The 21 Best-Value
Places To Live Overseas
Compared, Contrasted, And Detailed In Full
Learn where you can live better (for less)
from the comfort of your home or office
In the places I’ll show you, $1,476 a month is all you need…
Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,
What if you could retire early… even with a small nest egg and little income?
What if you could live a comfortable retirement right on the beach…
Or in the historic quarter of a charming Old World city…
Or on your own little farm surrounded by rolling hills…
Or wherever your ideal lifestyle takes you?
And what if you could have this life for just US$1,476 a month, or even less?
That’s the average U.S. Social Security check… but it’s all you need to live well in our favorite places abroad.
Think about what your life would be like if you needed less than US$1,500 a month to live comfortably…
Travel, frequent dinners out, a maid… even the home of your dreams—they’re all possible when you live for less in 1 of the world’s 21 best-value places to live overseas.
And don’t get me wrong: a low cost of living is just a small part of the picture…
When you retire abroad—even part-time—you open the door to adventure, opportunity, and freedom.
Today I’m going to show you how to choose your piece of paradise abroad while, at the same time, showing you how to plan and carry out your move with the least amount of time and hassle possible.
Best of all, you don’t have to get on a plane to start this journey…
I’m going to bring you our top choices—21 unique and irresistible destinations—live and direct to wherever you’re reading this right now.
Yes, you can do this. It’s a lot easier than you might think…
More than 11.5 million Americans and Canadians—and countless others—are already living their best lives outside the country where they were born.
Over the past 35 years, I’ve personally helped thousands of folks—some probably just like you—realize their dreams of an adventure overseas.
I’m thinking of people like:
- Judith and Harold moved from Palmer, Alaska, to the beach town of Piriápolis, Uruguay, eight years ago. Not ones to sit beneath a palm sipping piña coladas all day, this couple bought 50 acres of farmland and, today, raise sheep and grow raspberries, blackberries, grapes, eucalyptus, and more. Both are avid whale-watchers during the winter mating season, and their home in Punta Ballena (Whale Point) provides them a first-row seat right from their front porch…
-
Barbara moved to and established homes in two different places across the world—alone. She has friends in each now that make her feel at home… Barbara Petrohan—a single lady from a tiny town in Kansas who now splits her time between two of our top overseas havens—Medellín and Lagos. Barbara is living a grand adventure between the beaches of Old Europe and the greenest city in Latin America. Three years on, Barbara now boasts an impressive network of friends across three continents…
- Paul Richards—a retired publisher and golf aficionado—who, along with his wife and daughter, left the U.K. behind a decade ago for a new life in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Paul loves the many amenities available in the city: golf, tennis, bowling, plenty of good restaurants (local and international), and the Chiang Mai Expat Club. On a recent hospital stay, Paul found the standard of health care superior to that in the U.K.—and he was delighted to see his dental bills are 30% to 40% cheaper, too…
- David Morrill was a syndicated columnist and editor who was ready for a new life abroad, but not ready to retire completely. He moved to Cuenca, Ecuador, where he founded the city’s first English-speaking real estate company, which has thrived ever since…
-
Rob Burrows said goodbye to Ohio and is now, as he puts it, “a truly happy person” living in the Caribbean… Rob Burrows was working his way through the rat race in his hometown of Cleveland, leaving him only two weeks every year to vacation in the Caribbean. Eventually, Rob figured out a way to make every day a vacation—he bought a beach bar in Belize. These days, Rob and his wife are having the time of their lives on a white-sand beach… Rob even reports he lost 70 pounds after his first 8 months living his new beach life overseas…
I could go on… hundreds of expats I personally know are already out there living the life they once dreamed of overseas. But here’s my point:
These everyday people are living their overseas adventure… and you can, too
These folks are people just like you and me.
Some wanted to break from their daily grind…
Some were anxious about their shrinking nest eggs…
And some were just bored with the same ol’ life in the same ol’ places…
But they all wanted an enjoyable and happy retirement… one that’s stimulating, fun, and stress-free.
That is, these people weren’t going to settle for an “average” retirement. And you shouldn’t either.
You’ve lived your entire life to enjoy these years…
And the sooner you start living the life you want, the more time you’ll have to enjoy it all.
And that’s what I have in store for you today: a way to kick start your move overseas using the easiest, quickest, and most affordable way possible.
But first, here’s one more story you should hear…
“I was surprised at how
financially easy it was.”
By Lee Harrison, Senior Correspondent
(and former reader)
I retired when I was 49… about 13 years before I’d planned.
And it wasn’t because I’d struck it rich; quite the opposite.
I had an average income and moderate savings—less than most of my co-workers who stayed behind to continue working.
I was able to retire at that age for two reasons:
- I retired abroad…
- I chose an exciting country with a low cost of living…
Financially, there’s no way I could have pulled it off otherwise.
I ended up in a place with not only a low cost of living, but also with no income tax, almost no property tax, and extremely low utility bills—since I needed no heat or air conditioning.
In the end, I was surprised at how financially easy it was. Let me explain…
For most of my adult life, I thought that retiring overseas was for the very wealthy—not for an average person like me.
But learning the actual details of it all changed my thinking entirely.
Instead of working until I’d earned a pension large enough to live well in the United States, I realized that I could retire years earlier… and still have plenty of money to live well.
Instead of working until 62 as planned, I found I had enough to live comfortably—overseas—prior to age 50.
Instead of hoping for good health in old age, I could retire while I was relatively young, fit, and able to enjoy the good life.
But it was critical that I choose my destination wisely.
Very few countries offered a cost of living low enough to meet my needs…
And, among the places that were cheap enough, most didn’t offer the comfortable, convenient, and exciting lifestyle that I was hoping for.
