Living In Belize As An American

Some people get really excited about the "Retire Belize" Program (Qualified Retirement Program) when they think about living in Belize as an American but the reality of making that happen is that they have to go through a long drawn out procedure to get this special retired persons visa. It is probably best to get an attorney to handle it for you as it is not a simple matter for even the most patient of Americans living in Belize. We are just not used to things being quite this complicated and drawn out. Nothing in Belize is simple and here are some reasons why that might be the case.

Before I even tell you this, just understand it will be a shock. Things in Belize are not computerized. Just let that sink in for a few minutes. The government is not computerized. The banking system between branches is not computerized. The local law enforcement is not computerized. Rewind back to the 60s and 70s and think about how things were done in America. Everything had to be written by hand or typed. 

Bookkeeping was by hand on ledgers. Records were created in duplicate and everything was filed in a filing cabinet and if you wanted to have the information you had to contact the person or organization that had it and ask for a copy of it or to verify it with a form. The result was that everything was form based and was very slow moving. And if there were not copies when all record were lost of what had transpired then it was just lost. Can you even imagine going back 40 years in time?

This country is very behind in terms of technology and they seem to be perfectly OK with that. This country is the definition of relaxed and laid back. No one gets too excited about anything much. They have a high rate of unemployment and a very high rate of poverty too. They live very simple lives with very small homes often crammed with several people and little furniture. Tiny homes with 5-10 people and one shower and it is OK. Many walk everywhere because they don’t own a car and getting upset is a waste of energy for everyone. Now if you're into all of the modern conveniences and speed of access to everything we enjoy in A,erica than this may not be the place for you. However, these qualities are also what is attracting many retirees to this wonderful, simple little country. It truly is a great way to escape the rate race and live the 'tranquillo' lifestyle. 

One other important thing to ask is, Where is Belize? When you discover that Belize is located right in the middle of Central America you can relax a little. It's easily accessible from numerous U.S. airports, some less than two hours flight time away. So, if you find yourself getting a little island fever it's simple enough to hop on a plane and get your city fix in Houston or Miami. Or you may even want to use your new home as a base to spring board south to discover Panama City or other south American destinations. 

If your thinking about moving to Belize and especially if you haven’t spent much time there, will be a shock but it will be a slow shock. One that may ultimately make living in Belize as an American a frustrating experience if you are not prepared for it. You just need to talk a breath and go with it if you intend to be in Belize for very long. Darling, you’re not in Kansas anymore!

Activities To Look For In Panama

Guest Post By Tyler Ramos

Located between North America and South America, there is a place called Coronado, Panama. Whether you're looking for a perfect vacation spot or the dream retirement village, this is the place you should be looking at. Following are some of the major attractions of the region and why it's so popular.

For one, it's only an hour away from Panama City. So for travelers flying in to the area, they do not have a long drive to their final destination after their flight lands. There is no public transportation to Coronado itself so you will need to plan ahead for a ride to your hotel or resort.

Once there, you will be very busy looking at the wonderful scenery around you. The ocean is so blue and beautiful and the beaches are full of spectacular white sand. There are plenty of shopping outlets and many fun activities like golf and kite surfing. When you're playing and having fun, it doesn't hurt to have some amazing views right there in front of you at the same time.

Something new to Coronado is the New International School. This is a school that specializes in the education of the local language and culture. By keeping the history of the region alive, they are able to teach newcomers and students alike about where they came from, and what traditions they can carry on. Part of a network of schools, they have several all over the globe and have recently opened up this new addition in the area.

If you're looking for the perfect place to retire, consider purchasing some land in the region. Centrally located between North America and South America, the travel options abound with travel in all directions very easy and convenient. If you prefer to stay home and enjoy where you live, then you could not choose a prettier place to do so.

Tourists and vacationers are well taken care of as well, being pampered and spoiled at the local resorts. These resorts offer things that children and adults will love alike, and give both groups a time to remember for the rest of their lives. Find out ahead of time which activities interest your children the most and work out an itinerary everyone will enjoy.

By looking into an area beforehand, you will be able to plan your trip before you leave on vacation. Doing this allows you to match your interests and that of your family against what is available, making it easier to get your itinerary in order right from the start. Another great source of information is that of family and friends who have visited before. Most likely, they will be happy to share their experiences, as well as what activities or sights they enjoyed the most.

