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Recently Answered Questions

How's the Internet in Mexico?

Ivy Del Pozzo

The internet here in San Miguel de Allende is very high speed and easy to do almost any type of work on it that you would need to do. I am in the real estate business and I download hi res photos all the time with no problem as well as any other work I might need to do.

I have a very good friend (who was a client) who comes every year since she bought her home and she is a speech therapist. It is IMPERATIVE that she have hi speed internet...

Does Belize believe in property rights and the rule of law, or is Belize more corrupt?

Phil Hahn - Carmelita Gardens

The first home built by Carmelita Residences, Belize – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

When people ask me if there is corruption in Belize my rejoinder is, “What is your standard?” It doesn’t seem to matter where you are from, politicians and those with authority do wacky things and Belize is no different.

However, property rights are sacred in Belize. It is a tradition established by the British and ingrained in the Constitution of Belize. It is first mentioned in the Preamble, “WHEREAS the people of Belize . . . require policies of state...

What’s it like to live in Portugal? What’s the lifestyle?

Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant

Cascais, Portugal ocean view – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Living in Portugal is very “summery.” This time of year we’re in winter but the Portuguese are very outdoor people. They are very hospitable. If you are in a condominium and they’ve got a big pool, most of the people at the pool will be foreigners there because all the Portuguese will be on the beach. Come the summer, the Portuguese are very much outdoors—on the beach, walking along the beach, riding.

The...

The Portuguese are very sociable people. They are friendly people. They can be very reserved until they’ve decided whether they accept you but I think that’s probably the case in a lot of countries. I have learned that one thing that’s very important here as a foreigner is to say, “Oh please, could you help me?” If you’re going to a government department, for example, say, “Oh please, I wonder if you could help me because I don’t know this” and the Portuguese would go over the top to help you. “Please” and “thank you” and “how are you” and “isn’t it hot” and “isn’t it cold” make all the difference. They are more than affable to you and it’s an easy way of life. Going for a coffee is very important; it’s almost part of your important everyday life, which is coffee in the morning and going out for lunch. Most people eat out a lot. That’s why the South Africans coming here find it so easy to adapt because it’s a similar lifestyle to “open horizons.”

“Open horizons” refers to a perspective which is says that the horizon is far away, as opposed to the skies and horizon being on top of your head and being narrow. The open horizons way of looking at things is broad and people with an open horizons way of seeing the world like to be outdoors (As a point of contrast, the weather conditions don’t help but in England people are much more conservative.) Here in Portugal everybody is very often outdoors and people are enjoying themselves. And in the winter, you’ll find shopping centers absolutely jammed packed because people have got to do something. They’re not people who will stay at home all day long. They’ve got to always be doing something.

Personally, I like the Portuguese lifestyle very much. I was recently in England and whenever I go back, I enjoy being in England. I like London very much mainly for the theatre and because I have several friends there and I often go to the country, which is also beautiful. The English countryside is hard to beat. But London is terribly expensive. I find that it’s an easier, more relaxed life here. Bureaucracy in Portugal is a little bit frustrating at times, but it’s improved a great deal.

There are lots of golf courses here in Portugal. On the golf course you hear a lot of Swedish because of the new permits that foreigners have to live here now. They’re all on the golf course. The French are all in there restaurants. So you hear French and Swedish all the time here now. For everyone, it’s a nice lifestyle in Portugal.

And at the moment, certainly, it’s been difficult because, financially, Portugal has been struggling. They’ve just changed the government and we have to see how that’s going to go now. A lot of the Portuguese were distressed because a lot have had their pensions cut almost by half and subsidies as well. There’s always the good and the bad. When the Portuguese hear about foreigners coming here and they don’t have to pay as high of tax then they get a little bit annoyed. Many young Portuguese have left Portugal because it’s very difficult to find jobs now.

The Swiss absolutely love it here. They want to be out of their countries now for 183 days because of the law, which provides them with tax advantages. So they all stay in their country for the summer and they’re here in the winter. The Swiss can’t believe the great weather here, so they’re on the golf course all the time. They love the restaurants, and they love the wine. They say the Portuguese people are kind to them. And of course, if you are working here, you can still work if you are a foreigner and the percentage of tax that you would pay here is less than half of what you would pay in France or in Sweden, for example, which is very welcoming. Also, if you’ve retired you don’t pay any tax on your private pensions.

