Ecuador is the top place in the world right now to retire well on a very limited budget…
Only a four-hour flight from the United States, a couple could live comfortably here for less than US$700 a month.
That figure may seem unbelievable. But, if you’re a North American, everything in Ecuador is affordable…
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“Let me know when you start showing mild climates near lakes and I’ll consider it!” a reader wrote in this week.
If you’ve read more than one of my dispatches, you know that I’m not here to present you with any one particular lifestyle. The year-round beach life of the stereotypical gringo is not for everyone.
Personally, I enjoy the experience of four seasons. But I know others who have lived through months of snow—year after year—who would do anything to avoid another winter… in any part of the world.
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Nine years ago, Lief and I bought our apartment in Medellín, Colombia.
Visiting the city for some years at that point, we recognized the potential of this city working hard to transform itself and shake off its shady past.
The property we bought was a renovation project in El Poblado—an upscale neighborhood in the city that’s become a favorite with expats. This was a chance to add value to a property that we should be able to sell in the future for a profit. But our first priority was to rent it out to vacationers in the city. Lief ran the numbers and projected a solid net rental yield…
Only there was one problem. A problem I take full responsibility for…
While the renovation work was going on, I made more visits to this “City of Eternal Spring.” With every visit, Medellín charmed me more. Coming from the humidity and noise of Panama City, the spring-like weather was a welcome break. Sophisticated Medellín also offered up a strong cultural scene that was more reminiscent of European living than most other parts of Latin America.
So, while I made decisions on fixtures and furniture for our restored apartment, I thought more of the comforts I’d need when in town… and completely lost sight of my potential renter.
Our rental manager warned us it was getting too fancy to suit short-term renters. Lief’s ROI plans were out the window.
Of course, all was not lost. Medellín has become part of our retirement agenda—a place we plan to spend time for many years to come. Now our family has a comfortable space to enjoy whenever we’re in town. (We’ve also used it to host gatherings for our Private Network members in the past.)
With a strong currency advantage for U.S.-dollar buyers, now is the perfect time to make a move in this city. Back when we bought our apartment in El Poblado, the exchange rate was around 1,800 pesos to US$1. Today, it’s more than 3,300 pesos to the dollar. Though property values have increased, you still have the upper hand.
Aside from affordable real estate, Medellín offers the opportunity for a superior lifestyle. As well as having one of the world’s best climates, you’ll find an impressive selection of restaurants and cafés… an exciting cultural scene, with theater, orchestra, and festivals all year… all at a reasonable cost of living.
Whether you’re interested in retiring, investing, or doing business overseas, I encourage you to try Medellín on for size. And no better way to experience everything on offer in this exciting, innovative city than to join us for our 2020 Live and Invest in Colombia Conference, June 3-5, in Medellín’s San Fernando Plaza Hotel…
Over three days with our team of Colombia experts, you’ll get all the inside information and on-the-ground support you need to be able to make your plans and invest wisely.
Like many expats who’ve already made their home here, Medellín is my favorite city in Colombia. But it’s not the only option. The experts we gather in Medellín will introduce you to other areas, too, where you can enjoy a great lifestyle… or find exciting investment opportunities.
We only run this event once a year, so it’s your single chance in 2020 to:
And that’s just for starters. You can read more about our plans here.
Kathleen Peddicord
Stories are how we make sense of the world around us.
And, when it comes to our conferences, nothing beats the power of the personal stories shared by our expats up on stage.
Of course, we dedicate many conference hours to giving you the practical information, too. You need to know the laws surrounding residency… you need help identifying the best places to start looking in a particular country… and what’s involved in shipping your belongings (and your pets)…
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Some years ago, back home in Baltimore for the holidays, I caught up with an old friend.
Bill had a dilemma at the time.
“This gets complicated, this live overseas lifestyle,” he told me. “We’ve been living abroad for the better part of two decades. Now the children are all grown, and they’re choosing to settle Stateside. As I get older, I realize that what matters most to me is being near them. So we’re working now to organize a life that allows that.
“Another funny thing I’ve realized lately,” he added. “I enjoy being back here in Maryland. Of all the places in all the world where I could be, I’m comfortable here.”Continue reading
If you’ve been to our Retire Overseas Conference in the past, you’ll identify with this…
If you haven’t, but are thinking about it, take this as a warning…
When you get behind closed doors with a team of LIOS experts and expats keen to share their insights on living and investing overseas… and you repeat this every day for three days… at some point, your brain will feel like it’s going to explode.Continue reading
Last week I began a list of things you’ll need to think about when you’re planning for a move overseas. This week, we continue…Continue reading
We’re but a couple of days to the New Year…
The last holiday in the seasonal marathon and one that causes excitement and anxiety in equal measures around the world. The potential and the promise… yet also the expectation and the daunting.
The optimist sees the shiny, golden path paved with nothing but good intentions and high expectations…
The pessimist, the cynic—the realist, perhaps—sees the uphill battle…
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We’re just two days from Christmas, and, in Panama, parrots fly from palm tree to palm tree overhead, the heat doesn’t let up from its consistent 80+ degrees, but, nonetheless, the fact that the holidays are near is no less evident than it is in colder places around the globe…
Panama loves Christmas—you’ll hear carols on the radio in every store you visit (sometimes in English, sometimes in Spanish)… every building of every type shows its spirit with large-scale decorations, garlands or ornaments, and, if they have the space, a full-sized nativity… and the capital city’s main drag, the Cinta Costera, is transformed into a Christmas wonderland.Continue reading
We’re just over a week from Christmas, and for the past few weeks most of the world has been gripped by the seasonal rush… buying gifts, decorating indoors and out, baking cookies, and humming along to the Christmas songs that have taken over store radios.
I’ll admit I’m a sucker for the warm fuzzy feelings that come this time of year. No matter where in the world I am for December, I start to get in the mood—it’s the one time of year I can tolerate a cheese-fest of a movie (and I binge them all month long, much to Harry’s chagrin), Christmas tunes take over my playlist (I have several favorite albums), and I spend far too long browsing sites looking for gifts for friends and family.Continue reading