2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package – International Living

Including the recordings of all the presentations, all the speakers’ slideshows and more…

In this engaging, international-minded package we’ll point you to the best destinations the world over, communities worth your attention from Panama to France… Ecuador to Italy… Colombia to Portugal… Costa Rica to Mexico… Belize to Spain… Thailand to Brazil… Nicaragua to Malaysia and the Dominican Republic to Uruguay… We’ll have more experts. More resources. More ideas. More solutions. More how-to guidance.

This really is “The Year of Opportunity” and we’d like to help you make it your year.

Overseas today you’ve got more and better options than ever before… and with the dollar at a 12-year high… your timing could not be better.

Of course, it’s important to seize the moment. Critical, in fact. Nobody else is going to do it for you.

But we’ve designed this program to make it easy.

We introduce you to specific communities and get you plugged in and connected. You’ll hear from the experts… but also regular folks just like you who are living in these places and can tell you what their experiences have been (the positives and the caveats, too).

The idea is that you will come away with a plan in place that makes sense for you, given your interests, your priorities, your preferences, and your needs. And you’ll have contacts on the ground who can help you, a network you can tap into and rely on.

This Is the BEST Forum Available to Compare and Contrast Your Smartest Options Abroad

This package is great for comparing and contrasting the countries (and communities within those countries) that might interest you most.

Maybe you have an idea about where they might be—and maybe you don’t—but that doesn’t matter. Wherever you are in this exploration—we’ll “take you by the hand” and help you figure out what the next steps are…

You can listen to our editor from Costa Rica, for instance, followed by, expats “in the house” from that country. Folks just like you who’ve already made the move. And they can (and will) talk not just about a country in macro… but about specific communities worth your attention.

And then you can listen to our “delegation” from Panama… or Belize… or Uruguay… or Ecuador… or wherever it is you’d like to learn more about.

And you’ll start to see in your own mind’s eye how and where these countries might fit into your future.

The point is: This is the ideal forum for making connections, getting the “real scoop,” and arming yourself with the kind of on-the-ground insight that is just plain impossible to glean online or from book research.

That kind of information gathering is important—and we encourage it, of course. But this package is much more “experiential.” It’s like the difference between reading a book about how to ride a horse and actually putting your foot in the stirrup and getting on one. You learn a lot, fast.

With this package, we’ll give you the hands-on details and input you need to target the country that makes the most sense for you.

It’s a way to do it efficiently, quickly, and comfortably. While you’re having fun!

No doubt you have friends, family, and neighbors who look at you like you have three heads when you say you’re interested in retiring overseas. I know—the idea is a little outside the box.

But when you listen in to the 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package—you’ll find that everybody else is as eager as you are to find their “just right” spot abroad.

Your Dream Life Overseas Is a Lot Closer than You Probably Think

At a time when nest eggs have shrunk—and lots of folks have dialed back their ambitions for retirement—looking beyond America’s borders makes good sense.

There are all sorts of havens around the world where a couple can live comfortably on as little as $1,200 a month, rent included (less if you own your home). With a $2,500-a-month budget, you could retire like royalty.

Places where you can own a lovely two-bedroom condo with lots of glass, overlooking the Pacific—not for the $600,000 or $700,000 (or more) you might expect to pay in the States, but for a modest $85,000 (and that’s furnished).

Where you can rent a furnished, two-bedroom apartment in the historic center of a university town we recommend for less than $600… or buy a 2-bedroom, 2-bath condo in a nice neighborhood for $98,000. Places where you can hire a housekeeper to come in once a week… and pay $60 for the full month.

Where a couple can eat out at a nice Italian restaurant—three glasses of wine, two super-sized beers, an appetizer of six large garlic bread “knots” with marinara sauce, plus a shared Caesar salad and lasagna entrée later—all for $21, including tip…

Their Costs Are about 40% of What They Paid to Live in the U.S.—and Life is Better

Take Rick and Nancy Delve. They’d been living in the Ventura-Santa Barbara area of California. Life was good there—but it was also hectic, stress-filled, and expensive.

