Costa Rica Retirement – Choosing Your Heaven on Earth

Okay, you have made up your mind to bug out, but where do you go?

You want to go somewhere, but haven’t really thought about where. Before you make the big step outbound, let’s think about the criteria that will make your choice a good one, or even a great one.

Let’s think this through before we take off, so that we head in the right direction and avoid any stupid expensive mistakes. Think about it for a moment, and ask yourself if you can get there from here.

Can you blend in with the local community? If you want to make some money, can it be done? What if you need to watch the Playoffs? These things are all important, and should certainly figure into your plans.

The following factors are a good guideline for evaluating your future homeland should help in choosing between the several countries that most appeal to you (for more details on these issues and criteria, see my new book “Hide Your Assets and Disappear”)

• Location: Do you want a place with easy and cheap access back home, so your family can visit or you can go back and brag to the boys about your new home, every now and then? If so, you want a place near major travel routes, with cheap regional airlines. TACA (Take A Chance Airlines) has great rates for central and South America to many southern US cities, and Continental has super bargains in much of Europe.
• Weather: Pick a temperature you like before you go. Many countries, like Honduras, are hot and humid on the shore, but cooler in the mountains (cheaper too!). Switzerland is wonderful for skiers, but far to expensive to live in, so consider Estonia or Moldavia, former Soviet provinces in the same latitude with great prices that pay big interest in their banks (forget the Swiss on this one).
• The Law: If you want retirement, you want stability. Follow the former British colonies that are now independent but keep the same set of rules. If disappearing is your game, then you want a place with its share of turmoil (not now dummy, you could get killed. Pick one that recently became independent and hasn’t put together a computerized system yet) in its recent past that is now becoming an emerging nation, like most of Eastern Europe and some of the Far East.
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• Banking: My advice is to keep your money someplace safe, BUT, out of the filthy little hands of the revenooers! Many of the world’s major banks offer higher interest, better privacy and relative convenience to your funds through their third world affiliates and partners. Many offer credit card access to your money through Visa and MasterCard debit accounts, AND, they pay interest. Not too shoddy. Oh, and don’t pay someone else to do it for you. Keep the money and control where it belongs, with you.
• Extradition: Most of us don’t worry about this area of the law, but just in case, read up on the MLAT (mutual legal assistance treaties) between the US and your new home of choice. It gives one of my best friends a great deal of peace of mind to know that his “ex-wife from hell” cant do a thing to him now!
• Infrastructure: Thanks to the wonders of modern satellites (use missiles for MTV, not for WAR), we can now get great TV reception almost everywhere in the world. We can watch the market open, catch the Soaps (well, it will keep your spouse quiet) and root for the home team in the big games, as long as we have a dish on the roof. Other issues, such as transportation and the ability to get something repaired should figure in your planning, too. (You might even find this is a way for you to make a little money on the side).
• Value: Last, but certainly not least, is what kind of bang do I get for my buck? With a little planning, you can find a place that costs less than half of your US bills with many of the same benefits. Many local currencies in Latin America trade for 10 to 1 or more against their US counter-part and I hear that its even better in the Far East. Eastern Europe is still very reasonable and affordable.

Another benefit is the potential of making a killing on real estate. Costa Rican real estate is up $500% in 5 years, and Honduras was close behind until the hurricane. Right now, land there is a steal (back to 4-5 year ago prices) and you can own land in your own name, even on the waterfront.

In summary, go for it my friend, BUT have a plan. Like the trusty boy scout, BE PREPARED. Get all of the advice and literature available from people who have done it before, take a little vacation to test out your new haven, and GO FOR IT!

Edmund J. Pankau, is an internationally recognized security expert, author and financial investigator. He has been featured in such publications as Business Week, Time, Kiplinger’s, USA Today, BBC London, CFO Magazine and the New York Times. Mr. Pankau has been highlighted on CNN, Fox TV, ABC and MSNBC as an expert in the field of investigation. He has authored numerous articles for the investigative industry and has contributed substantially to the development of the investigative industry. His website is at www.pankau.com

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.