A beach not far from
Puerto Plata
in the Dominican Republic. In this area are
some German-speakers. Spanish,
however, is the primary language. To see a more
detailed tour of this area, click
here.
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Some Pros and Cons About Overseas Retirement
Confession of a HGTV
junkie: we love to watch House Hunters
International which often features youngish, attractive retirees
searching for homes in places like Costa Rica, Italy, or the
Dominican Republic. On the TV show they always talk about
the warm weather and low cost of living. And it is true
that living abroad can be a solution to a future on a limited
fixed income--as well as being an exciting
adventure.
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On the other hand there
appears to be three potential issues that could create problems
-- and no one seems to write much about them.
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Healthcare at home and
abroad
One potential issue is healthcare
and getting good medical treatment abroad, particularly in Third
World countries. Move to Italy, France, England--all high
cost of living countries--and health care is excellent.
But in a charming little fishing village in Mexico or a small
town in Nicaragua, for example, health care, particularly
emergency medical treatment, may not be adequate at all.
While this may not be much of an issue for early retirees or
people age 65, by age 75 it probably will be. |
New places, new
networks
A second potential
challenge of moving abroad for retirement: building a
network of supportive friends in a new, foreign location.
There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of American expatriate
villages around the globe. Retirees who move into one of
these "Little Americas" will have instant friends, or
at least, instant acquaintances. Outside these retiree
colonies, however, it may prove to be far more difficult to build a
network of friends and acquaintances among the locals. The
isolation may end up driving you back home.
Political Changes
Another thing that could
drive you back to the U.S. are political changes in the country
you move to. Suddenly your lovely beachfront life in a
warm, friendly climate can become an experience in living
in an environment of anger, fear
or outright hostility. Or worse yet, in the midst of
a civil war.
| A Real
Life Retirement:
Owners of a very
comfortable, bus-size motor home, Sam and Ellen
traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Mexico and
Central America. Sam even took a year long
sabbatical from his teaching job so they could spend time
searching for a retirement location. Finally, they
found one in a RV park with a lot of Americans next to a marina on the west coast
of Mexico where they could go fishing everyday. Their costs would be so low that
retirement at age 62 became realistic.
Their
next step was to find an inexpensive home in the Southwest
so they would continue to have a U.S. residence. It
took another year or so. Searching online real
estate listings, they found a fixer on a big lot in a
small Arizona town. Finally came the big leap:
They sold their home in the Pacific Northwest. Sam left his job. Ellen works freelance and her
clients do not care where she lives so she continues to
work. They first
moved into the fixer and fixed it up. They now live Mexico
part of each year. |
Some other retirees are moving
to the Sunbelt.
| Your feedback and comments
are welcome. If you have experiences or ideas to
share, please send
feedback now. |
NOTE: All names
on this site have been changed to protect individual
privacy. The stories are real, the names are not.
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