“Kathleen, I purchased your ‘How to Retire Overseas
‘ book earlier this year. I really believe it is the most comprehensive of the 15 or so books I have about retiring overseas. Your book is the benchmark that all of the other books fail to meet.
“I retire on SEP 30 this year, and I started researching offshore retirement destinations last December or so. I’m looking for tropical climate, preferably in a beach town next to a white-sand beach and clear turquoise water, away from city congestion but near enough to shopping and medical facilities if I need them. My wife and I are both in excellent health and take no meds.
“At first I considered Manta and a few other areas of Ecuador (much book and Internet study, but not enough interest to justify a discovery trip), then the southwest (Pacific) coast of Nicaragua (ditto). Costa Rica seemed nice, but it also seemed that it was discovered by gringo retirees 8 to 10 years ago and that the real estate prices are already pushed up.
“I noticed in all of my research that Panama kept popping up in the top three of most categories. So, after reading all of the books and articles that we could find, my wife and I, with our hopes way up, went on a 12-day tour of Panama this past April. We met with real estate agents in Coronado, El Valle, Las Tablas, Pedasi, David, Boquete, Volcan, and Puerto Armuelles, but could not find a home we liked in our price range (US$150K to US$200K). Other aspects were not really as advertised (hyped), not by you but by others. It was a let-down.
“Upon our return home to Virginia, we decided to continue our research into Punta Cana, Bavaro, and Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. We’ve been continuing this research, and our plan is to go there in November and to stay for up to four months or until we decide it’s not for us, whichever comes first. If we like it, we’ll try to buy a condo near the beach, preferably a white-sand beach with small waves.
“I have learned already that being ‘on location’ provides unexpected opportunities to rent or buy a home that are better than trying to do it online. So we’ll start by reserving a hotel room somewhere in Punta Cana/Bavaro, then we’ll play it by ear for a few weeks, as we scout around that resort area and also do some snooping up in Las Terrenas.
“I thought I might dabble in keeping a daily journal and then writing short blog-size articles about this four-month house-hunting-for-a-retirement-home trip to a DR beach town. Would you like me to share my writings with you? If you published them, would there be compensation?”
–Barbara M., United States
You’re pursuing this trying-different-havens-on-for-size process just as I would suggest. I hope you’re enjoying the adventure.
Yes, we’d love to hear more from you…and, yes, we pay for published articles. You can find out more here: Editorial@LiveandInvestOverseas.com
