Author: Admin

Great Places For Holidays And Investments, Real Estate, Real Estate InvestmentsLeave a comment

Sand-Fringed, English-Speaking, And Seriously Tax-Advantaged

Admin

“Initially, I was attracted to Belize by its natural beauty and environment, including the opportunity it offers for scuba diving and water sports,” writes Correspondent from that country Ann Kuffner. “Thinking back to when this country first got my attention, I realize that, then, I wasn’t in a hurry. I had a lucrative career. I wasn’t thinking of making an international move. Instead, my husband and I invested in a vacation home on the island of Ambergris Caye. For eight years, we traveled to Belize yearly, to relax and to scuba dive. “I wanted to be sure before committing to … Continue reading Sand-Fringed, English-Speaking, And Seriously Tax-Advantaged

Attitudes, Investments, Real Estate, Real Estate Investments1 Comment

Most Frequently Asked (And Not So Crazy) Questions About Retiring Overseas

Admin

The following questions, which we receive regularly, are often preceded by, “I feel a little foolish asking, but I’m just not sure…” Don’t be shy. It never hurts to clarify. For example: 1. “If I move overseas, could I ever return home?” Yes, of course. Living overseas, even full-time, even as a legal resident of another country, affects your ability to spend time in your home country not at all. You’re still an American (or British or Australian, etc.) citizen, after all. You can come and go as you please. 2. Living overseas, would I lose my original citizenship? Again, … Continue reading Most Frequently Asked (And Not So Crazy) Questions About Retiring Overseas

Real Estate, Real Estate InvestmentsLeave a comment

How To Vet A Foreign Real Estate Buy

Admin

“Here are the key factors to keep in mind as you scout opportunities: The real estate agents you encounter may not be licensed, and they may have next-to-no relevant experience (maybe they were travel agents or mechanical engineers in previous lives…I’ve known real estate agents in emerging markets who were both those things as recently as two weeks before I made their acquaintance)… The real estate agent you decide to work with probably isn’t working for you. In emerging and unregulated markets (like the ones I direct you to regularly), the property agents don’t work for the buyer, and they … Continue reading How To Vet A Foreign Real Estate Buy

Attitudes, Real Estate, Real Estate Investments3 Comments

How To Filter The Best Real Estate Investment Opportunities Of 2010

Admin

“Falling markets over the past 18-plus months have created crisis buy opportunities,” writes resident global real estate investing expert Lief Simon, “for personal use and for investment. New Year 2010 is a year for action. I’ll present specific opportunities starting next week. “Meantime…invest in a piece of real estate in another country? How do you get started? “First, you ask yourself why you’re buying–for investment or for personal use. The answer may not be clear-cut. And the best case is when you find a piece of real estate that holds out the potential for an investment return (in the form … Continue reading How To Filter The Best Real Estate Investment Opportunities Of 2010

Great Places For Holidays And InvestmentsLeave a comment

The Simple And Satisfying Pleasures Of French Country Life

Admin

“We recently visited an organic beef and lamb farm,” writes France Correspondent Lucy Culpepper from her home in the southwest of that country. “It was part of an annual, all-weekend event held across France. Farmers opened their doors (and their stables) to visitors to show off their animals, their cheese making, and their meat, wine, and vegetable production. “We visited the farm of Josie and Jean Pierre Pommiés, just outside the pretty village of Coarraze in the beautiful rolling countryside of the Haut Béarn. Jean Pierre is a classic shepherd; in early summer he drives his animals, on foot, up … Continue reading The Simple And Satisfying Pleasures Of French Country Life

Real Estate, Real Estate Investments1 Comment

The Noose Is Tightening — Here’s How You Slip Out

Admin

Putting your money into foreign real estate is becoming a more appealing strategy all the time. Thanks to a crazy piece of pork in the recently passed U.S. HIRE Act, currency controls in that country have been seriously tightened. You know, of course, that you have to report any financial accounts you hold outside the United States with a value of more than US$10,000. Now, though, foreign financial institutions are required to report on the investment activities of U.S. citizens. It’s been increasingly difficult for some time for an American to open an international account abroad, and Switzerland recently has … Continue reading The Noose Is Tightening — Here’s How You Slip Out

Attitudes1 Comment

Why Did I Do This In The First Place?

