

The development was so fast that it has changed a lot in less than 10 years. 10 years ago, the development was only in the north...

The entire Placencia peninsula has completely changed. From north down to south, Placencia has undergone huge development, perhaps more so than anywhere else in the entire country of Belize. The development is very big all the way up north to the Placencia Hotel and it continues as you go down the peninsula going south.

 

The development was so fast that it has changed a lot in less than 10 years. 10 years ago, the development was only in the north but now it goes further down to the rest of the peninsula. There are huge developments in real estate and there are now about 4 or 5 new condo buildings in Placencia. There are many new real estate developments in Placencia. We are now pre-selling properties here. You can buy a condo before the building is even started. Placencia is developing very fast and high.

 

There are a lot of villas in the northern part of Placencia and that area is being developed. There are two huge buildings but they had some finance trouble.  There were some legal issues and they are now not finished. When you go further down south, there is a long two-level condo, which keeps on growing. There is another private villa in that same area.

 

The developments in Placencia are all different. The land is cheap for the people who bought the land a while ago and many of the developments are less than 10 years old. 

 

If you go to Maya Beach in particular, there are so many gorgeous houses, many of which are for sale.  It’s just that the owners are very picky. A lot of those people now want to sell because they believe they can get high prices for their homes. 

 

(Pictured: pool overlooking the sea in Placencia.)

There are a variety is issues which could give rise to avoid retiring overseas.  Of those reasons, herein are my “top 3” worst reasons to retire overseas:

 

HEALTHCARE

 

While some jurisdictions may, in fact, have superior healthcare facilities to those in the United States, the healthcare services of many countries are far inferior to those in America.  Consistent access to quality medication at affordable...

There are a variety is issues which could give rise to avoid retiring overseas.  Of those reasons, herein are my “top 3” worst reasons to retire overseas:

 

HEALTHCARE

 

While some jurisdictions may, in fact, have superior healthcare facilities to those in the United States, the healthcare services of many countries are far inferior to those in America.  Consistent access to quality medication at affordable rates can, surprisingly, be more challenging than you may realize.  Also, when you are of retirement age and experience a serious medical challenge, it can be extremely expense, if not life threatening, to travel (or be transported) to a neighboring country which has qualified physicians needed to properly treat your ailment.  While you may do your best to choose a favorable jurisdiction for your golden age, countries which boast low-cost retirement havens often lack proper medical facilities.

 

FAMILY AND FRIENDS

 

Assuming you have children, you may find yourself missing out on watching your grandson’s first baseball game or granddaughter’s communion.  Lifelong friends, who are also of retirement age, may not have the resources to come and visit you but once every few years.  Unless you are part of a small community to provide you with the emotional support needed to maintain a healthy emotional state of mind, it is easy to become increasingly depressed living isolated from family and friends.  Are you mentally and emotionally prepared to communicate with your closest of friends and family via video or social media?  When you no longer wish to travel back to the United States, there may be extended periods of time when no comes to visit you either.

 

FINANCES AND EXCHANGE RATES

 

Lack of finances ranks among the primary causes of tremendous stress.  Unless you have reasonably substantial savings for your retirement, you may find yourself in an extremely uncomfortable position overseas.  Adding insult to injury, if you wished to work part-time to generate some additional income, most retirement visa’s do not allow for any formal work to be undertaken by a retiree as it places unnecessary burdens on the local community whom often struggle with finding work for their families.  Additionally, currencies and exchange rate are subject to slow degradations as well as massive swings.  Meaning, you may have moved to a country wherein you enjoyed a favorable exchange rate when you arrived but find yourself getting far less ‘bang for your buck’ as time moves on.