How's the standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic, Mexico?
Percy Pinklebutt - Percy Pinklebutt Enteprises
The standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic varies depending on the type of income you have. There are many people here who live very well on their Social Security from the States. They can rent a nice place with one or two bedrooms and sometimes with a pool. There are also various options for visitors who need a larger space or more bedrooms. Some of the properties are quite fabulous and you can rent by the month or week as well.
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The standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic varies depending on the type of income you have. There are many people here who live very well on their Social Security from the States. They can rent a nice place with one or two bedrooms and sometimes with a pool. There are also various options for visitors who need a larger space or more bedrooms. Some of the properties are quite fabulous and you can rent by the month or week as well.
A two-bedroom house for me, for example, is US $500 a month and includes a garage, garden and roof terraces.
What’s the effect of illegal drug traffic in Belize?
Christian Burn
Sad to say there's drug trafficking all over the world now. I don't see any of it because I am a day dweller, so by the time these guys are moving around and doing what they do, I am usually sound asleep in my bed. There are incidents where people find things washed up ashore, but the police always encourage people not to get involved and to report it. That is what I would do. I would report it, then not touch it, and leave it alone. Some people are foolish and they think that finding...
Sad to say there's drug trafficking all over the world now. I don't see any of it because I am a day dweller, so by the time these guys are moving around and doing what they do, I am usually sound asleep in my bed. There are incidents where people find things washed up ashore, but the police always encourage people not to get involved and to report it. That is what I would do. I would report it, then not touch it, and leave it alone. Some people are foolish and they think that finding drugs is an easy way to make some money, but it is absolutely not.
The drug trafficking trade is not really here as much in Ambergris Caye because our island is so populated, but in the outer atolls, drug trafficking does exist. Those kind of wash-ups happen regularly because they do these transfers, when they are moving drugs from Colombia to the States. Belize is a nice halfway point, so they push whatever they can push out of their boat or plane and then somebody else comes and picks it up. They move it north constantly, but sometimes they don’t always get all their cargo or the authorities get in the way.
We have the US Coast Guard down here. We also have the Belize Defense Corps and the Belize Coast Guard. We have a drug enforcement unit, so there are authorities to deal with the situation, but because this is a coastal area, there is so much area to cover, it is challenging.
As outer island dwellers, we see some of it, but here on Ambergris Caye, there's just so many people that you don’t see much of it. Every now and again, you get some vagrant on the beach trying to sell things. Every Caribbean island has that. There is always somebody willing to sell you necklaces and if you want something more, I’m sure he has it available, but you just don't engage in that; there are laws here. As a tourist, if you are caught with illegal substances, you are not given any legal exceptions. You are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, just like anybody else. You have to come back for court dates if you are not a resident. It is miserable, and to go to jail here would be the pits, so my recommendation is to stay well away from it.
People who are not engaged in drug issues or any illegal things should not be concerned here in Belize. Especially in the islands because we do not have that kind of interplay, but Belize City has had that kind of interplay before. They have had open shootings and violence. That is only Belize City. That does not happen on the island and that is the good news.
There is not any kind of visible threat anywhere, but like if you go looking for trouble, you're going to find it. People can't be foolish, and you have to keep your wits about you in a foreign country. You shouldn't do things that are against the law of the country and you really shouldn’t do things against the law period. That is why laws are in place.
To open a bank account in Portugal, the first thing that you have to do is get a Portuguese fiscal tax number as an individual. A US citizen would apply for a tax number directly from the tax office or they could appoint a tax representative, which is a service that we offer whereby we are nominated as the tax representative for a non-resident. If this is set up, all tax correspondence are sent between the tax office and the tax representative.
Some of the...
To open a bank account in Portugal, the first thing that you have to do is get a Portuguese fiscal tax number as an individual. A US citizen would apply for a tax number directly from the tax office or they could appoint a tax representative, which is a service that we offer whereby we are nominated as the tax representative for a non-resident. If this is set up, all tax correspondence are sent between the tax office and the tax representative.
Some of the foreign banks are less demanding than the Portuguese banks. There are a lot of foreign banks here; especially Spanish banks. They seem to make life a lot easier when you are opening a bank account here in Portugal.
I do not know if Americans would have an issues related to FATCA when they open a bank account here in Portugal. FATCA has forced the EU to come up with a similar thing called “Common Reporting Standard” so that in 2017, most financial institutions will be communicating to the tax authorities on the accounts held by their depositors.
