Pleasures And Delights Of Argentina’s Wine Country

March 18, 2012, Mendoza, Argentina: The Valle de Uco in Mendoza, Argentina, is emerging as an important part of Argentina’s growing wine business.

Also This Week: Why This Seasoned Latin America Expat Rates This City #1 For Retirees...Phase Three Uruguay--More Appealing Than Ever...IRS Inc....Why The Internet Is Not Necessarily Your Friend When It Comes To Renting Overseas...

Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader,

Row next to row of vines, neat, orderly, tidy, secured at either end with sturdy, angled posts, stretching on as far as you can see in all directions...

More than 350,000 planted acres...500 wineries...at least two-thirds (some sources say 80%) of total wine production for the entire country...

This is Latin America's first wine-growing region, Mendoza, Argentina.

Sam’s Story—How To Avoid Rental Scams Overseas

March 16, 2012, Santiago, Chile: When renting an apartment overseas, you need to be alert and watch for red flags that would indicate a rental scam. These are common everywhere in the world.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

Yesterday, Kathleen gave you some advice on how to find a rental in a new country. She pointed out that you can't do this long distance over the Internet...not if you want to avoid surprises. Unfortunately, sometimes, even if you're on the scene searching and scouting in person, you still can have trouble.

This was the case for Sam, an intern who came to work for us a few weeks ago. Sam showed up in Panama and checked himself in to a Panama City hostel, where he planned to stay until he was able to find longer-term rental accommodation.

At first, it seemed Sam was in luck. His first weekend in the city, he connected with a local landlord. He found the guy on the Internet, on Encuentra 24, which is the go-to site for just about anything you want to buy or sell (or rent) in Panama.

Why The Internet Is Not Necessarily Your Friend When It Comes To Renting Overseas

March 15, 2012, Santiago, Chile: Finding an apartment to rent overseas should be done on the local level, rather than exclusively over the internet. Besides finding the right price, there are a few other things to keep in mind when looking for an apartment and signing any rental agreement.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

The most important thing to understand about finding rental accommodation (short- or long-term) in a foreign country is that you can't do it long distance. Not if you want to get a good deal and avoid surprises.

For, to get a good deal, you must shop beyond the Internet market, and, to do that, you must have feet on the ground, either yours or those of a reliable local contact you trust.

You can begin your search long distance, googling "For Rent" opportunities in the place where you'd like to spend time. You'll find those houses and apartments listed either by other gringos (that is, fellow non-locals) or by locals with the wherewithal to advertise their rentals on the Net. In other words, this route leads to the high-ticket and priced-for-the-gringo-market properties.

IRS Inc.

March 14, 2012, Santiago, Chile: The current strategy of the IRS is to make the filing requirements for Americans living, investing, or holding assets overseas so complicated that it’s difficult to remain compliant. Misfile a form or missing a filing deadline, and the fines and penalties are severe, including prison time.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

The writing has been on the wall for me since the TSA agent grabbed the Converse sneakers out of my then 2-year-old son's hands to put them through the X-ray machine as I tried to explain to my sobbing child that the big rude man wasn't stealing his favorite shoes.

Most of us have TSA horror stories. And we've all heard the far more horrible stories of extraordinary rendition by the CIA in the name of the War on Terror...the stories of torture by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq...the stories last weekend about the 16 Afghan villagers killed by an Army Ranger...

Those stories are sad and upsetting, but they're far away. Over the past six weeks or so, I've been watching as a story that's not nearly as horrific as 16 innocent people dying but that is much closer to home for me has been playing out.

Phase Three Uruguay—More Appealing Than Ever

March 13, 2012, Montevideo, Uruguay: Uruguay is one of the world’s top retirement, investment, offshore, and safe havens, offering a developed, First World lifestyle at an affordable cost and a chance to remain under the world’s radar.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

"I first came to Uruguay in 2004, and I moved here full-time in 2006," writes Latin America Correspondent Lee Harrison. "Since then, I've checked out almost every other country in Latin America, some of them several times. I've bought properties in five countries, written hundreds of articles, and a few books.

"So when I say that Uruguay stands up well to the other options in Latin America, it's not just my sense of hometown pride talking. It's because I've looked long and hard for a better option, and I still find Uruguay hard to beat.

"And that says a lot for Uruguay. Because as a place to live, retire, or own a second home, it has changed quite a bit since I first saw the country. Yet its appeal is bigger and broader than ever.