In the end, I made the choice that was right for me.
And it turned out to be easy. In the end, all I needed was reliable information and a spirit of adventure…
Which of these places is perfect for you?
We live in a great big beautiful world that is bursting with opportunities around every corner.
Please believe me: The life you want is waiting for you out here…
You just need to get up, get moving, and seize it for yourself.
Where in the world might be best for you?
After 35 years doing this, I have thousands of miles of boots-on-the-ground reconnaissance, decades of experience, and countless feedback from retirees…
In other words, I have a pretty good idea of your best options.
Indeed, these are all places that are affordable, safe, and, frankly, incredible places to spend time.
Beach havens, Old World villages, exotic escapes—you’ll find them all in one of these 21 countries (in no particular order):
| • | Belize… An English-speaking Caribbean escape that values independence… this is an adventure wonderland with rain forests, reefs, Mayan ruins, rivers, waterfalls, and white-sand beaches… |
| • |  Portugal… A sunny and surprisingly affordable European destination, and home to our #1 choice for World’s Best Retirement Haven…
This is one of the most popular expat destinations in the world, meaning you could easily get by on English alone… |
| • | Argentina… From cosmopolitan Buenos Aires to Mendoza wine country… this country is on a comeback track with a stable economy and a remarkably low cost of living… |
| • |  The Dominican Republic… A quintessential Caribbean, sand-fringed island nation with a low cost of living and the best values in the region…
This country also boasts one of the best residency and citizenship programs we’ve ever known… |
| • | Chile… The ease of First World living, plus easy residency with low hassle. Plus, U.S. dollar holders benefit from significant bargains thanks to favorable currency exchange rates… |
| • |  Colombia… After years of an unfair stigma, this country is finally emerging as one of the great expat and investment destinations…
Specifically Medellín—a European-feel city with a Latin American cost of living… a personal favorite and part-time home for me and my family… |
| • | Ecuador… Arguably the most affordable retirement haven in the Americas… a popular retirement haven that boasts colonial cities, great weather, and some of the cheapest coastal real estate found anywhere… |
| • |  France… The world’s best health care, the world’s most beautiful city, and more affordable than you might think, especially thanks to a weak euro.
I can tell you the best value destinations both within and outside of Paris… including the “other” (and more affordable) South of France… |
| • | Slovenia… The newest entry to our list of the world’s best expat havens is an incredibly safe and cultured European destination whose affordability is only outmatched by its beauty… |
| • |  Malta… A long favorite expat destination for the British, this Mediterranean island boasts a rich culture, stunning vistas, and the easiest (and cheapest) requirements for EU residency. Plus, English is one of the official languages, so getting settled in is a breeze… |
| • | Malaysia… Possibly the most welcoming Asian destination… its “My Second Home” program is custom-made for foreign retirees, with tax benefits and property-purchase incentives… |
| • |  Italy… Your dream of la dolce vita is more affordable than you think. Our top regions here are affordable, coastal, and nearby to nearly everything…
In one of our favorite places here, you could ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon… |
| • | Brazil… A huge, diverse nation boasting excellent investment opportunities, world-class beaches, and bargain property on the coast… |
| • | Mexico… Accessible, affordable, and home to an array of diverse lifestyle options… from the beaches to colonial mountain towns…
This is the most popular overseas haven for Americans, and well more than 2 million U.S. and Canadians live here at least part-time (and for a good reason)… |
| • |  Thailand… Jaw-droppingly affordable and exotic… Thailand boasts an incredible melting pot of expats from around the world…
This “Land of Smiles” is famously welcoming… and its soft-sand beaches are arguably the most stunning in the world… |
| • | Indonesia… Specifically Bali, where affordable island living is complete with hidden beaches, sea temples, and cliffside wonders… the well-established expat community here would love to welcome you… |
| • |  Montenegro… Another new addition to our list, this coastal nation sits across the Adriatic Sea from Italy… and it’s arguably the most affordable expat haven in Europe. The British have been coming to its coasts for years, and now we’re introducing it to the rest of the English-speaking world… |
| • | Uruguay… Safe, stable, and tranquil… a great place to raise a family… like the America you remember from your childhood… |
| • |  Vietnam… Truly welcoming people, an unbelievable low cost of living, and another contender for the most beautiful beaches in the world…
This exotic locale is one of the more popular North American expat destinations in Asia… |
| • | Spain… An established haven for foreign investors and expats with great beaches, markets, restaurants, attractions, and fiestas… we’ve got the intel on the best places for expats and investors… |
| • |  Panama… The world’s #1 haven when considering lifestyle, retirement, and investment altogether…
This is truly a “do-everything haven,” and it’s where I’ve chosen to call home. From the modern capital city to the Caribbean archipelago, this place has something for everyone… |
* Disclaimer: That list doesn’t really help you *
Not really.
Sure, I’ve whittled down your options down to 21 out of nearly 200 countries in the world…
But you aren’t going to retire to Panama or to Portugal—just as your neighbors aren’t going to “retire to the United States”. They might, though, for example, consider retiring to Naples, Florida, or Scottsdale, Arizona…
Rather, you should think about retiring to Carvoeiro, Portugal… Ambergris Caye, Belize… Chiang Mai, Thailand… Playa del Carmen, Mexico… Pescara, Italy… and so on…
Even some cities, like Paris for example, have many different options worth considering.
That is all to say: your list is much bigger than just 21 destinations.
Out of this selection of 21 countries, you have at least 3 different towns and areas within each—and a dozen or more in some cases—that qualify as stimulating and pleasant places to live.
While that means you have some work cut out for you, it also means you have more choices than you might have ever thought possible…
You really can find a place that’s perfect for you.
It’s only natural to have the same question that readers ask me often:
“So many choices…
“How do I make a decision about where to go? What do you suggest?”
Here’s what I suggest:
“This is not crazy!”
“I loved hearing stories of expats…”
“These are people who actually walked the walk and show people like me that this is not crazy.”
–Ellen Zucker, Philadelphia,
United States
Join me online this year to learn everything you need to know about the world’s 21+ best destinations for living abroad.
As I said, I’ve been moving around the world with the focused agenda of identifying its best opportunities for living better and retiring well for more than three decades (yikes).
I’ve seen all of these places firsthand…
Of course, I know some places better than others, and, I understand, I can’t know everywhere well.
That’s where my far-flung, ever-on-the-move, and ever-expanding network of correspondents comes in.
With the help of these savvy souls, we’re going to bring you more boots-on-the-ground, real-world, real-time, firsthand, and very thin-sliced glimpses of the world’s top live, retire and invest overseas havens.
At a special and private online event, my worldwide network of experts and expats will compare the advantages and the disadvantages of each destination so that you can decide which haven is best for you based on what matters to you most… from weather and culture to language and cost of living…
Retire Overseas Virtual Conference
Sept. 22 – 25, 2020
Retire Overseas Virtual ConferenceDiscover The World’s Best Towns, Cities, And Regions To Live (Warts And All)
Over four days you’ll get to know the world’s best places to live—”thin sliced” to exact places that could be your personal piece of paradise.
Via high-definition video, you’ll see and hear from professionals, expats, and retirees who are already working, investing, or living in these places… all from the comfort and convenience of your own home.
This is no series of webinars… this is a professional event that happens to be online. You’ll be able to interact with speakers as well as your fellow readers via chatrooms and forums, along with a virtual ‘raise your hand’ option to ask your questions during discussions.
The event will give you a comprehensive, in-depth view of these places that outsiders and tourists simply don’t know.
This online event has two major objectives:
#1: To help you create a list of the best (for you) destinations overseas…
#2: To give you the knowledge, support, and contacts necessary to make a move with confidence—that is, to create a plan…
Find the security that comes with knowing exactly how you can live—comfortably—on a budget that starts around US$1,500a month.
Get to know each of your best options for living well overseas—no matter your budget… from Caribbean shores to lavender fields in France.
Discover the best places for health care, with excellent facilities and English-speaking doctors, at unbelievably low prices.
Find out how you can save thousands—tens of thousands—by buying properties on the local market…
See examples of comfortable apartments you can rent for less than US$500 per month…
Learn where the best investment markets are… and where you get a mortgage as a foreigner…
Whatever your agenda, you’ll end the event prepared and confident, with all of the practical matters at your fingertips. From residency to taxes, from banking to real estate, you’ll leave this conference ready to take action.
And, most importantly, you’ll benefit from the experience of those who have gone before you. At this conference, you’ll hear from more seasoned expats than you’ll find at any other event.
Plus, if you want to see the cities and properties firsthand, you can join one of the optional (virtual) real estate tours and see the lay of the land for yourself.
This event is far-and-away our most popular live event…
And now you can attend the 2020 Retire Overseas Virtual Conference from the comfort of home.
You don’t have to scrape by
like the average retiree…
Not when, in any one of the world’s top retirement destinations, you could:
- Rent an apartment in the historic district of one of Central America’s best-preserved colonial cities for US$450 per month… or buy your own colonial home here from US$64,000…
- Keep your garden in tip-top shape for just US$63 a month; the cost of regular maintenance by a gardener…
- Have a cup of coffee for just 50 cents—and a whole barbecue chicken dinner for just US$8…
- Or a hearty lunch on-the-go (cooked right in front of you) for just US$1…
- Pick up a bottle of good local wine for less than US$3…
- Stay overnight in a private hospital room for US$50 to US$75…
- Pay your dentist around US$30 for a full check-up with X-rays and cleaning, around US$25 for a simple filling, less than US$250 for a root canal or a porcelain crown…
- Rent a 1,000-square-foot unfurnished condo (in one of the most retiree-friendly cities of the world) from US$225 per month… or a furnished version from US$400…
- Own a 2,100-square-foot, six-bedroom country cabin on a half-acre of tropical gardens for US$102,900…
Once you have the place…
you need a plan…
I realize this “retire overseas” idea can be a scary prospect.
“Safe and predictable” is the easy route…
But that sure is a shame.
So many places are out there where you could live your very best life…
Everyone I have known who has taken the leap to a new life overseas (myself included) has had their doubts, too… and it’s learning the “nuts and bolts” required to start your new life that takes us from the “dream stage” to reality.
However, no one has ever regretted taking the leap… some have made bad decisions, many moved on to other places, and a few even decided it wasn’t the life they wanted after all…
“I found my tribe!”
“As a single person, you have to make all these decisions by yourself.”
“I knew I wanted to live at least part-time outside the United States, but I came to a Live and Invest Overseas event with an open mind.”
“I went to every presentation I could… I mingled with people and found my tribe.”
–Mike Herndon, Valencia, Spain
Again, though, never has anyone told me they regretted the move. If anything, the only regret is not making the leap sooner.
The key to success here is an open mind…
In addition, to save yourself time, money, and hassle, you need something more:
A plan.
That, in a nutshell, is what you need to get from where you are today to the new life that you desire overseas.
Every potential expat starts with a dream of living an exciting, new life abroad…
Those who get the details and develop a plan are the ones who make it happen.
They’re the ones who are living on their estancia in Salto… or on a white-sand beach in Las Terrenas… or in a restored historic home in colonial Cuenca.
This is the other reason our 2020 Retire Overseas Virtual Conference is so important…
It’s a comprehensive program to help you consider all the world’s current top options at once… while arming you with the practical support you’ll need to make your retirement dreams come true, as easily as possible.
Learn The Pluses And Minuses
Of Each Destination…
And then get the practical info
you need to live in each
If you are still on the fence…
Doubting your own sanity for dreaming of the exciting opportunities overseas…
This conference will give you the info you need to get out into the world of greater opportunity.
One objective of our agenda is to show you the world… that is, the best of what the world has to offer the potential retiree.
At this conference, my worldwide network of experts and expats—convened especially for this event—will introduce you to more than 20 of the world’s very best places where you can enjoy a better quality of life on your Social Security check (and sometimes a lot less).
Whether you have some idea of where you’d like to settle—or none at all—these country experts will whet your appetite for what lies ahead in each of the 20 featured destinations.
“Hearing from other expats is the best part!”
“The most meaningful part has been to hear the journeys of other LIOS expats, all their life experiences, strategies, and choices.”
“I know my life is about to change. Thank you for your honesty…”
–Amy DeCew, Nevada, United States
What you hear from them may surprise you… and lead you in a direction you never expected (that’s all part of the fun)…
What’s more, the experts and expats who’ll convene in online for this event aren’t “agents” for their respective countries.
No place is perfect…
And they’ll tell you the pitfalls, as well as the advantages, of living day to day in their country.
No holds barred.
But these country “insights” are just one part of our Retire Overseas Virtual Conference agenda.
Because once you’ve made the choice of where to go, you’re still left with the greatest challenge of all:
How to get from where you are now to your new home overseas.
Which brings us to the second objective of our agenda: giving you the practical details you need to develop a realistic plan and timetable for launching your new life.
All your stumbling-block questions
will be answered
You see, when you first think about a move overseas, you let your mind run away with every possible opportunity…
You can get tipsy on the possibilities…
It’s exciting to think about a brand-new start in a brand-new place where you can enjoy all the things you’re missing out on right now.
Then, the “stumbling block” questions set in.
Questions start to spring from everywhere:
- How much money do I need to set aside for going overseas?
- Should I sell my house?
- Will I rent a property overseas or should I buy?
- What about health care?
- What sort of hoops will I need to jump through to get residency?
- How can I make some extra income to support myself overseas?
- Will I lose my citizenship if I move overseas?
Believe me, every question that you can possibly conceive is a valid one.
And, I guarantee, you are not the first person to be baffled by it.
Which brings me the practical side of our Retire Overseas Virtual Conference agenda:
“My life is about to change.”
“Thank you for the awesome experience.”
“I know my life is about to change. Thank you for your honesty…”
–Dora Montelongo,
Nevada, United States
The part where our staff of experts—as well as those expats who have gone before you—can show you how it’s done.
In my 30 years of traveling—and transplanting my home and business around the globe—I’ve sometimes found it difficult to garner the right information…
You aren’t going to find reliable answers to your questions simply trawling the web… or reading books on the subject.
Immigration laws change… new roads get built… telecommunications companies come and go… banks change the way they deal with foreign clients.
What’s more, buying property—especially in developing markets—is a whole new ball game that only an insider (who’s been through the process) could possibly understand.
In talking with my expat friends scattered about the globe, we came up with six big “challenges,” the main issues faced by all would-be overseas retirees…
We’ll tackle all of these big issues, head-on…
At each of the six workshops on our Retire Overseas Virtual Conference agenda, you’ll be briefed by teams of those who have gone before you—and often had to learn things the hard way.
They’ll show you how to tackle the practicalities you need to consider as you prepare to make your move…
Everybody approaches an international move from a different background and with different expectations. So, for these workshops, we include a number of experts up at once to bring their unique perspectives. And, to keep these discussions lively and interactive, we invite questions from the audience.
Here’s a sneak preview of the six workshops on the schedule for this 2020 Retire Overseas Virtual Conference:
Workshop #1: Moving Overseas—Don’t Let Money Get In Your Way
What do you need to do to get your financial affairs in order for a move overseas? This is the workshop that will answer that question for you—and show you how you don’t need a large nest egg to do this.
Our panel of experts will reveal everything you need to know to make your own financial plan for living overseas, including:
- How much money you need to move or retire abroad…
- What to do if your savings are on the skinny side…
- How you should invest (for the short- and long-term) to maintain a healthy portfolio…
- How to manage your day-to-day spending, complete with budget spreadsheets…
- How to cope with changing exchange rates…
- The best time for you to start taking Social Security as an overseas retiree…
- How to manage your credit cards while living abroad…
- Whether to sell or to keep your U.S. property…
- What to do if the U.S. dollar tanks…
This is the workshop where attendees tend to find new hope—discovering that what they really need to move is far less than what they feared they needed (and far, far less than what they’d need to afford a comparable standard of living in the United States).
Workshop #2: Visas And Residency
“At last, I can use my passport!”
“I’ve had my passport in my handbag for the last 27 years.”
“You have showed me the way to use it… and how. Thank you!”
–Penny Herbert,
Prince Edward Island, Canada
How can you stay legally in your new country… and for how long?
In these days of tightening immigration control, not everywhere may suit you.
That said, there are certain parts of the world that roll out the welcome mat for expat retirees and investors offering special incentives, perks, and advantages. We’ll cover the best ones here.
