Best Places In The World To Retire

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Recently Answered Questions

How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Yucatan: Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, etc?

Roddrigo Sidney Whalesharkdaddy - Cancun Whale Shark Tours

Well, yes there are mosquitos in the Yucatan areas, mainly in the early morning and again at dusk. Most hotel properties spray so it's not too bad. It's ALWAYS recommended to protect yourself as these pesky critters can carry Dengue, Chikungunya, and more bad diseases. Lather up with your favorite potion, be it OFF or natural repellents like citronella and cedar oil derived products. They are also attracted to dark clothing. ...

How much is it to build a house in Belize?

Gwido Mar - Grupo Mar Realty Ltd.

The cost to build a house in Belize depends on what materials will be used and where the house will be built. If you build a house on the islands, it costs considerably more compared to building a house inland.

If you are building a house made of wood inland, for example in the Cayo District or in Corozal, it would cost around US $80 to $90 per square foot to build. Concrete would be around $130 to $150 per square foot. It might not be up to American standards but it will be intermediate. It would not have granite countertops but it would have nice and decent fixtures. For sink faucets, for example, it would have Moen or Delta. In Belize, a Moen is cheaper than a Delta. Delta is the best brand you can get in Belize. In the intermediate home, they will include a Moen, which is a very good brand and it lasts for a very long time, but still it is not a Delta. Other things like that can be expected in Belize houses are items such as dimmers, a nice finish, ceramic tiles, etc. In intermediate homes, you could have ceramic tiles but in better homes you could have better ceramic tiles or even granite.

If you are going to build that same kind of house in the cayes, then you mark it up by 30 to 40%. So if you’re looking at a house that is 1,000 square feet, you can build it for $130,000 on the mainland and $180,000 if you were to build it on the cayes. This is just to build the house. You have to buy the land separately. These figures are on the conservative side. I am not talking about lavish homes, for which tdhe cost could be quite a bit more.

It costs more to build a house on the cayes in Belize mainly because of the cost of transporting the materials over to the cayes. Everything from sand, gravel, cement, steel, re-bar, etc. needs to be transported to the islands. Everything that you would see on the cayes are there because they were brought there on a barge. And because fuel is expensive, it marks up the price of building a house.

Another thing to consider is if you want to build split units of air-conditioning instead of having centralized air-conditioning. The more fancy homes have central air-conditioning.

What's the overall cost of living in the Pedasi, Azuero, Panama area?

El Sitio Playa Venao Spokesperson - El Sitio Playa Venao

Panama is not the cheapest destination but it is affordable. As an estimation, you will cut your spendings by 25% to 75% living in Panama rather than in North America. The savings will be higher if you choose to stay out of the city (for instance in Azuero Peninsula).

Do I lower my US income tax liabilities if I retire or work abroad?

Kristin Wilson - Orbis Relocation

Kristin Wilson working in Costa Rica in a hammock – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

I'm not technically allowed to give tax advice because I am not a licensed accountant, CPA, or tax attorney but I can comment that there are some generally well-known schemes.

For Americans, the bottom line is we're required to pay taxes on worldwide income regardless of where we live or for how long we lived there. You can move out of America and for never come back, but you still have to pay taxes. You still have to declare your taxes in America and pay whatever you owe.

This is not the case for other countries. In Spain, for example, if people want to change their tax domicile to a different country, they can do that. They wouldn't have to pay taxes and fees anymore. It's not like that in America. A lot of people think if they leave America that they don't have to pay taxes but that’s not true. You definitely need to hire a licensed person to look at your exact situation and give you advice. There are a lot of expats who are accountants out there. Qualified tax advice for expats is definitely something that's becoming more in demand as more people move and technology gets better and becomes easier and cheaper for people to travel and move around.

For US citizens, there’s also an income tax exclusion. Over the years it has increased to now it’s over $100,000 per year. There are a few different ways to qualify for it. One of the ways that people talk about it a lot is being outside of the country for 330 days a year. There are other ways to qualify for it. Any accountant who deals with these international matters would know.

Another thing to be aware of is that you have to declare your accounts. It's a pretty big topic. It's very complex and our tax code is very complex. There's a lot to think about. For this reason, I have never done my taxes on my own. It just gets complicated especially if you're living and working in more than one country.

There are, perhaps, ways to reduce your US tax liability. I know of a lot people who didn’t even file their taxes for 3 years or 5 years. Make sure you're on top of it so that you don't run into any sort of problems or penalties or things like that down the road. It's better to be upset about filing and paying now and get through it the right way than to avoid it and just assume that you don't have to pay anything and get in trouble later.

(Pictured: Kristin Wilson working in Costa Rica in a hammock.)

Are there poisonous reptiles, snakes and insects, and dangerous animals in Portugal?

Ana Ferraz

Eurasian wolf – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

There are no poisonous or dangerous animals in the areas of Portugal where people live. You may find them if you go up in the mountains or to the woods in the northern part of Lisbon, in the countryside. You will some little green snakes squashed on the roads that are not even a meter long.

Generally, you won’t hear of anybody bitten by a snake. There are no issues related to dangerous animals around the populated areas in Portugal.

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How safe and protected are my assets in Nicaragua?

Mike Cobb - ECI Development

Protecting assets and property in Nicaragua means following the rules, using common sense, and refraining from “Margarita Madness,” a disease where Americans forget their heads and do stupid things in a foreign country that they would never do at home. Never use the seller’s attorney. Always demand title insurance or proof of a master policy on the property you are buying. Never pay a bribe to get something done. Rent before you buy to really get the...

Recently Posted Expat Stories

What I learned from our Celador: Succeeding as an expat in five easy lessons.

1-You’re safer than you think

2-They’re on bikes for a reason

3-Different is neither worse nor better

4-Violence can be counter productive

5-Value is where you find it

The video was taken on our street in Medellin Colombia, and it will charm you with its subject matter, and inherent message. Here are five lessons on what we’ve learned as short time expats, thanks to...

New Zealand- 1980

This and the follow-up are untypical but may interest some who would not consider moving to the 'other side of the World'.

NEW ZEALAND

I'd worked for the UK defense department for 15 years and soon after disillusionment set in badly there appeared a recruitment team from Aotearoa (New Zealand). Lo and behold, they picked me for free emigration, family, lock stock and barrel! Now, I had never flown, nor even left the UK so there was much...

Lots of New Things in Coronado, Panama

Jet Metier was going to meet Rich Novak and his wife and business partner Janet in Panama, but Jet developed a “funny tummy” and had to beg off. More than a year later, as an avid listener to Rich’s radio program in podcast form, Jet wanted to turn the tables on “Your Man in Panama” and interview him.

Instead, Rich took the initiative and contacted Jet to report on what was new to the landscape in the environs of Coronado, Panama, the jewel in...