Best Ex-Pat area for full time residency

fulltimedaniel wrote:

RandACampin wrote:

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
... You are a guest wanting to be a local - so you are the one who must change your mindset and way of thinking...

If only people would do that when they come to this country!

I am not sure that this as you infer is the case at all. I believe that most of the folks that immigrate here or are refugees, want desperately to fit in to their new country and try hard to do so.

My bet is you have never lived or worked overseas and had to adapt to a completely different culture, script (such as Khmer or Arabic) language and even things like traffic laws.

I can tell you from experience it is NOT EASY. It takes time.

I would also remind you that their are still Polish Radio stations in the Chicago and Michigan areas that sprang up with the immigration from that part of Europe in the late 1800's into the early 20th century. All over this country European immigrants and their offspring celebrate their original culture in festivals and religious ceremonies.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping in touch with your mother culture.

I have lived and worked overseas plenty. 26 years in the Air Force. More than 1/2 of that overseas and plenty of time in the middle east, Europe and Asia, so that is a bet you would lose. You are right it is not easy but, from my experience the local citizenry will respond and respect you more if you just try. The point is many don't even try when they come here, they expect us to change to them...NOT RIGHT.

RandACampin wrote:

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
... You are a guest wanting to be a local - so you are the one who must change your mindset and way of thinking...

If only people would do that when they come to this country!

I am not sure that this as you infer is the case at all. I believe that most of the folks that immigrate here or are refugees, want desperately to fit in to their new country and try hard to do so.

My bet is you have never lived or worked overseas and had to adapt to a completely different culture, script (such as Khmer or Arabic) language and even things like traffic laws.

I can tell you from experience it is NOT EASY. It takes time.

I would also remind you that their are still Polish Radio stations in the Chicago and Michigan areas that sprang up with the immigration from that part of Europe in the late 1800's into the early 20th century. All over this country European immigrants and their offspring celebrate their original culture in festivals and religious ceremonies.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping in touch with your mother culture.

gmctoyman wrote:

RandACampin wrote:

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
... You are a guest wanting to be a local - so you are the one who must change your mindset and way of thinking...

If only people would do that when they come to this country!

Like the Europeans did when they landed here ?

If you are talking the original settlers, there was nothing to assimilate to. If you are talking during the industrial revolution, they assimilated very nicely. They learned English, adopted American values and blended in very nicely. So yes, just like them.

To quote the former governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal (born of immigrants) "Immigration without assimilation is infiltration".

RandACampin wrote:

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
... You are a guest wanting to be a local - so you are the one who must change your mindset and way of thinking...

If only people would do that when they come to this country!

Like the Europeans did when they landed here ?

I have lived and worked overseas for many years in countireis as diverse as Egypt Thailand Cambodia, Sierra Leone, London, Switzerland and a few others. I recently returned from living for almost ten years in SE Asia.So my experience is first hand and recent.

I also followed the retireoverseas trend closely and looked at many countries myself. When I am done fulltiming here I will most likely move overseas again.

First: Read all the overseas retirement info you can get. Make a PROVISIONAL list of countries that you may find interesting.

Second: Start by going to the websites of the nations you have set out in a list as possibilities. Look and read carefully their rules for RESIDENCY and income requirements. This will undoubtedly eliminate some right off.

Third: Expand the search to a second tier of countries and repeat the process.

If you decide on a couple of countries go and stay there in a rented house for at least three months and longer if possible. (Most countries will give you 3 months on a tourist visa)

Keep a few things in mind. You are only about 12-15 hours away from the US by air no matter where you choose to live. Don't let an artificial feel of closeness keep you from an otherwise cheap and great place to live.

Now as for areas of the world Generally speaking Europe is extremely expensive to live in, Spain long a retirement haven for Brits is no longer a bargain or cheap for living. The same goes for the Canary Islands, Malta, and other Med Islands.

SE Asia is CHEAP to live in countries like Thailand, where I have lived, are modern with great hospitals great doctors and affordable healthcare. Their infrastructure is very good with WIFI and all other services in generally good working order in the mid size to larger cities. It is beautiful and you can get a very nice house (rent) for very little money. I had a 5 bedroom 6 bathroom house with a view of the ocea, all new and modern with three stories and paid $700 per month for it.