In this workshop, you’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of establishing a physical presence overseas and find out:
- The 3 most retiree-friendly countries in the world. In these places you can look forward to generous discounts—often as much as 50%—on goods and services from restaurant dinners to dental work and from airline tickets to closing costs on a home…
- The fast track to permanent residency in the world’s top retirement havens…
- How residency affects your tax burden and how you can control and minimize this through careful planning…
- The benefits of using an attorney to guide you through the application process… when you must use one… and when you can save yourself the expense…
- Easy immigration: Places where you can easily (and legally) stay long-term on a tourist visa…
- The “no complications” approach: Divide your time among three or four places a year and you can avoid jumping through residency hoops altogether…
- The implications of establishing residency in a foreign country (for example, how local inheritance laws could affect your estate)…
- The many benefits of second citizenship and how to obtain it legally…
Note that this is just the beginning… we’ll also discuss residency specifically for each of our 21 featured countries in their respective country breakout sessions.
Workshop #3: The Nuts And Bolts Of Getting Established Overseas
In this important-yet-fun workshop, we’ll address all of these nitty-gritty issues that you’ll need to know once you’ve landed in your new country.
This workshop is designed to help you experience the minimum amount of hassle (and the maximum fun) getting set up in your new home. Our panel of expats from different countries will cover:
- When, and if, you’ll need a new driver’s license…
- The ins and outs of opening a bank account in another country…
- How to pay your bills… both locally and back home…
- Organizing your household for shipping… how to decide what stays and what goes…
- Learning the local language… or getting by in English…
- Staying in touch—inexpensively—with friends and family back home…
- Getting utilities connected and choosing internet service…
- How to find reliable craftsmen…
- Bringing your pets… details of the paperwork you’ll need…
- Tips for a smooth move if you’re bringing your household goods…
Workshop #4: Taxes For The Expat
And Foreign Retiree
If you’re an American, your international tax burden is one of those areas that’s hard to get excited about.
But it’s one that you can’t ignore either. In fact, regardless of where you’re coming from and depending on your strategy, you could wind up paying far less tax than you do right now… and maybe none at all.
I’m talking about things like:
- How to earn up to US$107,600 per year tax-free…
- Two foreign assets the IRS doesn’t want to know about and that you can legally hold overseas without triggering a reporting requirement to the U.S. IRS…
- The top jurisdictions for low-tax or no-tax living…
- Getting good representation—the key to paying no more tax than you should…
- Where you’ll enjoy the lowest property taxes… and where you won’t pay any property tax whatsoever…
- Where and how to enjoy exemption from import duties on household goods and belongings you decide to bring with you to your new home…
Understanding your options and how to structure your new life overseas can save you thousands of dollars in taxes each year. You’ll get the full scoop at this year’s Retire Overseas Virtual Conference…
Workshop #5: The Property Question
It’s one of the biggest issues in considering a move overseas—and one that’s inspired many a heated debate… even among the Live and Invest Overseas team where the points of view differ.
Generally, I say rent first and maybe rent long-term.
However, sometimes, depending on your situation, buying a home of your own and even buying right away can make sense. When we meet online this September, our panel of property experts will talk this important question through for you, considering all the options and many different points of view.
They’ll also share their insights on everything you need to know about buying or renting your new home abroad, including:
- The benefits of renting long-term…
- What to look for when choosing a rental, whether for short- or long-term use…
- How to review a rental contract in a foreign country…
- Where to start your search for a rental property and how and why to take your search local…
- What you need to know about buying property overseas, including the pitfalls and how to deal with them…
- 12 critical questions you should ask before buying real estate in a foreign country…
- How to protect yourself as a buyer in a foreign market…
- How to evaluate a selling price in any given market…
- How to structure foreign property ownership…
- How to address the tax implications of owning real estate in a foreign country…
- What the IRS needs to know about your property holdings overseas (note: for you, that may be nothing)…
Workshop #6: Health Care For
The Expat Abroad
Good news. You have many, many options—often excellent and affordable options—for the expat looking for medical coverage abroad.
And, as many of the expats and doctors you’ll meet at this Retire Overseas Virtual Conference will testify, it’s possible to receive quality care—sometimes even better than the level of service you’re used to at home—in many of the retirement havens on our agenda.
From this workshop, you’ll find out:
- Which of the top 21 countries I mentioned earlier stand out in terms of top- quality health care…
- Where, among these top havens, you’ll find health care to be the most affordable…
- The differences between public and private health-care systems… and when to use the (possibly free) public systems abroad…
- Your top options for medical insurance abroad and the pluses and minuses in each case…
- The points to consider in choosing a policy that suits your specific needs…
- Why you should never buy insurance online… at least not until you’ve confirmed the answer to this all-important question…
- What your overseas health policy should cover… and what it likely won’t…
- How much deductible makes sense given where you’ll be living and your personal health circumstances…
- Cost details for sample insurance plans in a number of overseas retirement havens…
- What to do if you’re beyond the age for enrolling in a new insurance policy…
- How to evaluate a policy in a foreign country…
- The best international health and travel insurance policies on the market today…
And it’s not just about the facts…
it’s also about the fun!
Of course, while we will provide all the “how-to” information you need, we’ll spend even more time on helping you with the “where!”
Maybe your dream is SCUBA diving off the shores of Roatan…
Or strolling the white sands of Las Terrenas…
Or enjoying the warm ocean breezes of Corozal…
Or relaxing at the clubs, restaurants, and beaches of South America’s #1 beach resort…
Or maybe you’d prefer wandering the quiet streets of an old Italian village… or enjoying the view from your balcony in Paris… or sampling the tapas bars of downtown Madrid.
Here, too, we’ve got you covered.
And we haven’t forgotten the exotic destinations of Chiang Mai… or Saigon… or Kuala Lumpur.
No matter where your dream retirement takes you, we’ll have first-hand reports, hard information, and lots and lots of photos, all presented by expats who live in the destinations being featured.
