I’ve been hosting conferences on living, retiring, and investing overseas for more than 30 years.
At these events I’ve met tens of thousands of folks (people just like you, I’d bet) who are shopping for their best options for reinventing their lives somewhere sunny, safe, welcoming, affordable, and adventure-filled.
And I’ve fielded every question you can imagine related to those searches.
I thought it might be helpful today to share queries from conference attendees I’ve filed away over the years.
I’d bet that some of their questions are your questions, too.
For example…
-Taking Action
“Kathleen, I’ve been reading you for years. I’m here because I’m hoping something that you’ll say over the coming four days will inspire me to get off my derrière and finally do something. It’s time for me to stop reading and take action. I came here for you to give me a push…”
We’re doing our best…
***
-We’re Ready To Go
“Kathleen, our situation is a little different than most people here, probably.
“We aren’t here to consider options for where to retire overseas someday. We need a place to move right now. Our house sold more quickly than we expected. Now we’re renting a small apartment. We have sold everything. We have no ties. We’re ready to go!”
It can be great to have an imposed deadline for your move! Participating in one of our conferences can be the most efficient way to make a plan…
***
-Choosing Your Overseas Haven
Kathleen, we’re thinking about Panama. Our plan is to go down there, rent a home for six months, and see what we think. If we like it, we’ll stay longer. If not, we’ll look for someplace else…”
Great plan. Love the flexible attitude…
***
-Moving Around
“Kathleen, I’m so glad to hear the discussions from all these people who have made multiple moves. I think that’s what suits me. My husband and I have moved many times to many different countries. Now that we’re retiring, I think that’s what we need to continue doing… moving around. I think we’d be bored moving to just one place…”
That’s Lief’s and my plan, as well. We intend to continue moving around from Panama to Paris to Croatia to Belize and beyond…
***
-Finding Dog Friendly Places
“Which countries in Latin America are most dog-friendly?”
It’s easy to bring your dog with you everywhere we talk about….
***
-Should I Bring My Car?
“Could you address the issues associated with deciding whether or not to bring your car with you?”
This kind of question, to do with specific practical issues associated with moving to a new country, is addressed in detail during all of our events.
The short answer for this particular question is: In most cases, you’re better off leaving your car at home.
***
-Living In Paris
“Do you think that Paris is actually an option? Budget is not a concern for us, but I’m worried that it’s not really possible for a foreigner to live in France…”
It is possible; in fact, it can be relatively straightforward to organize residency in France as a retiree, depending on your situation. We’ll walk you through the options.
***
-Living In Panama
“What do we need to do to be able to live in Panama? We need a visa, right? How do we get that?”
Panama offers more than a dozen residency options, including one of the world’s best pensionado programs for retirees. To qualify for this, you need an FBI background check (this is required when applying for most any residency visa anywhere in the world) and proof of your monthly pension income.
***
-Don’t Let My Wife Hear This…
“Kathleen, I have to tell you something while my wife isn’t standing here to overhear. I just want you to know how happy I am that you’re holding this week’s conference in Houston. I’ve been trying to convince my wife to attend one of your events with me for three years. But I couldn’t get her on a plane. Then when I saw that you were coming to Houston, I told her she no longer had an excuse. We live here. We didn’t even have to get on a plane. We just drove over.
“Still, I had to drag her here.
“But now? After this morning’s sessions? She’s as excited as I am about this whole retire overseas idea…”
Sincerely,
Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter
