American woman (possibly family) needs to relocate out of the USA (big house, buy)

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

Marknz, agree that low-crime and open immigration don't normally go together. I guess there is no "hidden diamond", maybe not even a "CZ" but just trying to find out if there is any decent place that will accept me. I will click that link for the third world country. Thanks.

Chava61, I know I would need to pay out of pocket for health insurance. The problem I see so far with this is that all the policies have seen have lifetime maximums on certain benefits. Of course, that's unacceptable. Curious about your experience in Ecuador. Can you tell me more about crime, police powers, public transportation and employment? Thanks.

I spent a year in Guayaquil and worked for a university. I was hired outside of Ecuador. But while I was in Ecuador I met Americans that had been hired locally to teach English. Guayaquil's public transportation consists of a good bus system. You can take a bus anywhere in the city. Buses stop anywhere you like along their specific routes. (There are very few formal bus stops. You just have to tell the driver to stop where you want him to!)
There are also taxis. You need to bargain with the driver about the price of your ride before he drives you anywhere. Guayaquil's main crime problem was mugging & theft because of the extreme poverty of part of the population. But on other hand, rape is practically unheard of there!

[MovingSouthGal]

chrisc, yes, those happy with anything in life think all should be! Do you have a reason for wanting to relo that you'd like to share? are you also interested in safety? i think avoidance of crime and risk of being arrested for no reason are what will make this difficult ...i read that in dubai, people are picked up for no reason at all and i think it's not limited to that country...I really don't mind explaining myself though -- the more info you present the more you can receive. It seems like basically we're taking the same steps to find appropriate places. At least I will have a steady government pension and later, social security as well. I would think many countries would like to have immigrants with such financial stability. Thanks

[MovingSouthGal]

chava61, of course, in terms of crime, most people are concerned mainly about risk to life and limb, but also the stress of being a victim of a crime and even fear of crime, can cause illness or at least a lower quality of life. I must be prepared to be alone in the new country, and as a female with no training in self-defense, I'm particularly vulnerable. I do love the idea of public transportation. As a young person in the Philadelphia, PA area, I relied on that as well as being a pedestrian. The bus, train, trolley's, etc. were relatively safe back then. Thanks again.

[Teak]

MovingSouthGal,

From your posts I gather that Singapore might be the best expat option for you: clean, little crime, great public transportation, and a well-regulated populace which means little dissension, no rioting, no chewing gum (seriously), etc. But, Singapore is probably the most expensive place to live in SE Asia and not that easy to find work, thus, a work visa. But if you are serious, you could start following threads that discuss Singapore, such as city-data (start one yourself) or else Alloexpat Singapore (do a google search).

I have lived as an expat in China (1 year) and Malaysia (13+ years and still here). Both of them would present problems for someone who wasn't somewhat "tough" emotionally. When I said "baggage", I meant emotional issues, financial issues (do you have US$ debt?), social issues, spousal issues, and etc. There is a myth that one can up and leave their troubles far behind (lots of songs with that theme), but in actuality we bring our troubles with us.

I am male, and have a wonderful wife who has gladly followed me to this day. Now that our children are approaching child-bearing age themselves, we will have a bridge to cross in the issue of visiting grandchildren now that airline prices have skyrocketed. Our children chose to return to the USA while we want to retire here.

[jungeon]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

I am disenchanted with the USA and would like to relocate to another country. I need a country with a truly open and fair (if there is such a thing) immigration policy, yet one that is low-crime and has good police powers. Health and safety is my main concern, after what I've learned about the various countries in terms of expating. I would like to retain my American citizenship, because I will soon be living on a pension (with health benefits) and in several years, additional social security income. I will have at least $25,000 per year on the pension (through my husband) and hopefully I will soon be able to work. I've been unemployed for many years due to disabilites that are basically resolved. I really need a country that will allow me to work. I plan to get a vocational medical skill, either here or in the new country. Also I'm very open to teaching English -- I've been a volunteer tutor of various subjects off and on since I was in high school, including EFL currently via the Internet. However I have no degree, so possibly no school will hire me for pay. I don't know if my husband is willing to relocate out of the country. Sorry it has to be this way but I will leave without him if he refuses to move with me.