Admin

When my boss at the time came to me to explain that the U.S. publishing company where I’d been working for 13 years was interested in setting up a new base in Ireland and to ask if I’d be interested in making the move to open that office for him, I jumped at the chance. I was 34 years old, ready for a change, and eager for an adventure. I’d been covering this live, retire, and invest overseas beat for a long time, but I realized that that was not the same as living it. This was my chance to … Continue reading Why Did I Do This In The First Place?

Events, Music1 Comment

IMPRESSED BY 2010?….. 3 ‘EARLY BIRD’ TICKET OPTIONS FOR 2011!

Admin

2011 IOM Bay Festival will have you Spelbound by their ‘Early Birds’! Following hot on the heels of the success of this year’s Manx Telecom Bay Festival the organisers have announced that they have already finalised the line-up for next year’s ‘X Factor Meets Britain’s Got Talent’. With over 8,000 in attendance this year the organisers have been inundated with requests asking when next years will be on sale as no one wants to miss out.  Jonathan Irving co-event promoter with his son Jamie said: “The Father’s Day spectacular starring Olly Murs, Diversity, Danyl Johnson, Signature, Stavros Flately etc went … Continue reading IMPRESSED BY 2010?….. 3 ‘EARLY BIRD’ TICKET OPTIONS FOR 2011!

Advertising2 Comments

Alcohol Advertising Heading For The Gutter?

Admin

Fosters.Smirnoff. Budweiser. Pimms. Guinness.Bailey’s. You know the brands, you know the ads and you probably know what some (most?) of them taste like too. But you may need to savour that (hazy?) memory if the people at the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) have their way. NICE, an independent advisory group to the NHS, published a 100-page report on Wednesday issuing recommendations that they believe will help reverse Britain’s underage and binge drinking culture- including a total ban of all UK alcohol advertising and a steep increase on the prices of all alcoholic beverages. According to Professor Ian Gilmore, the President of the Royal College of Physicians and Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, … Continue reading Alcohol Advertising Heading For The Gutter?

Great Places For Holidays And InvestmentsLeave a comment

The Town Of Everlasting Peace

Admin

“Greetings from Taiping,” writes Intrepid Correspondent Vicki Terhorst this morning. “This place is an historical and hidden gem in Malaysia. So few Westerners visit the ‘town of everlasting peace’ that Paul and I attract attention wherever we go. Young folks yell ‘Welcome to Malaysia’ from car windows, school bus windows, and motorcycles. Older folks come up to us when we are eating or out walking, to greet us and to ask where we are from. “The other day I walked by a huge convent school that teaches in English, and their motto caught my attention: Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in … Continue reading The Town Of Everlasting Peace

Attitudes, Great Places For Holidays And Investments1 Comment

The Top Three Reasons Not To Retire Overseas Debunked!

Admin

Reason #1 Not To Retire Overseas: You have young children. Bring them with you! The advantages to raising children abroad are many, from a second (or even third) language to a second passport. Children raised overseas are generally self-confident, open-minded, and resourceful. They learn to make friends easily and to adjust quickly to change. If you’re hesitating making an international move because you have children, you’re making a mistake. That, however, is not to say that raising kids in another country is easy. When you make a move overseas with children, they, specifically the options for their education, become your … Continue reading The Top Three Reasons Not To Retire Overseas Debunked!

AttitudesLeave a comment

Stop Reading And Get On A Plane

Admin

Stop reading. Well…not right this minute. But, after you’ve done your research and your googling, you have to stop reading about living, retiring, and investing overseas…and get on a plane to investigate the possibilities firsthand. Nothing substitutes for feet on the ground. You’ve got to walk the beaches, the pavements, and the hillsides of whatever overseas Shangri-las may be tempting you virtually. Only then can you know if any one of them is the right place for you to spend your time or your money. Readers write every day to say, “I’ve been reading your letters for months (or years), … Continue reading Stop Reading And Get On A Plane