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
Keila Mulero - Savvy Link
Hi I moved to Panama a year ago and I love it. I have lived in Puerto Rico, Peru, Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Panama is by far the best choice for retirement. You must remember, and a lot of people often forget, that Panama is still a third world country. BUT with lots of advantages like currency, cost of living, life style, and much more. It's a lot safer than Puerto Rico and Miami. You can have a maid for $350 a month. Fruit and vegetables are always fresh. I even became...
Hi I moved to Panama a year ago and I love it. I have lived in Puerto Rico, Peru, Miami, Atlanta, Indiana and Panama is by far the best choice for retirement. You must remember, and a lot of people often forget, that Panama is still a third world country. BUT with lots of advantages like currency, cost of living, life style, and much more. It's a lot safer than Puerto Rico and Miami. You can have a maid for $350 a month. Fruit and vegetables are always fresh. I even became vegetarian in Panama. If you like sports, every weekend there is at least two sports events in the City or at any of its provinces. Panama has a lot of beauty. I do agree that the service industry needs a lot of improvement. When it comes to people and manners the average Panamanian is behind. However, my close Panamanian friends are well educated with manners, very good people. Traffic is an issue, like any cities such as Miami, New York, Atlanta. I have learned 'short cuts' and always managed my way out of it. One more thing, I have visited 75% of the country, I have been to places like Torrijos Carter, San Miguelito for business as well as Boca Chica, Las Lajas, Boquete, San Blas and great resorts. In summary, I know Panama very well and my experience has been fantastic.
I am permanent resident of Panama and US citizen. During my 15 years career in Corporate America I was expatriated to the US, Peru and the Dominican Republic. With the world economic situation, I found Panama as “the land of opportunities” and decided to move abroad. My family and I have experienced the whole process of relocating ourselves. We have learned the Panamanian “system” and requirements. I must admit it was frustrating and disappointing. Finally, after loosing lots of time and money, we met the right people and were able to process our residency. There are lots of scam out there, lots of attorneys that just take your money and disappear.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW - THIS IS HOW WE DID IT!
Executive Decree No. 806 October 9, 2012 - If you are citizen of any of these countries you can opt for residency like we did. The process takes 6 - 8 months depeding on how soon you present the paperwork. COUNTRIES: Canadá; Confederación de Australia; Confederación Suiza; Corea del Sur; Estados Unidos de América; Estado de Japón; Estado de Israel; Gran Ducado de Luxemburgo; Hungría; Latvia; Nueva Zelanda; Principado de Andorra; Principado de Liechtenstein; Principado de Mónaco; Reino de Bélgica; Reino de Dinamarca; Reino de España; Reino de Noruega; Reino de Suecia; Reino Unido de Gran Bretaña e Irlanda del Norte; Reino de los Países Bajos; Región Administrativa Especial de Hong Kong; Republica de Argentina; Republica de Austria; Republica de Checa; Republica de Chile; Republica de Chipre; Republica de Croacia; Republica Eslovaca; Republica de Estonia; Republica Helénica (Grecia); Republica Federal de Alemania; Republica Federativa de Brasil; Republica de Finlandia; Republica Francesa; Republica de Irlanda; Republica de Lituania; Republica de Malta; Republica de Montenegro; Republica Oriental de Uruguay; Republica de Polonia; Republica Portuguesa; Republica de Servia; Republica de Suiza; Republica de Sudáfrica; Republica de Taiwán; Serenísima República de Marino.
Having a car in Coronado, Panama, gives you freedom. Many people use golf carts in and around Coronado itself, but you cannot use these on the highway, so only if you want a little trip to the shops or local restaurants, or you are a 'stay at home' person a golf cart is good fun and economical.
Yes, there is great, regular, cheap transport throughout Panama, but you will find that local buses rarely travel off the highway, which means you can use local...
Having a car in Coronado, Panama, gives you freedom. Many people use golf carts in and around Coronado itself, but you cannot use these on the highway, so only if you want a little trip to the shops or local restaurants, or you are a 'stay at home' person a golf cart is good fun and economical.