At Your Service…
A Sneak Peek At Some Of Your Experts
Kathleen Peddicord
Kathleen Peddicord Retire Overseas Conference MC and Founding Publisher of Live and Invest Overseas
Kathleen has covered the live, retire, and invest overseas beat for more than 35 years and is considered the world’s foremost authority on these subjects.
She has traveled to more than 75 countries, established businesses in 7, and invested in property in 21. Thanks to these adventures abroad, Kathleen has been able to assemble an unparalleled network of global contacts, colleagues, friends, experts, resources, and advisors.
Kathleen has moved children, staff, companies, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland… then to Paris, France… and, then to Panama City, Panama. Today, Kathleen and her family officially divide their time between their homes in Paris and Panama… but are most often on the road, traveling the globe and spending time wherever life takes them.
Kathleen also writes regularly for U.S. News & World Reports and Forbes and is regularly quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, The Economist, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television and has written innumerable books (including her Amazon best-seller, “How To Retire Overseas,” now in its Second Edition with Penguin Random House), reports, and essays on where and how you can escape the retirement-tromping economy at home and live like royalty on a modest budget… invest for profits overseas ahead of the crowds… and secure your dream retirement in the world’s best destinations.
Lief Simon
Lief SimonGlobal Real Estate Investor and Offshore Diversification Expert
Lief Simon is Live and Invest Overseas’ resident real estate investing and offshore diversification expert. His twice-weekly free newsletter, Offshore Living Letter, covers both topics with direct and easy-to-understand language.
Lief has lived and worked on 5 continents and traveled to more than 50 countries. His real estate investing experience began around 20 years ago with a multi-unit building in Chicago.
After selling that building for a leveraged total return of more than 1,800% in 2 ½ years, Lief began to diversify internationally. In the two decades since, Lief has purchased more than 45 properties across 21 different countries. He has developed land, managed rentals, and flipped pre-construction buys.
Lief has more experience buying and profiting from real estate around the world than any other individual investor you’re likely to find.
In addition, Lief specializes in offshore diversification, asset protection, and tax mitigation. Over the last 20 years living and doing business around the world, he’s built a network of reliable and expert contacts he trusts on such matters—attorneys, bankers, tax consultants, and other advisors, both Stateside and in the jurisdictions where he spends time and money.
You’ll get to meet many of these trusted contacts, alongside Lief, during the Retire Overseas Virtual Conference.
Kat Kalashian
Kat KalashianEditor-in-Chief at Live and Invest Overseas and France Expat
Kat has grown up around the world, living in the United States, Ireland, France, and Panama. Growing up as a young expat, she is familiar with the trials and tribulations of an overseas move and the adjustments that must be made in every new destination. Living and learning through experience, she now considers no one place home and feels more comfortable in new environs than in familiar ones.
After living in the tropics of Panama for seven years, she and her husband relocated back to Paris, France, in 2018, where they now live full-time with their new daughter, American cat, and Panamanian dog.
At this year’s Retire Overseas Virtual Conference, Kat will introduce you to some of her favorite corners of Europe and be part of our big-topic panel discussions where she’ll share her hard-earned secrets to expat survival.
Lynn Mulvihill
Lynn MulvihillOverseas Property Alert Editor at Live and Invest Overseas
Lynn has been writing on the topic of living and investing overseas for close on two decades and has edited a variety of e-letters, newsletters, reports, and books.
She is the former editor of Overseas Living Letter and the current editor of Overseas Property Alert, a property newsletter read by tens of thousands of readers every week.
Based in her hometown of Waterford, Ireland, Lynn enjoys traveling and can speak on living and investing in Europe, Asia, the U.S., and Central America.
Sophia Titley
Sophia TitleyManaging Editor of Overseas Living Letter and Canadian Expat in Europe
Born overseas, Sophia has lived everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Colombia, Indonesia to Spain.
More recently, she calls the U.K. home. Originally from Canada, she studied political science and Spanish at the University of British Columbia and enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking in her spare time.
She can speak with authority on living as a North American in Central America, South America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Adriana Valdez
Adriana ValdezEditor of Panama Letter and Expert on Latin America
Adriana is half Panamanian and half Nicaraguan. She also holds a Brazilian passport, giving her access to three different passports.
While born in Nicaragua, she was raised in Mozambique and moved often around the world with her family. This gave Adriana the opportunity to grow up experiencing different cultures and resulted in her fluency in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
Like all of our experts and staff, Adriana will be standing by during the Retire Overseas Virtual Conference to answer and all questions you may have regarding living overseas, especially in Latin America.
João Gil Figueira
João Gil FigueiraInternational Tax Attorney (Portugal)
João Gil Figueira (JD, LLM, MMgt) is an international tax and business lawyer who advises multinational firms and high-net-worth individuals regarding taxation, investment structures, offerings, M&A deals, commercial contracts, distribution and agency agreements, corporate governance, company formation and residency/citizenship in Portugal and Portuguese speaking countries.
He is experienced in providing comprehensive and well-rounded advice to international investors and retirees on living in and investing in and from Portuguese speaking jurisdictions.
He is the appointed Managing Partner of Gil Figueira & Devillet Lima Advogados.
João lectured for several years at Portuguese universities on Taxation for Masters and Executive Masters Programs. He has authored several legal books, articles, and guides on Portuguese Business and Tax law.
João is Counsel to Boards of Directors of several companies.
Juan Darío Gutiérrez
Juan Darío Gutiérrez Founder and Senior Legal Advisor, JDG Law Advisors
If Colombia is on your radar, Juan Darío Gutierrez is the legal resource you need to do whatever you’re imagining you might want to do there.
He’s the Foreign Investment and Business Law Director and partner in Gutiérrez Márquez Asesores, a legal, accounting, and financial advisory practice in Medellín with more than three decades of experience helping foreigners and companies new to doing business in Colombia or looking to retire or relocate.
