What are the construction standards in Puerto Vallarta?
Armando Contreras - Galvan Real Estate and Services
I do not know much about construction but my father is an engineer and one thing that I remember about the houses that he built on the coast of Puerto Vallarta is that they are all up to seismic standards and could withstand hurricanes.
For you to be able to build in Puerto Vallarta or in Riviera Nayarit (an area just northwest of Puerto Vallarta), you have to obtain a building permit from the government. You have to tell them what kind of house you are...
I do not know much about construction but my father is an engineer and one thing that I remember about the houses that he built on the coast of Puerto Vallarta is that they are all up to seismic standards and could withstand hurricanes.
For you to be able to build in Puerto Vallarta or in Riviera Nayarit (an area just northwest of Puerto Vallarta), you have to obtain a building permit from the government. You have to tell them what kind of house you are going to build and in which location. If your building plans are not to their requirements, then they will not give you a permit.
As you are building your house, the government comes to check. If they see that you are not building as they required, they might close down your construction. The building standards have been this way ever since tourists started coming into Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit.
All of the houses here built to good standards so that they are made to stand forever. The only difference that you will see in the houses here are on the designs because that depends on the taste of the owner. The Mexican-style houses are still built to high construction standards.
(Holiday villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, pictured.)
What do I need to know about living overseas and retiring abroad?
Robert Adams - Retirement Wave
Presented with permission from Bob Adams, of Retirement Wave. (Transcription of video below.)
I’d like to share with you today a rule of how you can act and behave when you relocate to another nation. It’s a very important rule, and its one you already know. In English we call it “The Golden Rule.” Every language in every culture has its variations it seems. “Do unto others as...
Presented with permission from Bob Adams, of Retirement Wave. (Transcription of video below.)
I’d like to share with you today a rule of how you can act and behave when you relocate to another nation. It’s a very important rule, and its one you already know. In English we call it “The Golden Rule.” Every language in every culture has its variations it seems. “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” Treat other people as you want them to treat you.
When you’re moving or relocating to another country, you’re not really an immigrant, but you are going to spend a number of years and possibly, as in my case, expecting to live the rest of your life there.
When you arrive, you’re in a sense an immigrant in the eyes of everybody else who lives there, in that society. Now, many of us come from North America or Europe. Right now, we’ve having a lot of trouble, a lot of discussion, a lot of very strong convictions on the subject of immigration. Let’s put that aside. I don’t want to get involved with that, but I do want to say one thing to you.
Stop and think to yourself: What is it that I expect of an immigrant coming into my society right now, wherever I live? What do I want to see them doing? What sort of actions do I want to hear that they’re taking? How do I want to see them fitting in to my society so I’m happy that they really live here and they’re not just visiting from another nation?
Take those three, four, five basic things you think people should do who are immigrating to your nation, put it on a piece of paper, and carry it with you wherever you go, wherever you relocate. And every month, once a month, twice or more, take a look at that list, and ask yourself: Am I trying to do this? Am I making an effort to do what I expect other people to do when they come to my nation? Am I trying?
You can’t always succeed, you can’t always do everything perfectly, but ask yourself: Am I trying? Am I really, really working to try to meet the basic fundamentals that I expect from others and that they expect from me?
I think that if you can do that, if you can follow that one basic rule when relocating, you’re way ahead of the game, and you’re likely, far more likely I should say, to succeed, to be happy and to have a really interesting and useful life.
Are there English-speaking doctors in Coronado, Panama?
Denise Patrick - Panama Roadrunner Secure Transport
In the Coronado, Panama area, we have used both the San Fernando Clinic and Dr. Levy in the past four years. Dr. Levy is patient, doesn't rush and answers all my questions in English. He charges US $15 for the visit. Lab work will run anywhere from $50 to $400 depending on what is needed.
He also has visiting specialists he brings in once or twice a month so you may not have to drive to the city (Panama City, about 90 minutes away by car) for...
In the Coronado, Panama area, we have used both the San Fernando Clinic and Dr. Levy in the past four years. Dr. Levy is patient, doesn't rush and answers all my questions in English. He charges US $15 for the visit. Lab work will run anywhere from $50 to $400 depending on what is needed.
He also has visiting specialists he brings in once or twice a month so you may not have to drive to the city (Panama City, about 90 minutes away by car) for specialized care.
The economy in Belize depends on the US economy because there are lots of tourists from the US who come to Belize. When the US people have problems, we also have problems and maybe bigger problems. What happens when there is a problem in the US is that sometimes our exports are not as good as the previous years and then people do not have work and that is the most important thing--- for people to have work in Belize.
