“Last evening,” writes France Correspondent Lucy Culpepper, “we sat in the spring sunshine on the main square in Cessenon-sur-Orb watching the swallows dipping and diving over the roof tiles. “As the family relaxed, I took a look in the window of the local real estate agent’s office. He has some interesting small ‘vacation’ homes on [...]
The Languedoc Versus The Béarn–Contrasting The Glories Of French Country Springtime
“I’m over in the Languedoc region of the ‘other’ south of France,” writes Correspondent from that country Lucy Culpepper. “As we drove from the Béarn in the Pyrenees Atlantic department on the west coast of France to the Languedoc department on the east, following the line of the Pyrenees Mountains, I was particularly struck, this [...]
Brass Tacks–How To Budget Your New Life Overseas
How much will it cost you to live in the overseas Shangri-la that’s calling your name? The bulk of any budget is given over to housing–rent or a mortgage, if you have one–so start here. Are you going to rent or to buy? I strongly recommend that you rent at least at first, for 6 [...]
A Tale Of Two Retirees
Friends David Stubbs and Lucy Culpepper retired overseas early and haven’t looked back since… “I retired to Costa Rica in 2004,” explains David, “at the age of 48. I was late. My goal from my teenage years was to be in a position to retire by the age of 35. As I approached that milestone, [...]
This Eco-Investment Doubles Your Money, At Least,
A developer friend is launching a new project in Belize. I’ve written about early-in investment opportunities with this project once before, when the developer, Phil Hahn, made his initial Founder’s Guild package offer earlier this year. Phil sold the three packages he had available within 24 hours of my alert. That’s how compelling the offer [...]
Fairy-Tale Living On The Continent (That, Yes, You Can Afford)
Croatia is my other top pick (alongside France) for spending time in Europe. This is a country of impossibly beautiful blue-green waters that, unfortunately, is better known for its tumultuous history. The fighting, though, in this part of the world is nearly two decades in the past, and the cultured, educated people of Croatia have [...]
Here’s The Most Important Thing You Need To Understand About Spending Time In France
Here’s perhaps the most important thing to understand about France: It can be a far more affordable place to spend time than you might imagine. Paris is the best place on earth to seek out a luxury lifestyle on a budget. Whatever your idea of the high life, you can find it in the City [...]
Panama Sliced Thin
Panama is an extreme example of why thin-slicing your live and retire overseas options is important. First, there’s Panama City, which isn’t one good choice but at least a half-dozen, including El Cangrejo, Paitilla, Costa del Este, the banking center, and Casco Viejo. These are markedly different options for city living. El Cangrejo is up-and-coming [...]
Good Wine, Grand Adventure, And A 18.97% Annual Yield
Clear turquoise waters lapping gently against soft white sand. Palm trees rustling in the warm breeze. Fishing boats bobbing on the horizon. Birdsong and island tunes all around… Ambergris Caye, Belize, is unadulterated, unpretentious Caribbean…the sea, sand, and sunshine of the Caymans or the Virgin Islands without the price tag. San Pedro town, a former [...]
Thin Slicing Paradise
You aren’t going to retire to Panama or France, not to Belize or Croatia, nor to Uruguay, Malaysia, Ireland, Nicaragua, or the Philippines… Ah, but a new life in a small beach town on Panama’s Pacific coast…a fresh start with a renovation project in a centuries-old city in the heart of France…in an apartment in [...]
