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I look at the Mexico forum, and there seem to be several ex-pats living in Mexico who post to that forum. So you might ask your questions in the forum for whichever place you're considering to live in.
I do not live "abroad", but my son does. He is struggling to understand all the new IRS and banking issues that are making life miserable for many ex-pats.
Also, depending on the country there is typically a local ex-pat website or message board that has local members. Just do a bit of due diligence and you will see that most places have them and they are typically a wealth of information.
I am called by Florida too. I lived in Orlando for 20 years and I miss is greatly. I moved from Orlando because the medical care is very poor, the crime is abundant, and the economy was (and is still) very bad. Nonetheless, I loved the weather, the restaurants, and all the great things to do there because it is a tourist destination. I just need to keep reminding myself that in the 20 years I lived there it changed for the worse.
I looked into Belize, Panama, Ecuador. The problem I found with Belize was that it doesn't have good medical care. We would have to go to Mexico or fly back to the USA. It has a few good dentists and a few good veterinarians, but that is not enough to entice me. Crime is really bad in Belize too.
Ecuador has good hospitals, but I don't speak Spanish. It has a lot of crime against Expats. There is corruption in the police/government. Laws are constantly being changed. Pretty much the same can be said for Panama.
I had gone to the ExPat forums to ask a question about long-term care. All of the blogs I read are about healthy people having the time of their lives and enjoying their retirement. But, when I ask about plans for long-term care when the ExPats become elderly and frail no one will respond. I keep wondering what happens to these people when they can no longer care for themselves. What happens if they run out of money? Will their new government step up and pay for their care? What happens if the Visa/residency laws change? How will they meet the newest requirements? These are things I would want answered before I felt comfortable leaving my country.
Anyway, there is a blog I follow that also calls to me. It is a blog written by a Realtor. Over a year ago she and her husband sold everything that they own and they have been traveling South America mostly the Latin America region. They write about each city that they visit and share pictures as they country shop. I would love to do the same thing but I fear my husband and I are too prosaic. I need some degree of certainty in my life and I live by planning.
I do not live "abroad", but my son does. He is struggling to understand all the new IRS and banking issues that are making life miserable for many ex-pats.
Just now came across another 2 website with info and forums for expats
Last edited by reed303; 09-21-2013 at 12:16 PM..
Reason: more
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Another expat site
