"I was able to get residency easily as a property owner, but there is always the worry when one invests so much of one's savings. Have I done the right thing?

"But I needed a home, and this was the easiest place I found to buy to live. Your comments would be greatly appreciated."

-- J.H.G., Egypt

As you've made the purchase as a primary residence, you should put worries over whether or not it was a wise investment aside.

Every real estate purchase should be assessed within the context of the driving agenda behind making it. If you've bought for investment, then you consider the success (or otherwise) of the purchase based on return (capital appreciation and/or yield) and how it contributes to your investment portfolio overall.

If, though, you've made the purchase for personal use, then that's the context in which to assess the wisdom of the buy. Are you enjoying the life that the home is affording you? Are you comfortable spending time there? These are the questions that matter, and, if the answers are yes, then you've made a good buy, potential for appreciation or quantifiable yields notwithstanding.

That said, Egypt offers interesting investment opportunities right now, as the middle class is growing and more Europeans are seeking cheaper beach destination options. The Red Sea resorts, in particular, are reported to be doing well.

"Kathleen, I am considering retiring in Honduras, Panama, or Nicaragua, spending six months minimum per year in one of these countries. I'm writing to ask your opinion as to which place offers the most interesting culture and the cheapest living?"

-- Frances C., United States

It's impossible to talk about the cost of living in Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, or any country as a whole. The cost of living in Panama City is nothing like that in the little beach town of Las Tablas on this country's Azuero Coast...and your monthly expenses will be higher in Granada, Nicaragua, than in Leon.

That said, of the three countries you name, Nicaragua could be generally considered the cheapest. Read more about the good life on a budget in this country here.

Most interesting culture? That's truly impossible to say. What's interesting to me may be deadly dull to you.

I like colonial cities, architecture, and history. You'll find these things in both Granada and Leon, Nicaragua, and in Casco Viejo, Panama. If your idea of interesting, on the other hand, is sea, sand, and sun, note that all three countries serve up these pleasures in abundance.

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