Next time you want to travel, check out Coronado, Panama. You are sure to get your money's worth in the vistas alone, besides all the wonderful hotels and resorts nearby. Travel agents will be able to help you plan your vacation, along with necessary transportation, and can sometimes offer you discounts not available otherwise.

About the Author:

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Top Retirement Places For 2011 - On Retirement (usnews.com)

US News and World Report recently published it's ranked list of the Best Places to Retire for 2011.

Here's a peak at there picks -

Nicaragua - they're hot on Leon and San Juan del Sur. Of course Nicaragua is beautiful and it's also one of the Cheapest Places to Live. They also have a pretty good retiree & foreign residency program which I believe was modelled after Panama.

Ecuador - much like Nicaragua this small country has set it's sights on attracting retirees. With a love climate and a cost of living that US News calls, "the cheapest place in the world where you'd want to live" Ecuador is certainly a retirement place to consider.

Editors note: You may not find very many pleasant places to retire in the U.S. on a low budget but step outside American borders and the world is your oyster! Click on the image below to learn how you can retire on as little as $694 a month!

Panama - no longer considered 'the cheapest place to retire' Panama still continues to be rated as a very reasonable cost of living, especially for retirees on the famous 'Pensionado' Visa program. The one thing that puts Panama far and above our retirement hot spots is their infrastructure. It's the best you'll find in all of Central America and even revivals many large cities in the U.S. U.S. News points out that there are still many parts of Panama that offer bargains in real estate and cost of living. It's just the areas like Panama City, the Azuero Peninsula and Boquete which have developed world wide recognition and increase prices as a result. Not those those areas don't still offer some bargain too!

Source - The World’s Best Places to Retire For 2011

Auto Shipping Helps Canal Recovery Says Panama Canal CEO

By Andrea Jaramillo and Eric Sabo

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The Panama Canal Authority has begun to see “signs of recovery” in shipping traffic, including from freighters transporting cars, said Alberto Aleman, the authority’s chief executive officer.

Aleman said he expects traffic in the fiscal year ending in September to total about 295 million tons, up from a previous range he had given of about 290 million to 295 million tons. Traffic in the 95-year-old canal totaled 310 million tons in 2008. Revenue this year will be “similar” to last year’s record $2 billion, Aleman said.

“Amid the crisis, amid the recession, this is good,” Aleman, who’s run the canal since 1996, said in a telephone interview from Panama City. Car shipments have “declined as was to be expected given the problems that we’ve seen in the automobile industry worldwide but we’ve seen signs of recovery in this segment.”

U.S. auto sales have run at an annual rate of fewer than 10 million vehicles for each month this year, after averaging 16.8 million from 2000 through 2007. Domestic sales through June slid 33 percent for Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan and 40 percent at Detroit-based General Motors Co., which emerged from a U.S.-backed bankruptcy reorganization this year.

The Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea, is undergoing a $5.25 billion expansion project through 2014 to handle larger vessels. The authority has secured $2.3 billion in funding from loans from overseas banks and plans to fund the rest with cash it generates from shipping fees, said Aleman.

‘Very Flat’

Shipping traffic through the canal between October and June dropped 3 percent compared with the year-earlier period, according to Aleman. Total transits from April to June fell 6.4 percent compared with a year ago, the authority said in a statement today.

Aleman predicted traffic will “stabilize” in 2010 near this year’s levels.

“I see a very flat year, a year very similar to this year,” Aleman said. “Maybe a little bit higher, but we’re being conservative in our analysis.”

The authority in June temporarily cut reservation fees for larger vessels and eased penalties for ships that arrive late in a bid to lure more shipping companies amid the recession. Aleman said he’ll review the measures at the end of September, the original deadline, before deciding whether to extend them.

Reduced Traffic

A May increase in what the canal charges for tolls helped compensate for lower income this year from reduced traffic and the temporary drop in fees, according to Aleman. He predicts income from tolls, which accounts for about 70 percent of the authority’s total revenue, will rise 9 percent this fiscal year to about $1.44 billion.

The Panama Canal Authority will transfer some $740 million in revenue this year to the Panamanian government, up from $700 million last year, said Aleman.

The U.S. is the largest customer for the waterway, representing about 70 percent of traffic, almost a decade after it handed over the canal authority to Panama. China is the canal’s No. 2 user, the authority has said. The canal, which shortens the route for Asian goods destined for the U.S. East Coast, handles about 5 percent of the world’s seaborne freight.

To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Jaramillo in Bogota at ajaramillo1@bloomberg.net; Eric Sabo in Panama City at esabo1@bloomberg.net.

