“Kathleen, you wrote recently about Turkey, ‘This country, especially its capital Istanbul, remains an excellent choice for pre-construction and rental investment.’
“The capital of Turkey isn’t Istanbul. It is Ankara. It’s an easy mistake to make because Istanbul is much more well known.
“I live here, and I believe there are some great investment opportunities here.
“With warm regards.”
–Steve C., Turkey
Your gracious remarks are much appreciated. Istanbul the capital of Turkey… what were we thinking? We’ll chalk it up to too much Panamanian Christmas ron ponche.
“Kathleen, I appreciate your list of best places to retire in 2016… but Cayo, Belize, in the #2 spot? It’s hard for me to imagine that with the entire world to pick from, Belize’s Cayo District should come in at #2.
“I’d say it’s far down the list for lifestyle, based on the preferences of 99% of those who move abroad. An oddball choice, for sure.”
–Julie H., United States
Cayo, Belize, isn’t for everyone… but neither is Algarve, Portugal, our number-one pick for 2016. Not everyone wants to retire to a tropical rain forest… but not everyone wants to retire to Europe either. Our number-three pick for 2016 is Medellín, Colombia. We take heat for that recommendation, too, from people who insist Medellín is unsafe and unstable. Those folks are misguided. Medellín is a pretty, cultured, Euro-chic, and, yes, safe city with five-star infrastructure.
That’s not to say Medellín would suit every retiree. It wouldn’t. No single place would.
Back to Cayo…
Think of it this way:
If you want Old World Europe, look to Algarve. If you want a cosmopolitan lifestyle in Latin America, Medellín is your top pick.
If, though, you’re interested, as more of us are all the time, in rustic, off-grid, and back-to-basics living, consider Cayo. In our current age, two things are becoming more important than ever—safety and self-sufficiency. Cayo, Belize, is one of the safest places on earth, far removed from the world’s many woes and trouble spots. With year-round sunshine, rich, fertile earth, and abundance fresh water, it’s also one of the best places on earth to pursue self-sufficient living.
An oddball choice maybe but also a special spot that has attracted a few thousand expats who appreciate what’s on offer here and that we predict is going to attract many more in the coming few years.
If the Cayo lifestyle I describe appeals to you, I recommend you hop a plane and have a look for yourself. Best chance for this will be our Live and Invest in Belize Conference taking place Jan. 20–22. The conference will be held in Belize City. However, afterward, we’re holding our first-ever Self-Sufficiency In Belize Seminar in Cayo. Details are here.
Continue Reading: Celebrating Christmas Overseas Is More Than Eggnog and Expats
