How's the golf in and around Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?
John K. Glaab - the settlement company®
For many years, La Paz didn’t have a golf course. Now they have two. The most recent is the first Gary Player-designed golf course in this hemisphere. Gary Player is quite an individual. When they opened that course, he stood on a tee, driving golf balls out in the ocean. He had a microphone and he was describing what it was like growing up as a white person in South Africa. He is a golf legend and such a gentleman. The golf course he designed is located in Costa Baja. It has two...
For many years, La Paz didn’t have a golf course. Now they have two. The most recent is the first Gary Player-designed golf course in this hemisphere. Gary Player is quite an individual. When they opened that course, he stood on a tee, driving golf balls out in the ocean. He had a microphone and he was describing what it was like growing up as a white person in South Africa. He is a golf legend and such a gentleman. The golf course he designed is located in Costa Baja. It has two marinas right there. It has one marina for 50 feet and under and the other one is for over 100 feet. People come here from all over.
I’ve lost track of the number of golf courses in Los Cabos, but I think they have about 15 golf courses. One of the latest is the Tiger Woods-designed course, which is the first one that he’s done in Mexico. Jack Nicklaus must have designed five or six golf courses in Los Cabos. He just designed a course when he was also building a home in Los Cabos.
When I moved here in 1991, I think there were only three golf courses, which are a big driver for the economy. You would be amazed at the size of some of the yachts that are coming into both Los Cabos and La Paz but they are more noticeable here in La Paz. Bill Gates spent a holiday season here before this one, had his yacht here on the La Paz harbor when his children took tennis lessons from the pro in La Paz. I’d say sports fishing and golf are two of the major things that are driving the boom in Los Cabos.
What do I need to know about international pet shipping, international pet travel, and international pet transport?
Holly CarterHolly
I moved to Panama from California with my two cats. We opted to have them travel in cargo because we knew that they were going to be very unhappy no matter where they were and didn't want to cause all the passengers on the plane to have a miserable flight.
There were a lot of hoops to jump through before our move. The airlines has a detailed list of their requirements as does the country you are moving to. I found that most of the requirements came...
I moved to Panama from California with my two cats. We opted to have them travel in cargo because we knew that they were going to be very unhappy no matter where they were and didn't want to cause all the passengers on the plane to have a miserable flight.
There were a lot of hoops to jump through before our move. The airlines has a detailed list of their requirements as does the country you are moving to. I found that most of the requirements came from the airlines. They really want to make sure they are transporting healthy animals and that you don't end up with a deceased pet at the other end of your journey. To be honest, I was more traumatized to leave them at the cargo gate then they were.
In Panama City we found a man who runs a business called Golden Frog Pet Relocation. He was right there when we arrived and took care of everything very smoothly. Our cats, though very unhappy during the journey, have adjusted and are back to their normal selves. I was very worried about them because they are older cats, 13, but they don't seem to have suffered any permanent damage. I suspect the only complaint you may hear them utter now that we are settled here in Bouquete, is that they'd love to get outside to hunt some of those delicious looking birds they can only stock through the window.
Generally, it is heavily legislated that if you are going to build something, you have to build to a certain standard and that standard tends to be good. There are no modern methods of building here. In other words, there is no steel frame, no wooden frame, or that kind of thing. We build using bricks and mortar. The structure is still reinforced with concrete on the structural load bearing parts of the building, villa, or apartment. You would also have a slab on each layer. If it is...
Generally, it is heavily legislated that if you are going to build something, you have to build to a certain standard and that standard tends to be good. There are no modern methods of building here. In other words, there is no steel frame, no wooden frame, or that kind of thing. We build using bricks and mortar. The structure is still reinforced with concrete on the structural load bearing parts of the building, villa, or apartment. You would also have a slab on each layer. If it is a two-story house, you would layer a concrete slab across and then you would in fill with brick. You would lay and run the services and utilities by literally breaking the brick and creating a little tunnel for the electric, the sewerage, and all the plumbing.
Generally, construction here in Algarve is very solid. This is not California in terms of earthquake risk but Portugal is not far away from a meeting of two of the tectonic plates in the Atlantic. The last major earthquake was quite some time ago, in 1755, it was very destructive so most of the modern buildings here are built to earthquake standards or close to it. From a physical construction perspective, you would find very solidly built properties. You will not be knocking on drywall and wooden structures here.