So they headed overseas. Today their costs are about 40% of what they paid to live in the U.S. And they haven’t sacrificed a thing. In fact, they’re living better than ever.

Their home, near a crystal-blue brook, overlooks the 9th hole of a lovely golf course. Their windows open to lush, green-valley vistas. The nearby community center houses a state-of-the-art spa and health club. They’ve got high-speed Internet, satellite television, gourmet food… all the comforts of home, but at a fraction of the price.

“It’s a lot like the U.S. was back in the 1950s, when I was a kid,” Rick says.

And keep in mind: You don’t have to live in a place full-time to reap the benefits of life overseas—the fun, the adventure, the cost savings—in fact, when you make this your year of opportunity you could even make money while you’re enjoying the good life.

Take Sandy Brown. She lives part of the year in a beachside community… and she runs a small vacation-rental business, which provides income to fund her life overseas. She maintains her ties “back home” in Canada. She travels. She takes a very flexible approach to life. And you can, too.

You could spend your summers at home and escape your snow shovel every winter to spend a month (or two or three) enjoying warm weather and good-value living in a place where the cost of living is a fraction of what it would cost you to stay home… and you gain the adventure of a new place, meet new people, maybe practice a new language…

As Sandy puts it, “It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing move. You can test the waters and have the best of both worlds… whatever is best for you. It doesn’t have to be scary and 100% life-changing, just life-enhancing.”

We’ll Help You Find Your Perfect Spot—Quickly, Easily, and Enjoyably

She’s right. And with the 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package… we’d like to show you how you can improve your own quality of life overseas—how you can live better, but keep a lot more of your hard-earned income in your own pocket.

So you can spend it the way you want.

Whether you’re looking for a full-time escape or just a part-time getaway where you can duck the cold…

We can help you turn your dream retirement into your reality. There’s no more efficient way to get from where you are today… to taking smart advantage of the best opportunities overseas right now… than by listening in to our 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package.

Because we’ll show you that in the right places today, you can…

• Have your own two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo with 1,100 square feet of living space and sweeping ocean views out over a marina-fully furnished—for $140,000.
• Have household help once a week, or more… somebody to take care of your pool, cook, clean, do the laundry so you can spend that time doing things you enjoy—and all for less than $5 an hour.
• Slash your grocery bill by two-thirds, and eat better than you ever did back home… rent a two-bedroom, apartment (a hop-skip-and-jump from the heart of town) for just $590 a month. If you need a taxi, pay $1.50 for a short trip. The latest movies? See them for $3.90.
• In the U.S., the average gold-tier health-insurance premium right now is $291 a month—plus you can add to that the out-of-pocket expenses of a high deductible and medications. But in the right places overseas, you can gain coverage for as little as $300 a year.