If I'm lucky enough to find an appropriate country, I will rent as long as necessary and then hope to buy a property with open zoning that will produce an income. I would like to be an on-site boardinghouse owner/landlord, as it would be appropriate for me, virtually regardless of disability. Of course, I will visit the country before making any committments.

I'm very dissatisfied with the amount of expat and immigration information I have so far and if others are like-minded, hopefully this will be a continuing thread. As long as I'm able, I'll keep checking back.

Well marcNZ responded and your not happy so I don't thin anyone will satisfy you, he is mr international. JK.

Look at Panama or asia. You have to decide if your an old world person or a new world person. Would you rather live in europe/japan=old world, or new world=africa/south-central america/asia.

Now before you say why would I want to go to a poor country realise that you will have more opportunties there. Your income will be higher comparatively (ie. you can maybe buy a house for 25,000 that you could only dream of renting for a day in romantic france). also going to a poor country means your skills are more appreciated. Less people have ur vocational skill therefore you will be paid more (proportionaly)and there is more of a chance that you live the lifestyle you want.
Sure you might only make 20k a year but your expenses will be 4000 a year and you want be a slave to work, you will be free.
I know many white people in africa and from there when I travel, and I can tell you they would not move to NYC or America unless they thought there lives were in serious danger. Whike I do know some who moved from Africa, most have left from South Africa after apartheid because there was some instability there that has now gone away but for people who have kids they don't want to risk it.

Also realise that you will be welcomed in Africa and no anti-white racism exist there to American white people. Ghana is a great country to move, and is a plus because its on the ocean and has great beaches and is very stable, Botswana is also a good countr to move to, I can recommend algeria to you but I am bias cause I'm from there. Latin America I'd recommend Panama or Chile. Asia I'd recommend Thailand, see you want to avoid large countries=lots of crime like brazil, nigeria,russia,india, developed country=high cost your 25,000 won't go far, corrupt countries=large countries in general. Otherwise there is always east europe but I think that in 10 years it will be like poland.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

chava61, of course, in terms of crime, most people are concerned mainly about risk to life and limb, but also the stress of being a victim of a crime and even fear of crime, can cause illness or at least a lower quality of life. I must be prepared to be alone in the new country, and as a female with no training in self-defense, I'm particularly vulnerable. I do love the idea of public transportation. As a young person in the Philadelphia, PA area, I relied on that as well as being a pedestrian. The bus, train, trolley's, etc. were relatively safe back then. Thanks again.

I had no problem personally when I lived in Guayaquil Ecuador. As I said the only crime people worry about there is mugging & theft. As for mugging, if you carry yourself correctly & are always aware of your surrounding & don't look like a foreigner/tourist, the likelihood of being a victim is small. As for theft, you have to lock your doors, etc. like in any big city.

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by jungeon

Well marcNZ responded and your not happy so I don't thin anyone will satisfy you, he is mr international. JK.

Look at Panama or asia. You have to decide if your an old world person or a new world person. Would you rather live in europe/japan=old world, or new world=africa/south-central america/asia.

Now before you say why would I want to go to a poor country realise that you will have more opportunties there. Your income will be higher comparatively (ie. you can maybe buy a house for 25,000 that you could only dream of renting for a day in romantic france). also going to a poor country means your skills are more appreciated. Less people have ur vocational skill therefore you will be paid more (proportionaly)and there is more of a chance that you live the lifestyle you want.
Sure you might only make 20k a year but your expenses will be 4000 a year and you want be a slave to work, you will be free.
I know many white people in africa and from there when I travel, and I can tell you they would not move to NYC or America unless they thought there lives were in serious danger. Whike I do know some who moved from Africa, most have left from South Africa after apartheid because there was some instability there that has now gone away but for people who have kids they don't want to risk it.