Yes, there is great, regular, cheap transport throughout Panama, but you will find that local buses rarely travel off the highway, which means you can use local buses from town to town or city, but if you live off the highway, you will then need to walk (it's a long walk from the Highway to Coronado Bay!) or you jump in a taxi. This is fine going into Coronado or other towns, but not so good when you want to come out of Coronado, as you may be standing around quite a while waiting for a taxi to come along, and it is not like in other countries where you call a taxi cab firm and they send someone out to you!
I have known a lot of people who have tried to manage without a car, begging lifts from friends, waiting till someone else is going somewhere and tagging along with them, and in all honesty, most people do not mind helping those people out, but I also know a fair few people who have taken advantage of their neighbors' good nature and eventually those good people have got totally fed up of ferrying others around!
If you are only here for a vacation, there are a number of good hire car companies at the beaches, who are much less expensive than the companies at the airport and you can hire golf carts here too!
Personally, I like my independence, so I would be lost without my car. I enjoy finding my way round and going off the highway into little towns and villages that you wouldn't even know existed. There is much more to Panama than most of us ever get to see, and most of it you have to leave Coronado to find!
(Buses in traffic in Panama City, Panama, pictured.)
Are taxis readily available in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and what do taxis cost in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Daniel Snider - Snider's Realty Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur has a pretty good taxi service and other public transport services such as buses. So let’s say, for example, if you want to go to Rivas or Managua, you can always take the public transportation which is relatively cheap at around US $4 to $5.
Getting a taxi is easy. Usually, in a block or two, you will find a taxi driving around but if you don’t, then you can just go to the central market and get one there, and from there,...
San Juan Del Sur has a pretty good taxi service and other public transport services such as buses. So let’s say, for example, if you want to go to Rivas or Managua, you can always take the public transportation which is relatively cheap at around US $4 to $5.
Getting a taxi is easy. Usually, in a block or two, you will find a taxi driving around but if you don’t, then you can just go to the central market and get one there, and from there, they'll take you pretty much anywhere you need to go. Aside from that, there are also taxi services that you can call on the phone to pick you up from where you are and take you where you need to go.
There are no meters in the taxis here in Nicaragua so you would have to negotiate with the driver ahead of time. It is customary to haggle when you get a taxi to get the lowest price. The typical taxi fare for a 10-minute drive to any direction would be around $2 to $3. It is relatively safe to ride a taxi in Nicaragua.
I moved to Panama from Toronto in July, 2007, but the airline I flew on would not take my dog Roscoe -- something about the summer heat being too much for animals in the cargo hold. So I ended up having to ship Roscoe by a different airline to San Jose, Costa Rica (at three times the cost of my own flight), and of course I then had to drive from my new home in Panama to San Jose to pick him up.
Thus began, innocently enough, my career as an international...
It's funny but when we moved to Panama, I kind of figured that I would not get that homesick, because my family was with me. Boy, was I wrong!
Think about it for a minute....new country, new language, new city, new work setting, new work colleagues, new home setting, new cars, new EVERYTHING. Nothing felt comfortable and nothing felt stable for a very long time.
Thank goodness technology is where it is today. Now, a phone call on Skype can't...
Curious about how to buy or sell real estate in Panama? This story will cover the basics on buying or selling real estate in Panama, including the costs of buying or selling property and the conveyance process.
In some cases, but not all, the first step in the sales process is a Promise to Purchase agreement, whereby the buyer puts down a good faith deposit to take the property off the market for a certain amount of days. The real...
The standard of living in Chapala and Ajijic varies depending on the type of income you have. There are many people here who live very well on their Social Security from the States. They can rent a nice place with one or two bedrooms and sometimes with a pool. There are also various options for visitors who need a larger space or more bedrooms. Some of the properties are quite fabulous and you can rent by the month or week as well. 
To open a bank account in Portugal, the first thing that you have to do is get a Portuguese fiscal tax number as an individual. A US citizen would apply for a tax number directly from the tax office or they could appoint a tax representative, which is a service that we offer whereby we are nominated as the tax representative for a non-resident. If this is set up, all tax correspondence are sent between the tax office and the tax representative. 
Having a car in Coronado, Panama, gives you freedom. Many people use golf carts in and around Coronado itself, but you cannot use these on the highway, so only if you want a little trip to the shops or local restaurants, or you are a 'stay at home' person a golf cart is good fun and economical. 
This story will cover the basics on buying or selling real estate in Panama, including the costs of buying or selling property and the conveyance process.