The biggest problem with...
The economy in Belize depends on the US economy because there are lots of tourists from the US who come to Belize. When the US people have problems, we also have problems and maybe bigger problems. What happens when there is a problem in the US is that sometimes our exports are not as good as the previous years and then people do not have work and that is the most important thing--- for people to have work in Belize.
The biggest problem with the businesses recently is that the banks are being tougher when lending; because they have been very strict and it is the same thing happening in the United States, from what I understand. The banks want more deposits and more collateral, and all kinds of issues that really deter people from borrowing money.
The economy in Belize is basically tourism based, and then there’s agriculture, and maybe fishing. We export sugar, and a lot of citrus and bananas. We also export lobster, conches, and shrimp. Those are the major parts of the economy that we have and this is important because they employ a lot of people and that is the thing that the government wants us to so that they could improve the standards of living.
Construction is also becoming a bigger part of the economy because business people want to do local construction to develop their business.
(Shrimp-stuffed French toast at Maya Beach Hotel Bistro, Placencia, Belize, pictured.)
Does the ocean in Portugal have dangerous animals in it?
Ana Ferraz
In the oceans of Portugal, there are no harmful animals like sharks but we do have jellyfish starting in the winter season. From November to January, you will find quite a lot of jellyfish on the shores. Some are still whole and some are bits but you just have to avoid them. Don’t step on them, which is easy enough to do because you would see them on the shore.
You’d usually see jellyfish on the rough beaches and where the sea is rough. You won’t see them on...
In the oceans of Portugal, there are no harmful animals like sharks but we do have jellyfish starting in the winter season. From November to January, you will find quite a lot of jellyfish on the shores. Some are still whole and some are bits but you just have to avoid them. Don’t step on them, which is easy enough to do because you would see them on the shore.
You’d usually see jellyfish on the rough beaches and where the sea is rough. You won’t see them on the bays. Cascais (an upscale area just to the west of Lisbon) is all bays. If you go up to the coasts of Sintra, where the seas are very rough and where they practice the radical sports, there is where you will see the jellyfish.
The waters in the ocean of Portugal are cold so sharks do not like it, especially on the west facing coasts, including the beaches west of Lisbon. Because the air temperatures can be a maximum of 35 to 37 Celsius (95 to 98.6 Fahrenheit), it’s hot, so it’s a pleasure to go into that cold water.
The oceans in the Algarve (which face south) are completely different from the oceans in Lisbon. The Algarve gets warms waters because of the Gulf Stream and because of the Mediterranean. The temperatures in the waters of the Algarve could be around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius (68 to 71.6 Fahrenheit) and up here in Lisbon, it’s around 17 to 18 degrees Celsius (62.6 to 64.4 Fahrenheit). It’s hotter and less windy in the Algarve as well. Lisbon is a windy area because we are on the westernmost part of the European continent. There is also a breeze here so we don’t use air-conditioning in the summer because we don’t need it.
The coasts of Sintra get rough waves but overall, the other coasts of Algarve and Lisbon are perfectly safe for swimming.
(The village of Azenhas do Mar on the coast of Sintra, Portugal, pictured.)
There are many US trained Nicaraguan Doctors. The surgeon who fixed my daughter’s feet serves as a faculty member in Iowa concurrently with his medical practice in Nicaragua.
There are many US trained Nicaraguan Doctors. The surgeon who fixed my daughter’s feet serves as a faculty member in Iowa concurrently with his medical practice in Nicaragua.
Get ready for the delays, the costs, fees and cumbersome legal system of Panama. Here you find it wise to use an attorney for all kinds of transactions. However it isn't just the attorney you deal with, it is bureaucracy mumbo-jumbo and administrators! Many are like the angry, underpaid, middle managers of other places. They have a little power, so they love to abuse it!
I interviewed a young attorney that is just starting out. The government sets the...
Every time that you research buying something, traveling or doing something out of the ordinary, you take the necessary steps to get the most out of it, and make the best possible decision. Usually, if it´s a purchase online, you read the comments, and base a good percentage of your decision on the opinions of other people who have tried the product or service before you.
The theme of Panamá has always had worldwide importance, especially related Panamá's great importance in trade, commerce and American history. In 2013 we commemorate our 500 year anniversary of the discovery of the isthmus and the Pacific Ocean, and also when the first Catholic community was established in the American continent, our Lady of Santa María la Antigua. These are proud legacies from Panama to the world, not to mention the greatest project of all time: The Panama...