He and his staff speak fluent English and know how to solve problems.
This is why we have chosen Juan Darío as our personal and corporate attorney in Medellín… and why we’d like to introduce him to you during the Retire Overseas Virtual Conference.
Monia di Guilmi
Monia di Guilmi Founder and Director of Abruzzo Rural Property
Monia moved from Northern Italy to the Abruzzo region when she was five years old and considers herself a true Abruzzese. After studying in the U.K. and living in Spain, she became fluent in English and Spanish and developed a passion for the countryside and country properties. She also has lived in Japan.
After a decade abroad, Monia’s love for Abruzzo finally brought her home again where she soon found herself working for a local real estate agent as an English/Italian interpreter and translator. This was a stepping-stone to starting her own real estate company: Abruzzo Rural Property.
Since its inception in 2012, Monia and her team have helped hundreds of clients from all over the world buy homes in Abruzzo, and, today, Abruzzo Rural Property is one of the fastest-growing real estate agencies in Abruzzo.
Philip M. Hahn
Philip M. HahnInternational Development Consultant and Part-time Belize Expat
Phil Hahn always dreamed of the tropics while growing up in Michigan. He started his southerly migration in 1982 by attending Florida State University. Prior to graduation, he started a residential design business that ultimately designed over 6,000 homes and expanded into construction and development.
In 2003, Phil saw the potential for development in Belize and purchased 115 acres for the development of a new Caribbean town. Combining his experience with coastal home design and his love of classical architecture, he planned, permitted, and founded a thriving “New Urbanism” community
In 2010, Phil was hired to plan and develop 98 acres on the Belize River in the Cayo District of Belize. Recognizing the mass desire for freedom and independence, which he shares with many expat baby boomers, Phil envisioned and designed a place, Carmelita Gardens, where people can be “independent together.” Thanks to his vision and a dedicated team of Belizeans and expats, Carmelita Gardens is emerging as the prototype for a whole new development trend of self-sufficient traditional communities.
Liz Larroquette
Liz LarroquettePanama Property Expert and Australian Expat in Panama
Liz is one of the most successful real estate executives in Panama with more than 13 years’ experience in the market.
She is also a lifestyle expert posting regular blogs on her website, lizlarroquette.com, about living and thriving in her adopted country of Panama.
An Australian by birth, Liz began her career in tourism in Latin America. Her writings are trusted and read by thousands of individuals considering moving to or investing in Panama.
Graham Bates
Graham BatesPresident, Insurance Services of America
Graham has been in the insurance business for 50 years. His firm, Insurance Services of America (ISA), has specialized in international health insurance since 1995 and has won first-place rewards for every company he has represented since that time.
Last year, ISA helped insure over 60,000 people either traveling in or outside the United States or moving overseas.
ISA has an A+ Better Business Bureau, 5 Star rating, and a more-than-99% customer satisfaction rating. To better serve their clients, ISA has offices located in Arizona, Indiana, and Texas. Graham has a son in the business and has been married to his wife, Rebecca, for 53 years.
Luis Teixeira Da Silva
Luis Teixeira Da SilvaFounder and Director, Algarve Senior Living and Director of Luz Living
Luis da Silva has more than 30 years of business experience. He has lived in 9 countries (including the United States, U.K., Brazil, and Portugal) and worked in more than 30 markets around the globe.
With almost 20 years of experience in international real estate markets, his focus during the last decade has been on senior or retirement living. He is the founder and Director of Senior Living Villages, and co-founder and Director of Portugal Senior Living and Spain Senior Living. These businesses provide a broad range of solutions to the retiree or senior (50+) market in Portugal and Spain.
Luis is an expert on a range of subjects affecting international retirement migration, including real estate (purchase and rental), residency visas such as income-based and Golden Visas, investment, climate, etc., with a unique ability to comment on the pros and cons of different destination markets. He is actively involved as an investor in, and has detailed knowledge of, investment opportunities in the senior or retirement living sector.
If you’re interested in Portugal or Spain, Luis will be the guy to speak with during the Retire Overseas Virtual Conference.
Dusty Tubbs
Dusty TubbsAmerican Expat in Panama
With over 30 years’ experience of globetrotting courtesy of the U.S. Navy, Dusty decided it was time for a change.
Retiring from the Navy, Dusty next became a professor for the Ventura Community College District before going to work with a big-box retailer. Repositioning to Hawaii, he anticipated living out his retirement years in paradise.
The downturn in the economy prompted Dusty and his wife Carolyn to seek new opportunities and new adventures overseas. In 2013, they became full-time adventure seekers residing in Chitre, Panama.
Barbara Petrohan
Barbara Petrohan American Expat in Portugal and Colombia
Originally from Kansas, and still traveling and attending LIOS conferences to learn of new opportunity, Barbara spends most of her time between her homes in Lagos, Portugal and Medellín, Colombia—places she describes as “polar opposites” that allow her a diverse lifestyle and two new groups of friends.
With her growing group of friends in the Algarve, Barbara enjoys hiking, beach parties, and holiday celebrations. In both countries, she has personal trainers and is losing weight, getting fit, and feeling younger every day.
Though she does write the occasional article for LIOS, Barbara is fully retired and fully active. She’ll share her story with you… not of retirement but of reinvention.
April Hess and Peg Fairbairn
April Hess and Peg Fairbairn Expats in Veraguas, Panama
April and Peg started their life as expats on March 28, 2014 when they packed up their two dogs, two cats, and eight suitcases and moved to Pedasi, Los Santos, Panama. After three months of Spanish lessons, they moved to the mountain community of Santa Fe where they enjoyed the cooler mountain climate, green hills, and cool rivers. Today they live in their newly-completed home in the beautiful Los Islotes community on the Azuero Peninsula.