Also realise that you will be welcomed in Africa and no anti-white racism exist there to American white people. Ghana is a great country to move, and is a plus because its on the ocean and has great beaches and is very stable, Botswana is also a good countr to move to, I can recommend algeria to you but I am bias cause I'm from there. Latin America I'd recommend Panama or Chile. Asia I'd recommend Thailand, see you want to avoid large countries=lots of crime like brazil, nigeria,russia,india, developed country=high cost your 25,000 won't go far, corrupt countries=large countries in general. Otherwise there is always east europe but I think that in 10 years it will be like poland.

You mention Botswana. Botswana is a relatively safe country and it doesn't have a racism problem. Its main problem is AIDS. But getting a resident visa for Botswana isn't so easy.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

Health and safety is my main concern

If health and safety is your concern, then you should probably avoid developing countries. The problem is that moving to developed countries will be much more expensive.

There is no silver bullet. You should decide what is bothering you the most. You mentioned "too much emphasis on private transportation, lack of community, high crime and visa laws that are too restrictive." (BTW, I totally agree with you on this - IMO, the Southern U.S. is among the worst offender). Most European countries offer great public transport, low crime and great communities. However, based on my experience, it is usually very difficult to overcome the culture differences and make many friends and be accepted. Also, Europeans tend to prefer to hire natives over "foreigners" due to their strict labor laws. So, jobs will be tough to get.

Someone mentioned Singapore, which will satisfy some of your criteria, but there are also very strict laws and some think that you might be sacrificing some freedoms.

Also, moving to a different country is emotionally taxing especially one that does not have the same language or customs. It would be better if you convinced your husband to leave also. So, your decision should not be taken lightly. Next, there's the immigration question. You can't just pick up and move. Usually, you'll need some sort of visa, student, work or fiance visas.

Good luck.

[City of Rain]

Originally Posted by ChrisC

As you've probably noticed, you'll get some responses that are supportive of what you wish to do and those that make it sound impossible. Just stick with your plan, make use of the helpful advice you get, but don't let the negative advice ruin your day. Take it for what it is. Some of it is also useful, some not.

There are a lot of folks who have left the country for a lot of reasons. You don't need to justify yourself. It is your choice. If you don't like it here, you don't like it. Many detractors don't understand how anyone could not be happy in this country. That's because it works for them. But they are not you. You decide what works for you.

I’m planning an eventual move abroad also. I've narrowed my possibilities down to a few places. It will probably take some years before I'm able to actually move, but I can spend some time visiting the areas until then. I'd make some suggestions for locations, but my situation is quite different from yours and I'm looking for something a little different. So, all I can say is keep researching. There are a lot of helpful folks out there, so when you think you've narrowed it down a bit, try contacting some people from the US that have moved to the area. They can be extremely helpful and are generally quite excited to share what they've experienced.

you want to live in your fridge?

[Threestep]

Originally Posted by MovingSouthGal

chrisc, yes, those happy with anything in life think all should be! Do you have a reason for wanting to relo that you'd like to share? are you also interested in safety? i think avoidance of crime and risk of being arrested for no reason are what will make this difficult ...i read that in dubai, people are picked up for no reason at all and i think it's not limited to that country...I really don't mind explaining myself though -- the more info you present the more you can receive. It seems like basically we're taking the same steps to find appropriate places. At least I will have a steady government pension and later, social security as well. I would think many countries would like to have immigrants with such financial stability. Thanks

You may want to start reading up on immigration requirements and cost of living of countries you plan to move to. Aside from medical insurance, move, language, lack of local employment skills/authorization. Where do you see financial stability in an income of 25k and potential later social security payments?

Trust what you read and hear. Nothing like great and persistent rumors in the world of immigration:>(