How's the golf in and around Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Thomas Hellyer - Chapala Home Sales
Locally, there are two golf courses in Chapala and Ajijic. One is in Chula Vista, which is in between the towns of Chapala and Ajijic. It is a no-cart course, hilly with short fairways, but tricky so that is one where you have to have a really good short game. It is a nine-hole course with two tees for each hole so you can play 18-holes or different approaches.
We also have a larger, more traditional golf course on the east end past Chapala, called the Chapala Country Club,...
Locally, there are two golf courses in Chapala and Ajijic. One is in Chula Vista, which is in between the towns of Chapala and Ajijic. It is a no-cart course, hilly with short fairways, but tricky so that is one where you have to have a really good short game. It is a nine-hole course with two tees for each hole so you can play 18-holes or different approaches.
We also have a larger, more traditional golf course on the east end past Chapala, called the Chapala Country Club, which is surrounded by the Vista de Lago housing development. That golf course allows carts and is also a 9-hole course but with eighteen pins.
Within half hour to an hour away from Chapala and Ajijic, there is a whole bunch of golf courses in the Guadalajara area that are very fancy and beautiful as well. Groups of expats from here go to those golf courses as well.
The common price for golf club memberships here is very low on an annual basis. Neither of the local courses are public courses so for non-members, I believe it costs somewhere between US $25 to $40 to play a round.
(Chapala Country Club, Chapala, Mexico, pictured.)
Dental care in Nicaragua is outstanding. We have a lot of local Nicaraguan dentists who have been coming back home in recent years. We have very affordable, world class dental care here in Nicaragua.
As an example, two of my teeth had a crack on the sides and I had porcelain work on both of them here in Nicaragua for US $40 for each tooth. So dental care in Nicaragua is a lot less than in the States. If you go to a recommended dentist, someone...
Dental care in Nicaragua is outstanding. We have a lot of local Nicaraguan dentists who have been coming back home in recent years. We have very affordable, world class dental care here in Nicaragua.
As an example, two of my teeth had a crack on the sides and I had porcelain work on both of them here in Nicaragua for US $40 for each tooth. So dental care in Nicaragua is a lot less than in the States. If you go to a recommended dentist, someone that people recommend for their good work and honesty, you are more than likely to get really good, world class dental care, which is equal to what you would get in the US, or even better.
The business culture in Portugal can be frustrating. The biggest problem in Portugal, as in other southern European countries, is that the legal system does not work. If you have a dispute to try and recover a debt, your case could take up to 15 years to get heard and there are people who use that situation to their advantage. The business culture here in Portugal is not at par as with Anglo-Saxon models; it has a much lower level.
There is a growing trend...
The business culture in Portugal can be frustrating. The biggest problem in Portugal, as in other southern European countries, is that the legal system does not work. If you have a dispute to try and recover a debt, your case could take up to 15 years to get heard and there are people who use that situation to their advantage. The business culture here in Portugal is not at par as with Anglo-Saxon models; it has a much lower level.
There is a growing trend towards entrepreneurship here in Portugal, although the problem is that small operations have very little access to funding. It’s not like in America where you have these venture capital and angel capital firms and other companies that help new businesses. Here, you basically have to ask your family to lend you money so you could set up a business.
(Queen Leonor in travel poster set in Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal, pictured.)
Are there natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes, fire or hurricanes in Coronado, Panama?
Cecilio F. Saenz Fisher
There are no hurricanes or tornados in Panama at all, which would be even less likely at the Pacific shore, where Coronado is located. Also when it rains in Coronado, it doesn't take too long to see the sun shining again just a half an hour later. As a result, there is not much chance of flooding in Coronado for any reason.
There are no hurricanes or tornados in Panama at all, which would be even less likely at the Pacific shore, where Coronado is located. Also when it rains in Coronado, it doesn't take too long to see the sun shining again just a half an hour later. As a result, there is not much chance of flooding in Coronado for any reason.
There are no required vaccinations if you are going to Belize but if you go to the jungle, it is advantageous for you to take the anti-malarial and use a bug repellant.
Healthcare and medical services cost US $60 for a walk-in, so it is not as cheap as Nicaragua or Panama. They do not have state-of-the-are facilities in Belize like they do in Panama or Nicaragua.
There are no required vaccinations if you are going to Belize but if you go to the jungle, it is advantageous for you to take the anti-malarial and use a bug repellant.
Healthcare and medical services cost US $60 for a walk-in, so it is not as cheap as Nicaragua or Panama. They do not have state-of-the-are facilities in Belize like they do in Panama or Nicaragua.
Do I need a second passport if I retire, work, or live abroad?
Jay Butler - Asset Protection Services of America
We know of no country which requires a person to obtain a second passport to retire or work abroad.
However it would be prudent to point out that retiring abroad (meaning the ability to reside in another country) does not in-and-of-itself grant you the right to work in that country should you so wish to do so. Although working abroad may somewhat contradict the point of retiring abroad, you may get a little bored over time or find the need to...
We know of no country which requires a person to obtain a second passport to retire or work abroad.
However it would be prudent to point out that retiring abroad (meaning the ability to reside in another country) does not in-and-of-itself grant you the right to work in that country should you so wish to do so. Although working abroad may somewhat contradict the point of retiring abroad, you may get a little bored over time or find the need to create additional income should your retirement budget prove insufficient in satisfying your desired lifestyle.
For example, Belize offers a "Qualified Retired Persons Program" which, upon approval of meeting their annual $24,000 per year retirement income qualification, allows foreigners to reside (retire) in their country. The same program also offers an optional "work visa" for applicants willing to pay the additional application fees. So, this is an illustration of how a second passport is not required to retire or work abroad and furthers the answer by distinguishing the ability to retire and the ability to work in a foreign country.
So, although the immediate answer to this question is direct and straight forward, I would caution readers to be aware of the difference between a residency or retirement permit and a work visa. Be sure to seek legal advice with regards to the laws of the country wherein you have an interest to retire or work abroad.
Additionally, if you choose to live in a country which currently offers any dual-citizenship programs by means of naturalization or investment, you should be conscious of the laws in your home country too. Some retirement benefits may require you to maintain residency in your home jurisdiction and certain government pensions forbid residing outside the country for extensive periods of time - usually determined to be in excess of 180 days.
Lastly, although you do not need a second passport to reside or work abroad, you still need to ensure your current passport is valid in your home country whenever traveling, retiring or working abroad. Many countries will not even grant entry into their country if your current passport has less than 6 months time remaining to expiration. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to renew your passport as soon as you have entered the last 12 months of its validity. If you are retiring or working abroad you will, at the very least, need to have one current passport issued from your home country.
Calling yourself an ex-patriot does not necessarily mean you renounce or reject your home country. An expatriate is any person living in a different country from where they were born as a citizen. Recently, the term "expat" is often used in the context of professionals working abroad such as oil workers or missionaries.
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We have many friends who are living the day-to-day hardship of the crisis in America. They choose to stay and deal with the political, economic and emotional stress on a daily basis. It takes a toll on everyone of all ages.
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A Sunday afternoon turns from day to night quickly as dark, heavy clouds cover the sky. Lightening bolts across the dark sky and distant thunder rumbles to announce the coming storm. Lights come on like twinkling stars in homes across the valley and up and down the beach. It doesn’t rain here; it is far away but welcome no matter. The fresh scent of rain comes across on the wind and cools off the balcony.