What is the cost to buy land or a lot in San Miguel de Allende
Cathy Rocha
The lot that I bought in 2007 was not very big, and it cost US $27,000. It had a house with two bedrooms, one and a half baths, a laundry room and a garage on it, and it was fully gated and had 16-foot walls. It was a residential area that was on a dirt road, 10 minutes from the Fabrica Aurora, which is within a few kilometers of the town center.
I couldn’t afford to buy a lot in Centro. You could buy a ruin and then renovate it, but there...
The lot that I bought in 2007 was not very big, and it cost US $27,000. It had a house with two bedrooms, one and a half baths, a laundry room and a garage on it, and it was fully gated and had 16-foot walls. It was a residential area that was on a dirt road, 10 minutes from the Fabrica Aurora, which is within a few kilometers of the town center.
I couldn’t afford to buy a lot in Centro. You could buy a ruin and then renovate it, but there weren’t any empty lots in town. Just outside of town, however, a 10-minute walk for example, there are several lots that one could buy.
In a nearby area to where I currently live, there are several gated communities being developed and lots being sold, and many of the lots are going for anywhere from US $50,000 – US $75,000. These are nice, big sized lots, and are in a gate-guarded, planned community.
(Lot in gated community, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)
Fishing in Nicaragua has four faces: deep sea in the Pacific Ocean, large lake in Lake Nicaragua, river fishing in the Rio San Juan, and flats and lagoon fishing on the Caribbean coast. All four boast world-class locations and opportunities including the Rio Indio Lodge where the world’s rich and famous come to sample the rivers and Caribbean coast.
Fishing in Nicaragua has four faces: deep sea in the Pacific Ocean, large lake in Lake Nicaragua, river fishing in the Rio San Juan, and flats and lagoon fishing on the Caribbean coast. All four boast world-class locations and opportunities including the Rio Indio Lodge where the world’s rich and famous come to sample the rivers and Caribbean coast.
How are the restaurants in the Panama City, Panama area of San Francisco?
Pier Ruzzi - Mayra Lamboglia De Ruzzi Attorney
In San Francisco a district of Panama City, Panama, there are many restaurants with food from many different countries, from Chinese to Italian, Greek, etc. One that I recommend is the "El Segundo Muelle". This restaurant serves food from Ecuador, specializing in sea food dishes. Personally, I love the "Pulpo" or octopus. The service is great, but you had better arrive early or make a reservation or you will have to come back another day.
In San Francisco a district of Panama City, Panama, there are many restaurants with food from many different countries, from Chinese to Italian, Greek, etc. One that I recommend is the "El Segundo Muelle". This restaurant serves food from Ecuador, specializing in sea food dishes. Personally, I love the "Pulpo" or octopus. The service is great, but you had better arrive early or make a reservation or you will have to come back another day.
If you are a foreigner, I don't think you can get a mortgage home loan in Belize. If you become a resident in Belize I think you have more chance of doing it, but it would still take a while. I have a mortgage home loan, but I have been here all of my life and I'm a Belizean citizen.
What we tell people normally is if you want to mortgage for a home here then try and get it through whatever banking system you've been using in North America. It's very...
If you are a foreigner, I don't think you can get a mortgage home loan in Belize. If you become a resident in Belize I think you have more chance of doing it, but it would still take a while. I have a mortgage home loan, but I have been here all of my life and I'm a Belizean citizen.
What we tell people normally is if you want to mortgage for a home here then try and get it through whatever banking system you've been using in North America. It's very difficult to do it here and you probably wouldn't want to do it anyway. The interest rates are higher and you'll never know what's going to happen. I think I pay around 8.5%.
(Lot with a seaview, Consejo Shores, Belize, pictured.)
Can I use my Medicare outside the US, and if not, what are my alternatives?
Tabitha Paddock - Greenback Expat Tax Services
Unfortunately, in most cases Medicare benefits do not apply to medical care provided outside the US. I would suggest you assess your healthcare needs, and the medical costs in the country you will be retiring in. Depending on which country you plan on retiring in, you may have a public health care system available to you. You should also look into the availability and cost of a private health insurance plan for medical expenses incurred in other countries.
Usually, once you...
Unfortunately, in most cases Medicare benefits do not apply to medical care provided outside the US. I would suggest you assess your healthcare needs, and the medical costs in the country you will be retiring in. Depending on which country you plan on retiring in, you may have a public health care system available to you. You should also look into the availability and cost of a private health insurance plan for medical expenses incurred in other countries.
Usually, once you have moved to a foreign country, you're no longer eligible for Medicare benefits (although Medicare does cover residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands).
However, if you come back to the US, you will still receive Medicare Part A benefits. (Anyone who qualifies for Social Security, and is 65 or older qualifies under Part A.)
How are the roads in Portugal? Do I need a four-wheel drive in Portugal?
Duncan MacGregor - Duncan MacGregor Accounting
The main highways in Portugal are very good and you pay for them because they have tolls. The secondary roads and the country roads are not as good and that’s where you will definitely need a 4 x 4. Generally, you can drive on regularly paved roads around Lisbon. It’s only when you get to the villages that the roads may be unpaved.
(The single track dirt road to the lighthouse of Ponta dos Rosais, Portugal, pictured.)
The main highways in Portugal are very good and you pay for them because they have tolls. The secondary roads and the country roads are not as good and that’s where you will definitely need a 4 x 4. Generally, you can drive on regularly paved roads around Lisbon. It’s only when you get to the villages that the roads may be unpaved.
(The single track dirt road to the lighthouse of Ponta dos Rosais, Portugal, pictured.)
I live lakeside in Chapala. In all of Mexico, it’s the most picturesque, comfortable and enlightening place any Mexico-seeking expat could ever hope to find. It’s also quite common (living in paradise) you get drawn into like-minded social media groups.
I try to steer clear of “comment” sections. But a recent conversation erupting on a Ajijic chat site was just too juicy to swipe past. On the surface, it was about a seemly humdrum matter: poop...
Wow! You have just finished reading a local paper and you have seen 14 different 'Realtors' advertised!
How do you know which one to choose? Do you go for the one with the biggest ad ("they must be successful, right?") or the one with the nicest looking ad, or the one that has pictures of the Realtors? ("I like the look of those people. They look honest and trustworthy")
Coiba Island really is a hidden paradise in Panama. The largest island in Central America, it is located between the Azuero Peninsula and the Costa Rican boarder. A former jail and surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, it is an oasis to intellectuals, adventurers or scientists who want to really discover a beautiful place.
Coiba Is an isolated, protected island that can only be visited with special permit from the ANAM, (the...