Earthquake shakes Panama

WASHINGTON — An earthquake measuring magnitude six shocked Panama early Saturday. There were no reports of casualties or damage, said the US Geological Survey report.

The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 1:49 am (0649 GMT), was located 97 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of the capital Panama City.

The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.

Pro-business president takes office in Panama

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Businessman Ricardo Martinelli was sworn in as Panama's new president on Wednesday, promising to start the biggest job-creation push ever in the country.

Martinelli said he wants to make the nation of 3.3 million inhabitants the best place to do business in Latin America.

"The people have given us a clear mandate to bring change to the government, from top to bottom, and that is what we will do," Martinelli said at the ceremony attended by various foreign leaders, including Honduras' ousted president, Manuel Zelaya.

Martinelli, 57, a conservative supermarket magnate, also expressed a desire to become "an active partner" with Colombia and Mexico in the fight against drug trafficking during his five-year term.

One of the new government's proposals is a billion-dollar plan to build a train system for the capital's metropolitan area.

Martinelli's predecessor, Martin Torrijos, launched a $5.25 billion project to increase the Panama Canal's capacity and allow it to accommodate larger ships.

The canal is Panama's economic motor and Martinelli supported its expansion, but the world's economic woes have generated uncertainty over the project, which is receiving $2.3 billion in international financing.

And the country's real-estate boom, another driving force of the economy, has also been affected by the international financial crisis and economic downturn.

Martinelli acknowledged "our administration will not have the resources the previous administration had."

Discover Panama on DVD

Thinking of Retiring to Panama? Here's an affordable way to discover what Living in Panama is all about before you buy the plane ticket!

Shot in gorgeous high definition (HD) video, Director Sasha Owen shows you how you can buy the home of your dreams in one of the world's most sophisticated and affordable countries: Panama. In this 60 minute video, they take you from the gleaming luxury high rises of Panama City to the laid back tropical island paradise of Bocas del Toro and introduce you to expats who are living the life they've always dreamed of, for far less than they would have paid in their home countries. They also take you to the beautiful mountain oasis of Boquete Panama, which has long been regarded as one of the world's best places to retire. Watch interviews with many expats, the people who've made Panama their new home and we follow one couple, Kay Owen and Larry Mattison, as they search for, and ultimately find, the luxury apartment of their dreams in Panama City. Also learn from interviews with attorneys, real estate agents, developers and other experts who give you the inside scoop about how to get the best property deals in the country. They explain the process and reveal the secrets for making a profitable and wise investment in a country that is truly a nexus of the world. Whether you're looking for a quiet country retreat or a cosmopolitan luxury penthouse in the sky, Home:World Panama shows you how you can retire or buy the affordable second home of your dreams in this spectacular country in Central America.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful presentation with very well balanced information, definitely neither hype or negative., September 12, 2007 By R Marrero (Tampa, Florida USA) - "Anyone interested in Panama, especially to relocate or to invest in property, should definitely consider get this DVD. It's non-bias approach, colorful scenery & up to the point information will help you get a better picture of what this country has to offer. It also provides with suggestions/do's & dont's on how to succeed there. Although not touristy oriented, it provides with some sightseeing of the main areas. At roughly one hour, it makes you "crave" for more. However it's well put together. Also it's in wide screen format, for awesome viewing on our flat screen TV. It's worth the money."

LA Times Hot for Boquete Panama

The LATimes.com Business News recently posted an article praising the benefits of retiring to Boquete Panama. Although there are some inaccuracies overall the post creates a positive and clear picture of this beautiful Panama town which was bestowed the honour of being ranked the Best place to retire in the western hemisphere by AARP's Modern Maturity magazine.

A friendly town among the hills

By Chris Kraul, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 21, 2007

Excerpt -
For expatriate retirees, Panama offers big discounts on plane fares and hotels, good healthcare and shopping. All foreign income -- such as U.S. pension benefits or Social Security -- is exempt from tax. And for Americans, financial matters are simplified because Panama uses the U.S. dollar as its currency. The atmosphere is friendly and more pro-American than many other Central American countries.

"The cost of living is much lower and the roads much better than places like Costa Rica," said Shirley Bynum, a former Huntington Beach resident who moved here two years ago from Gracia, Costa Rica, after she was robbed. "And the tax system is more favorable."

Follow this link for the full article - Boquete Panama - A Friendly Town Among the Hills