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"Thank you, Kathleen, for
your letter today. This gives indeed a more balanced view.
Focusing on negatives like climate, educational system, politics,
etc., is useful before one moves to a new country. Remember
Honduras, which has been hailed as a great place. Then, before you
know it, a Chavez friend is flipped for some crazy general.
"Also, I think indeed that your story on the difficulty of opening a
bank account is only related to being a U.S. citizen.
"I read
a piece a few days ago how, in Switzerland, banks are closing
accounts from U.S. citizen as fast as they can because of the
harassment from the IRS, SEC, etc. The article states that Americans
are now pariahs for most non-U.S. banks because of the arm-wrestling
of the U.S. government. Even people working at the United Nations
for many years are now being told to close their accounts.
"I
doubt that European citizens have these problems. They are probably
still welcome at many banks."
-- Bert S., United States
***
"I am a fairly new subscriber and thoroughly enjoy reading your
e-mails every day. My husband and I have been planning to move out
of the good old U.S.A. for a few years now, but we cannot decide
where to go despite all the research we both have done over the last
three years or so.
"We are both 44 years of age, and
we're childless (and probably will remain that way). We will likely
be getting a pension of US$1,800 per month. We are in the midst of
repairing and remodeling our co-op here in Brooklyn, New York, so we
can sell it, but we don't expect to walk away with much equity.
Maybe US$50,000 or so.
"We love tropical weather, beaches,
nightlife, and restaurants and are used to the city life. We don't
necessary want to live in the midst of a very busy city, but I am
sure we would feel lost if we were not near a major city. We also
want to be among expats, because we're social and would love to make
new friends. We don't speak Spanish (although I know a few basic
phrases).
"Can you help us to come to a decision? We first
considered the Dominican Republic, then Chile, then Ecuador, and now
Panama. We don't have the funds to travel before we move and plan to
rent, of course, in the beginning to feel a place out. Would you
kindly make a recommendation for us?"
-- Tina C., United
States
It's your interest in being near to a major city
that makes your situation challenging. Tropical weather and beaches
with some nightlife and even restaurants aren't hard to come by. The
Dominican Republic and parts of Ecuador could both be good choices
according to these parameters. However, I wouldn't recommend the
major city in the DR (Santo Domingo) as a place to live, and the
cities in Ecuador that I think might provide the kinds of
distractions you're looking for are nowhere near the coast.
Mexico could make sense. Puerto Vallarta, for example. This isn't a
big city, but it offers restaurants, bars, art galleries, and other
diversions. Plus, the region is home to an established expat
community you could plug into. You could get by here without
speaking Spanish, and, yes, you could live comfortably on a budget
of US$1,800 a month.
Panama also could make sense. The best
beach living in this country is along the coast of the Azuero
Peninsula (not nearby Panama City, where the beaches are
disappointing and the real estate over-priced). More developed is
the east coast of the peninsula; look at Las Tablas. Less developed
is the west coast; look around Mariato. On the west coast, you could
position yourself on the beach and still be less than a half-hour
from the city of Santiago. Not a city to write home about but a
place to go out to dinner or to see a movie. In either Las Tablas or
on the coast around Mariato, you'd be about 3 ½ hours drive from
Panama City, the most cosmopolitan city in the region, with
restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, bars, cafes, live theater, a
comedy club, etc.
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