What's the price of a home, condo or apartment in Yucatan: Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, etc?
Paulina Almeida - Tao Real Estate
A luxury condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and with a Gulf view or a jungle view in the state of Quintana Roo (includes Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and here in Akumal starts at about US $180,000. This amount is for the highest quality materials and a great location in the Riviera Maya.
This price is strictly for Tao Mexico which is a master planned community that’s higher end with an enormous amount of residential...
A luxury condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and with a Gulf view or a jungle view in the state of Quintana Roo (includes Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and here in Akumal starts at about US $180,000. This amount is for the highest quality materials and a great location in the Riviera Maya.
This price is strictly for Tao Mexico which is a master planned community that’s higher end with an enormous amount of residential amenities and part of a much larger community
In Playa del Carmen and in Tulum, condos also cost $180,000 but these condos are a lot smaller because of the fact that Tulum now has a lot of construction going on.
Pricing of land is different in Tulum because the land is from Ejido, which means it is owned by a cooperative where there are some complications on clear title. When there is a lot of Ejido land, it takes a lot of land off of the market, so the remaining land becomes much more valuable, and therefore more expensive. This is why it’s really difficult to buy land in Tulum.
In Tulum, it is a little complicated to construct and to buy land, and that’s why I would not recommend investing in Tulum. The rest of the Riviera Maya, on the other hand, does not have a lot of Ejido land.
It is a little bit more expensive in Cancun than Tulum. In Cancun, you will get a loft with one bedroom for $180,000. That would be in a good, safe area, but it will be smaller.
(TAO Inspired Living condos and golf course, Akumal, Mexico, pictured.)
In addition to Mr. Stone´s complete answer, I´ll like to add that sometimes the dates of the holidays are transferred to make a long weekend. Also during carnival, independence and Holy Week holidays, pretty much everything is closed, and locals go to their country houses to enjoy these days off. And, usually, because these times are high season, airline tickets and hotels are slightly higher.
In addition to Mr. Stone´s complete answer, I´ll like to add that sometimes the dates of the holidays are transferred to make a long weekend. Also during carnival, independence and Holy Week holidays, pretty much everything is closed, and locals go to their country houses to enjoy these days off. And, usually, because these times are high season, airline tickets and hotels are slightly higher.
The Algarve is made up of two areas. One is the coastal Algarve, which is the strip of land closest to the Atlantic Ocean, and the other area is the interior of Algarve, called “Barrocal.” This division, which is geographic more than anything else, tends to also describe the difference between the cultures of the people, especially the local people, who live in the province of the Algarve.
In the Barrocal, there are many more local traditions....
The Algarve is made up of two areas. One is the coastal Algarve, which is the strip of land closest to the Atlantic Ocean, and the other area is the interior of Algarve, called “Barrocal.” This division, which is geographic more than anything else, tends to also describe the difference between the cultures of the people, especially the local people, who live in the province of the Algarve.
In the Barrocal, there are many more local traditions. You will find people who still practice local agriculture by growing or having small holdings of garden crops. They produce the local “fire water,” which we call “medronho.” In certain areas, they may be involved in citrus farming, carob or maybe in cork production. You will find small communities, which are linked to their little towns or village. The town or village tends to be traditional in that they live in a predominantly Christian Catholic country in which there will be communities built around the local church, and the people of the area attend church quite frequently. Younger generations attend catechism and so on. This way of life and culture is particular to the interior of the province of Algarve. The traditional roots are very strong, and are linked to the religion, the agriculture, and the work of the people.
On the coast of Algarve, it is very different. The culture of people on the coast is eclectic; a neutral international society. A comparison I can make to Algarve is when we lived in Florida, it was a transient international society so people used to come and go and they used to build their networks with other international people originally within the local community and then when they move on, other people would come in to take their place. In the Algarve it’s different than that in the sense that people do not tend to move in and out frequently. People come here and they tend to stay because they like it. They build their culture in Algarve, which is very much a multinational culture built around sports, wellbeing, reasonably healthy living, and gastronomy. People love to eat here. Algarve has an international society that lives a sub-urban living, which you might observe in any international destinations.
(Bottle of Portuguese "fire water," medronho, pictured.)
What's the best way to go about renting a house or apartment in Nicaragua?
Mario Robleto - SAENICSA Accounting and Tax Services
The best method to rent a house or apartment in Nicaragua is to go online and look up the classifieds to investigate, to visit and see what you like. Find out quickly what you do not like.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of renting options that are furnished, which is one of the pluses of Nicaragua. Also, contracts are very negotiable. For example, the contract I have now is for 6 month, which works out well. If you’re new, you want to explore, you want to get to know...
The best method to rent a house or apartment in Nicaragua is to go online and look up the classifieds to investigate, to visit and see what you like. Find out quickly what you do not like.