(Pictured: Cascais, Portugal ocean view.)

How's the golf in and around Nicaragua?

Mario Robleto - SAENICSA Accounting and Tax Services

Oceanside golf course in the Gran Pacifica master plan community, Nicaragua – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Nicaragua has some very nice golf resorts. We have a client who administers a golf course. There are also various resorts with golf courses. I believe one is even designed by a famous European golf course designer.

There are lots of golf courses on the Pacific side of Nicaragua, which is where by large all the expats are. There are golf courses north of San Juan Del Sur, all the way up to the beaches of Managua, and in Managua itself. In these areas there are...

In general, should I keep my US bank, brokerage, investment, IRA or retirement account if I move overseas?

Mike Cobb - ECI Development

Banking overseas is becoming more and more Graphic to depict banking overseas – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

difficult for US citizens thanks to the HIRE Act and the regulations placed on foreign banks. Many foreign banks have simply stopped serving US citizens as a way to comply with the HIRE Act. Banks that do accept US citizens for accounts have increased paperwork and due diligence fees. Many banks will not open an account for a US citizen unless they are a permanent resident of the country they are living in. Some...

How much rain does Boquete, Panama get? When is the Rainy Season and the Dry Season in Boquete, Panama and what is it like?

Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate

Boquete field, with ferns in the foreground – Best Places In The World To Retire – International Living

Rain. Boquete gets rain, and lots of it. Historical records are hard to find regarding the long-term weather in Boquete but we have very accurate records from the past 6 years. In 2008 the total annual rainfall was just over 222 inches. 2009 saw 146 inches of rain, 2010 was wetter at 218 inches of rain, 2011 had 177 inches of rain, 2012 had 107 inches and 2013 had a grand total of 115 inches of rain.

Now, keep in mind that we have...

Now, keep in mind that we have very different micro-climates in Boquete and rainfall can vary dramatically from area to area. However, when you see the statistics it’s clear that we live in a wet region.

The seasons are fairly well defined and predictable. The dry season typically starts in mid-December and runs through the middle to the end of April and we can experience weeks of no rain at all. The wet season usually starts in May. That said, there are transitions on the beginning and ending of each season so the rainy season usually starts gradually with most of the rainfall occurring in the late afternoons. Historically, the wettest months are September, October and November.

The dry season is caused by the trade winds that come off the Caribbean Sea during the winter months. The trade winds that cause the dry season also create windy and gusty conditions in most of Panama. Because of the topography of the Boquete area with a large number of valleys and mountain passes, the winds are shaped by the contours of the land and certain areas can get periods of gusty winds. The trade winds tend to shift direction so an area that experiences very gusty conditions on one day can be calm the next. Like the rain, the wind is something that you learn to deal when you live here in Boquete.

Experience shows that there are certain areas in the Boquete region that get less wind than others just as there are some areas that get more rain that others. One of the beautiful reasons to live here is that, with a little research, you can almost pick the exact weather conditions that suit you best.

Recently Posted Expat Stories

Those B! banks!

BANKING-- despite all their assurances that you have set up all the correct procedures and accounts, there WILL be problems. Not in your host country, but 'back home'. These will take the form of excessive fees, limitations on the maximum allowed currency, changes in their regulations, both Governmental and internal bank rules, staff changes, lock-outs for internet transactions and many, many others.

Should you try snail mail it may take weeks of effort; I once took a certified bank check wih...

Indians, Natives and Birds in Panama

One of the first things to catch my eye when we arrived in Panama was the indigenous Indian women's brightly colored dresses. They make them and many are sold at the side of the Pan-American Highway under thatched roof huts. From infant to adult sizes the colored dresses float in the wind at the small vendor's places. On the women everyday you find yourself counting the different colors you see as you walk around town or pass the villages long the highways. Blue, green,...

Hanging Out on the Amador Causeway, Panama

Located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal is the Amador Causeway, a road and pedestrian walkway that connects the mainland of Panama City with three islands. This causeway was built with material extracted from the Culebra Cut when the Panama Canal was built from 1904-1914. It provided a breakwater for ships waiting to enter the Canal, and to prevent the buildup of sediment. Later the United States militarized the promontory and fortified it with ordnance during the two...