In terms of the quality and finishing perspective, the structures here in Algarve are very good, especially the modern builds. There is a proliferation of marble in Portugal so you will see a lot of buildings or homes that were finished with marble and with big tiles, which are very modern and clean. There is a very modern look to the inside of the house. The bathrooms are modern as well, with suspended sinks and a lot of glass.
An average-sized property is 1/3 bigger in Portugal than it is in Spain. Sometimes the size is reflected on the price and sometimes it is not. The pricing depends on the area. We find that people remark that the residential construction here has more space than they would have expected. A typical two-bedroom apartment, for example, would be in the region of 80 to 100 square meters (860 square feet to 1,077 square feet), whereas in Spain, the average is about 60 to 80 square meters (646 square feet to 860 square feet).
What are Rights of Possession in Belize and why is this so important for me to know?
Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.
In Belize, there is no such thing as rights of possession. There is either titled property or there is leased property. Titled property is what you can legally sell. Leased land is what the government gives to a national. It is only given to Belizeans. Foreigners cannot own leased land.
In Belize, any property that you need to transfer has to have a title. It is illegal for Belizeans to sell leased land to a foreigner.
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In Belize, there is no such thing as rights of possession. There is either titled property or there is leased property. Titled property is what you can legally sell. Leased land is what the government gives to a national. It is only given to Belizeans. Foreigners cannot own leased land.
In Belize, any property that you need to transfer has to have a title. It is illegal for Belizeans to sell leased land to a foreigner.
What are the best and worst things about living and retiring in Marbella, Panama City?
J. M. van Coutren - Tres Terrazas Vacation Rental
The best part of living in Marbella neighborhood of Panama City, Panama is the proximity to all of the stores and restaurants. The worst part is the twice daily sewage stench which arises during low tide from all the sewage which goes into the river and lets out into the bay in this area. It is an extremely strong odor which lasts several hours.
The best part of living in Marbella neighborhood of Panama City, Panama is the proximity to all of the stores and restaurants. The worst part is the twice daily sewage stench which arises during low tide from all the sewage which goes into the river and lets out into the bay in this area. It is an extremely strong odor which lasts several hours.
How's the weather in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua? What's the average temperature in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Diony Fuentes
It’s warm and breezy all year in San Juan Del Sur. It’s breezy and sunny but not dry or humid. The weather in San Juan Del Sur is a hundred times better than the weather in Managua even though these two places are relatively close to each other. Personally, I find it really hot and dry in Managua and when it rains, it’s just humid and hot at the same time.
In San Juan Del Sur, it’s breezy so it is so much cooler than in Managua. This is because...
It’s warm and breezy all year in San Juan Del Sur. It’s breezy and sunny but not dry or humid. The weather in San Juan Del Sur is a hundred times better than the weather in Managua even though these two places are relatively close to each other. Personally, I find it really hot and dry in Managua and when it rains, it’s just humid and hot at the same time.
In San Juan Del Sur, it’s breezy so it is so much cooler than in Managua. This is because of the winds coming from the Caribbean, through Lake Nicaragua, all the way to San Juan Del Sur. The weather is absolutely nice.
Organizing walking/bus tours in David has been interesting, in a good way. One question that keeps coming up from those new to the area is “What advice do you have for navigating these streets?” When I thought about it, I agreed it was somewhat scary to walk the streets in Panama City when I first arrived. However, for me the experience reminded me of some Caribbean countries. The truth is, after one month in Panama City, I felt as if I was risking my life...
In January 2013, Archaeologists working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, discovered a cluster of 12 unusual stones in the back of a small, prehistoric rock-shelter near the town of Boquete. The cache represents the earliest material evidence of shamanistic practice in lower Central America. Ruth Dickau, Leverhulme Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Exeter in England, unearthed the cache of stones in the Casita de Piedra rock-shelter in 2007. A...
We were very pleased when Robert Adams offered us the YouTube video below, in which he puts the Panama Papers into context. Bob is an expert in economic development and has a great perspective. We invite you to watch and listen as Bob provides a balanced view, not only of the Panama Papers, but also where it fits within the larger stories of, on the one hand, corruption, incompetence, short-sidedness and hypocrisy, and on the other, his admiration and...