The Caribbean is generally expensive as most food and goods must be imported in small quantities.

Central America where I have traveled and stayed for extended periods of time, (I had friends that owned factories there) can be cheap depending on the country. Panama is like a small US or a Large Miami depending on your view. Costa Rica has been in the retirement game for a long time and costs are high there.

Right now Nicaragua is the new hot spot for retirees and Columbia is coming up fast. Nicaragua is gorgeous, stable, cheap and actually well run. The people are a delight. and there are wonderful old Colonial cities that rival anything in Ecuador or Guatemala.

Speaking of Ecuador...this country is overrun with Canadian and US expats all divided into their own little political groups all spending a lot of their time tearing each other up (verbally and online) and the government is rather a farce. Though it is beautiful and cheap and has decent medical care at bargain prices and if you are a resident it can be free.

I at one time looked at Tanzania. And I still think of it as a possibility. To be able to go the worlds best known iconic game parks and live in a tropical climate is a plus...but it has some daunting hurdles for the first time overseas retiree.

Your ability to adapt will have more to do with your experience overseas and with your mindset than anything else. You will go through a series of well known phases or stages of mind. First will be the Honeymoon...where everything and every one is just WONDERFUL! You will love everything. This attitude generally lessens and turns into HATE for all things of your new country...these stupid people!...Then if you manage to stay through that phase you settle into reality. You realize that every country is good at some things and bad at others. You tend to accept and develop tools to deal with the irritating factors of the culture and government. You soon realize that there are good and bad people in every country. Oh this is easy to say and to think but in reality it is harder to live.

I heartily recommend to go and do it. It is a great experience. We still talk on fB and skype with friends and staff from when we lived in SE ASIA. I still have good friends all over the world and cherish them.

If I can be of any help please feel free to message me.

Good Luck!

A friend from Grosse Pointe retired to Guatemala in a gated community in Antigua, a colonial capital. I've been there 4 times for deep sea fishing. Like any country there are some places to avoid.

PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
... You are a guest wanting to be a local - so you are the one who must change your mindset and way of thinking...

If only people would do that when they come to this country!

FWIW, a friend/colleague retired earlier this year as did I. He had worked around the world (Northern Europe, France, UK, Italy, several SA locations, Vietnam, and two stints in West Africa) for circa 35 years.

He took six months of travel to confirm his first decision but in the end he relocated to where he originally had planned....Thailand.

He told me something along the lines that Thailand didn't force one to live either in "Little America" or "no-America" and live strictly as a local.

Second hand experience FWIW.

I'd advise you to go and visit for a few months the places you want to look at before you make any concrete decisions.

My family lived on Cayman Brac for several years and sometimes what you work up in your head isn't at all how it turns out to be. Eventually that pretty picture, regardless of where you put your root is just that a picutre and all the downsides you ignored or didn't think about start showing up and wearing on you.

Legal systems in many countries are VERY different for natural citizens vs people just coming to retire. Nothing like here in the USA. Just be cautious with real estate, work options and banking.

I don't know how much you've traveled but there is a rather large difference between the US and other second world countries much less the popular more third world options people opt for to stretch limited social security income.

I'd also expect that at some point you might see something similar with social security / medicare that you see in Canada for those that live elsewhere. Just don't be surprised if it happens and have an exit plan.

CampbellDaycruiser wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
I spent a lot of time in Italy/southern Switzerland and met a man there who said he let his wife pick the country, she picked switzerland, and he could pick the city, and he picked Lugano. out of all the possibilities in the world, sounded good to me.
why are you limiting your choices to the americas?
bumpy

Wise choice: I have spent much time in Locarno, just down the road......... Nice climate, excellent infrastructure, friendly people, what's not to like?

I spent a lot time in CH as well: the German section (Schauffhausen and Zurich) and Geneva. Interesting country; sort of like what many think the USA was like in the '50's.
Expensive and it currently takes at least 10 odd years before you can become a citizen. If you've the bucks come on down/up/around; the Swiss will accept you;).

I could claim citizenship in another Caribbean nation but have opted to spend part of my retirement in Panama where I've family but no right to citizenship. Great parity with US dollar, state of the art medical care, sunshine, high level of education, good eats and proud people; works for me.