• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Retirement/Living

Retire To Medellin, Colombia

Live And Invest Overseas by Live And Invest Overseas
Sep 22, 2011
in Retirement/Living
0
an aerial view of the medellin skyline with mountains in the background
208
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Why Rich Has Chosen To Restart His Life In Medellin

American Rich Holman made his full-time move to Medellin, Colombia, four years ago.

“Being a gringo in Medellin is sort of cool,” he reports. “The locals here, the paisas, as they’re known, they like us. They’re friendly, accommodating, protective, considerate, warm, and engaging.

“Their city is their biggest source of pride. If you want to bring a big smile to the face of any paisa, just tell him how much you appreciate and enjoy his city and culture.

“Outside El Poblado (Medellin’s central zone), gringos are still a bit of a novelty, so we stand out. But in a friendly way.

“My best advice for any gringo interested in spending time in Medellin is to respect the culture and to be polite. Preface any conversation with a local, even in business, with ‘como estas?,’ ‘que tal,?’ ‘que mas?,’ or the like. You’ll come across as arrogant and unfriendly if you don’t.

“For me, one of the best things about living in Medellin is the weather. You have one season: springtime. We’re at 4,300 feet and near the equator, so temperatures are consistently 72 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit with low humidity. Your main dressing decision is whether to wear a short-sleeved or a long-sleeved shirt.

“At this altitude, bugs are almost nonexistent, hence no screens on windows or porches. The city is amazingly clean, even in the poor areas–no dirty bathrooms, no rotting garbage or litter in the streets, no animal feces…

“Five of the top-rated 35 hospitals in all South America are in Medellin. Plus, the cost of health care here is about one-third the cost in the States.

“Transportation is affordable and efficient. Plenty of taxis (the average fare is US$3 to US$5) and lots of buses (fares around 70 cents). The aboveground Metro, which traverses north to south and east to west, is spotless, completely sans graffiti. The cost of a ride is about US$1.20.

“Medellin has a great educational system, with more than 32 colleges and universities, almost as many as in Boston. There is a tremendous sense of community. In almost all 60 of Medellin’s barrios (neighborhoods), on any given evening or weekend, you’ll find friends and families sitting at small outdoor bars and restaurants and on their front porches enjoying themselves, always laughing and smiling.

“If you like to party, you will have trouble keeping up with the paisas. Their energy for entertainment is inexhaustible.

“I think at least some of their energy comes from their city. This place has a vibrancy about it, a great positive energy. It just feels good to be here.

“This is an emerging economy. That translates to tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to put up with some negatives and some challenges. Speaking as one who has been running a business here for a few years, I can tell you that it isn’t an easy thing. However, I believe I’m investing now to position myself for the wave of growth I see coming.

“There are reasons why the world’s largest computer manufacturer, the world’s richest man, and the United States’ largest private real estate investor all have this year announced business operations in Medellin and Colombia.

“The key to getting yourself established is local contacts. Without them, I’d say you’d find the process of trying to get yourself set up here overwhelming.

“For instance, you could meet with three accountants, four attorneys, and five branch managers of the same bank, ask them all the same question, and get 12 different answers.

“You need to source advisors you can trust and then invest in building personal relationships with them. You also need patience. Don’t come here expecting to operate by logic. That won’t work. And don’t be surprised when people over-promise and under-deliver.

“For me, the negatives and the challenges are all worth it, because, again, I see big opportunity on the horizon in Colombia, specifically in Medellin.

“I’m in the real estate business. Right now, real estate in Medellin, on a cost-per-square-meter basis, is the least expensive of any cosmopolitan city in the world. That alone is enough to get my attention. Layer on top of that critical current reality all the many other advantages and benefits of this city, and it’s not hard to understand why I’ve chosen to restart my life here.

“Colombia continues to suffer a stigma thanks to its past problems. There’s still a lot of ignorance in the international community. Which explains why foreigners still represent less than 1% of residential real estate buyers in Medellin.

“This is changing, though. And the rate of change is accelerating.”

Kathleen Peddicord

P.S. Lief and I arrived in Medellin this morning. We’re here to check on the progress of the renovation of the apartment we purchased in El Poblado in July. Looking out the window of the plane as we approached, I was struck, as I am every time we make this trip, by how much the landscape in this region, viewed from the air, reminds me of Ireland. Rolling hills, patchwork fields, and green…in every direction, as far as you can see, green, of every hue and shade you can imagine.

Countryside as lovely as you find in Ireland…but near-perfect weather and an expanding economy…

Quite a place.

Tags: 'Colombia''Real Estate In Medellin'retire to medellin
Share83Tweet52
Previous Post

Retire To Europe

Next Post

Investing In Medellin, Colombia

Live And Invest Overseas

Live And Invest Overseas

Live and Invest Overseas is the world's savviest source for top opportunities to live better, retire in style, invest for profit, do business, and own real estate overseas. Established in 2008, the Live and Invest Overseas' editors and correspondents have more experience researching and reporting on top opportunities for living well, investing for profit, doing business, and owning real estate around the world than anyone else you'll find.

Related Posts

3 Popular Seaside Towns In Mexico Within Driving Distance Of The States
Lifestyle

3 Popular Seaside Towns In Mexico Within Driving Distance Of The States

by Lee Harrison
May 4, 2022
0

One of the most valuable conveniences you could hope for when purchasing a home abroad can be the ability to...

Read more
The Best Places To Live Abroad And Launch A New Life

The Best Places To Live Abroad And Launch A New Life

April 27, 2022
The Eiffel tower in Paris from a tiny street

While Away Your Days In Paris

April 26, 2022
A view of Cinta Costera in Panama City, Panama

One Of The Greatest Melting Pots

April 25, 2022
A relaxing Panama shoreline

Is Retiring In Panama Still A Good Choice? If So, Where?

April 24, 2022
Ferragudo, Algarve, Portugal

How One Couple Discovered A Great New Life In Algarve

April 21, 2022
Portuguese beach villa in Carvoeiro classic fishing boats

Retirement In Algarve, Portugal, Is A Breeze For Americans

April 17, 2022
Next Post
Investing in Colombia

Investing In Medellin, Colombia

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…

WANT TO RETIRE OVERSEAS?

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately send you a free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE in style overseas. Each day you’ll learn about the best opportunities for international living, retiring overseas, offshore diversification and asset protection, and investing in real estate around the world.