Peg taught 8th grade science in and around Austin, Texas for thirty years. She was passionate about teaching and education, but once she could, she took her money and ran…to Panama. April grew up in Southern California, studied accounting at the University of Hawaii, and moved to Austin in 2003 in order to give her three children a shot at the “American Dream” of affordable homeownership.
Peg and April chose Panama for its central location, affordability, stable government, infrastructure, quality of health care, and its convenient currency (the U.S. dollar). They believe that life should be an adventure. It’s their mission to learn more Spanish so they can communicate with their Panamanian neighbors.
And that’s just a start…
you’ll hear from more than 20 additional experts…
This unique, value-packed event is
available only for a short time at these rates…
Experience it live…
and get lifetime access to ALL of the information
Your registration today gets you more than just interactive access to the event, our experts, and all of their insights…
Because this is all done via video over the internet, we’ll be able to record everything—every data sheet, every checklist, every discussion, every panel debate, and every bit of information.
We’ll edit, organize, and package it all into a high-definition video program that you can download or access online whenever and from wherever you want…
Unlike our live events, these recordings will not immediately be available for purchase to the general public.
Our Retire Overseas Virtual Conference has been designed to give you the firsthand, on-the-ground information that you need to make the right decision about investing and living abroad.
And, whether your interest lies in Latin America, Europe, or Asia—in the
mountains, the colonial cities, or at the beach—we’ll have experienced expats on hand to show you what life is really like when you move beyond the shores of your home country.
The price of this year’s Retire Overseas Virtual Conference will be US$595 for access to all 4 days of the event.
This cost includes full access to the interactive workshops and presentations, all supplemental reports, guides, and seminar materials, as well as access to the chatrooms and forums where you’ll get to mingle with the experts as well as like-minded adventurers also looking to make a move overseas.
In addition, you may be eligible for an even better discount:
- Subscribers of Overseas Living Letter and Panama Letter will get a US$50 discount…
- Or, if you’re a member of Global Property Advisor, Simon Letter, or Overseas Retirement Circle, you can double that amount for a full US$100 discount…
- And, of course, All Access Pass members get 100% free access…
Please note that you cannot combine any of the discounts above.
In order to receive your savings, look for the special link on the registration page that corresponds to your discount…
I Promise You’ll Have No Regrets
Part of our agenda at the Retire Overseas Virtual Conference is to give you the full story… the pros and the cons.
Did the people I’ve helped have their down days? Of course they did…
“After I’d settled into Medellín, I had a few days of panic,” Barbara told us. “But that’s normal. I’d encourage everybody to try this—even single women like me. It’s not hard.”
Another attendee, Wendy, once admitted to having the mother of all meltdowns after she and her husband packed up all their boxes and were getting ready to sell their beloved Illinois home. But, the next morning she picked herself up and followed through with her move…
“The best thing about our new life now is that we have no alarm clocks. We take our time in the morning and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. I’ll do some writing in the afternoon and exercise in the evening. There is no routine—and it’s wonderful.”
You’ll never know how wonderful your life could be unless you go and see.
I urge you to give yourself the best start—in the best company—this September during my Retire Overseas Virtual Conference.
I hope to see you log on.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Live and Invest Overseas
P.S. This is the only event of its kind, conceived to help you consider, compare, and contrast the world’s top 21 havens… warts and all…
To help you develop an actionable plan so you can follow through on your move in as little as 12 months…
And to introduce you to our trusted contacts who can support you through every step of your journey.
This is your best shot at finding the life you want… I urge you to take it.
Here’s more of what past Retire Overseas Conference attendees had to say:
“Kathleen, my husband and I would like to thank you so very much for the recent Live and Invest Overseas conference. Our minds are still reeling with all of the information presented to us. All of your presenters were very knowledgeable about their respective fields. We also enjoyed talking with other expats-in-waiting. Mike and I live in the snowy part Washington State. Last year was very snowy and cold. Needless to say, we would love to spend at least our winters someplace warm instead!”
–Laura D., United States
“Thanks again for all of your hard work in putting together the conference. For anyone considering a move to a foreign country, a conference like this one should be on their must-do list.”
— Diane D., United States
“Kathleen, thank you for all your hard work. You have helped a lot of people dream and then helped a lot of dreams come true. I am always telling people about you. In fact, I just today told my banker about how honest and smart you are, letting us know where to go. Wish I had listened to you more years ago…”
— Marlene M., United States
“What I admire is your honest, tell-it-like-it-is approach. A lot of people have been hurt by nothing but glowing reports about offshore living from other sources. Your honest, direct approach is a real service.”
— Arlean K., United States
“Kathleen, I have to say that you seem to dig deeper into the feel of a particular place and to do great comparative analysis between alternative places. Your approach is more sophisticated and thoughtful and therefore more useful to me than other information sources covering these same subjects.”
— John W., United States
“I feel that the Retire Overseas Conference was extremely worthwhile, both in terms of information received and cost. I am just beginning to explore the possibility of retiring overseas and, after attending the Retire Overseas Conference, I can’t wait to get started. The conference was extremely helpful as a first step in considering all of the options that are available to me. I didn’t even know what they were until your conference. You have presented me with extremely valuable information and I am convinced, now more than ever, that retiring to South America is for me. Also, as a single woman moving alone, you quelled my concerns over safety in the areas that I will be considering. I look forward to receiving additional information from you to assist me as I proceed with my move.”
— Alice G., United States
“Excellent information. Met some people who could become
longtime friends.”
— LeRoy J., United States
or by phone, toll-free from the United States, at 1-888-627-8834.