Keep in mind that there are a lot of renting options that are furnished, which is one of the pluses of Nicaragua. Also, contracts are very negotiable. For example, the contract I have now is for 6 month, which works out well. If you’re new, you want to explore, you want to get to know Nicaragua, rent an apartment for 3 or 4 months or every 6 months and if you like it, then extend for another 6 months or however long you want to be there.
What should I be most concerned about regarding retiring abroad?
Harry Hunt - ownboquete
First of all, don't be scared. I know it's a foreign country and everything is a little bit different, but in Panama at least nobody is going to attack you or assault you at least in Boquete and actually most of the interior and even Panama City is pretty safe with the possible exception of Chorillo or some of the rougher parts of town late at night. Most Panamanians are God fearing Christians and very non-confrontational, so you have a better chance of being killed by an...
First of all, don't be scared. I know it's a foreign country and everything is a little bit different, but in Panama at least nobody is going to attack you or assault you at least in Boquete and actually most of the interior and even Panama City is pretty safe with the possible exception of Chorillo or some of the rougher parts of town late at night. Most Panamanians are God fearing Christians and very non-confrontational, so you have a better chance of being killed by an American than a Panamanian and I personally feel you are most at risk dealing with a lawyer here than at any other time. I only know two or three lawyers that I really trust and they are all women.
Second of all, most expat communities are like a college mixer where everybody is new, nobody was born here and everyone is a little unsure and uncertain about things and you find some people who become your friends and some you may not like that much. It might be better not to get too drunk and insult everybody, but almost any and every behavior happens and we seem to be pretty tolerant in our old and middle age.
There are all kinds of cool and experienced people in Panama so just relax and be nice and if you listen carefully you will be able to pick someone that will be a good friend and you may join some group that does something like castrate dogs. As a matter of fact there is a group in Boquete that has spayed and neutered over 5,000 dogs and we don't have starving dogs and packs of violent dogs roaming the streets and the Panamanians that thought we were all nuts when this all started years ago now see the benefits and are bringing their dogs and cats to the clinics held on the last weekend of the month.
Living in Panama is easy, there are some differences, but don't worry about a traffic stop where some of the police carry machine guns. Just show them your passport and don't act like an idiot and smile too much. Just be respectful, treat the officer as you would a strange policeman in America and if you haven't done anything wrong you will be driving down the road in no time. If you don't have your passport or were speeding the officer might suggest you settle the matter by paying the fine to him. This used to happen a lot more frequently and everyone used to carry $5 to buy some instant justice on the side of the road. These days you usually get a ticket that the policeman writes on his cell phone and you have thirty days to pay it in the district you are cited in.
Try to be tolerant and understanding. You are in a country that is changing rapidly. Most people took the bus a few years ago and now almost everybody drives even if they have never heard of driver education or rules of the road. Just remember, any car can do anything at any time. Be prepared, keep your eyes open and expect the unexpected.
I have lived here for ten years now and survived quite nicely. Try to behave, be nice and be cool and when you are confronted with something totally different from what you are used to try and understand that this is their country and fifty years ago it was probably no different in America. If possible don't do anything you are going to regret or be ashamed of tomorrow. Most of all have fun and make some memories that you will enjoy sharing with friends and family back in the States.
Here in Guatemala they call themselves Guatemaltecos (Guatemalteca for women) and not Guatemalans. But both are understood. When I came to live here it was a plan for two years, to put this young indigenous woman through her career program and then return to California. I had decided I was DONE with relationships and would never marry again. I tell my guests now I never say never. I also had never even thought about building my own home in a foreign country. But how young is he, this...
Having spent around 5 years researching the best places to retire my wife and I decided that Panama was the best place. We arranged an exploratory trip to judge first hand. We selected a bed and breakfast in Ancon which is strategically placed for easy access to the important places of interest and conveniently just 5 minutes drive to the bridge of the Americas. Nearby Albrook airport was the perfect place to rent a car and only 10 minutes away in a cab.
At the culmination of Cancer Awareness Month, a huge rally was held on the last Sunday of October in Panamá City. Thousands of enthusiastic Panameños from all over the country marched down the length of the Cinta Costera in support of fund raising for cancer research. Marching bands, dancers in traditional costumes, school groups, bomberos (firefighters), the Darien frontier police, and many other organizations participated in this special event.
A luxury condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and with a Gulf view or a jungle view in the state of Quintana Roo (includes Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and here in Akumal starts at about US $180,000. This amount is for the highest quality materials and a great location in the Riviera Maya. 
The weather in Corozal is warm in winter, warmer in spring, and much warmer in summer. It's not as warm in fall and winter is not as warm as fall. 
The Algarve is made up of two areas. One is the coastal Algarve, which is the strip of land closest to the Atlantic Ocean, and the other area is the interior of Algarve, called “Barrocal.” This division, which is geographic more than anything else, tends to also describe the difference between the cultures of the people, especially the local people, who live in the province of the Algarve. 
The best method to rent a house or apartment in Nicaragua is to go online and look up the classifieds to investigate, to visit and see what you like. Find out quickly what you do not like.