We’ll Share New Opportunities for Good-Value Living and Investing…

• Who says Italy is out of your price range? You can enjoy the sweetness of life in Tuscany… your very own dream retreat for $89,667 (or even less). Or a secret region almost nobody knows about in the sun-kissed south where there’s plenty on the market for under $113,000. The drama of ruined castles… the culinary riches of village markets… the wild-flower meadows and orange-tree orchards. We’ll show you where you can find it… and love it… for way, way less than you’d expect…
• Along the 100-mile Mayan Riviera, which stretches down the Caribbean coast from Cancun to Tulum, the Mexican government is sinking big bucks to improve infrastructure and attract more tourists. This area is firmly in the “path of progress” and it’s a good time to snag a foothold, before prices rise to beyond reason. Right now, there are still bargains to be had—like jungle lots of a generous 2.5 acres coming on offer soon for less than $80,000.
• A region in France called the “flower coast,” where elegant homes and seaside shops make living comfortable and easy. Here, amid the chic vacationers who arrive from Paris, you could own a small apartment for just $89,000… and live quite affordably. An enormous black pot of fresh, steamed mussels in white wine sauce with a plate of hand-cut fries would typically go for less than $16.
• In Panama, you can take advantage of the best retiree program on the planet—and save on almost everything, with discounts like 50% off entertainment, 30% off public transportation, big discounts on airfares, and even 25% off eating out. (All on prices that are already a fraction of what you’re used to seeing at home.) For $150,000 you could have an apartment in one of the city’s best neighborhoods. Or own a 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhouse at the beach, just 500 meters from the sand and an hour outside the city, for just $134,000.
• A little-known spot in Costa Rica where cloud forests and towering mountains surround a 20-mile-long lake. If this lake were in the States or Canada, you’d have to fight for a place in line at the docks, lakefront restaurants, and bars any day of the week. But here you have them to yourself. And at a bargain. Right now an almost-new home with 4 bedrooms and two baths on 2.25 acres of green rolling hills with jaw-dropping views lists for just $139,000. And you could grab a three-and-a-half acre lot with gorgeous views, for $99,000.
• An English-speaking haven in the South China Sea with tropical sunshine… silvery beaches… world-class diving… jungle adventure… and comfortable living on as little as $1,200 a month. Penang, Malaysia may surprise you with its beauty, ease, and affordability. Consider winter at the beach… or in a cosmopolitan old-world city… a 3-bed, 2-bath, furnished apartment in a nice building with a pool, gym and car port goes for as little as $400 a month…
• Wander along the cobblestone streets and through the manicured parks in one of Ecuador’s thriving colonial towns, and it’s easy to imagine yourself enjoying life there. In one place we recommend, the population is young, vibrant, and well-educated. The weather is comfortably cool all year… and you can rent an apartment for as little as $400 a month. A two-bedroom condo near a park, grocery and market lists for $110,000…

In the 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package, we’ll bring you the lowdown on those opportunities and plenty more, too, in communities scattered all around places like Panama, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Nicaragua, Portugal, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Thailand, Brazil, France, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Colombia, and beyond …

Hear from the Experts, Gain Valuable Contacts, Get Your Questions Answered

You’ll hear from our editors flung far and wide on the planet… folks with lots of firsthand experience living in the places they’ll discuss.

Their understanding of these destinations is wide and deep, they’re well connected, and their judgment is sound. They’ll each lay out the case for various communities so you can begin to see where you might focus your attention. They’ll essentially give a crash course in their countries of expertise.

Plus we’ve invited lots of other experts from many diverse fields, who are flying in from all over the world to talk about the many useful, prudent, and profitable ways you can internationalize your life (even before you ever leave home). You’ll hear from…

• Expats—folks just like you—who’ve already made the move. They’ll talk about their own motivations, their experiences on the ground, what they like (or don’t like) and help you see how their story could well be yours…
• Attorneys from countries you’re interested in… to talk about how you do everything from get a visa to buy property. Every country is a little different, but these guys are on the ground and they know how to save you time, money, and frustration…
• Offshore and investment authorities will talk about the techniques you could use to trim your taxes, for instance, and to better protect your privacy and your personal liberties…
• Currency experts will talk about easy ways you can quickly diversify your holdings beyond the U.S. dollar and capitalize from right there at home on markets around the world that are doing well…
• Tax advisors to make sense of your requirements as a U.S. or Canadian citizen with holdings overseas. They’ll map out the landscape for you and show you the different vehicles at your disposal for navigating it…
• Second-passport experts to talk about why and when a second passport makes sense and the ways and places you can get one… you may be surprised to find out you actually already qualify…
• International real estate gurus to pinpoint market opportunities and show you how you could profit in the path of progress in markets where something special is happening and a pocket of opportunity has developed…
• Healthcare intelligence is critical, no matter where you end up. It’s something you have to “figure out”—how will you be insured, what will it cost, where can you access the best care, will the physicians speak English—we’ll cover all of that so you understand what your options are…
• Earn-abroad masters to show you how you can take skills you already have and turn them into income-generating endeavors overseas. Nobody wants to trade in the drudgery of nine-to-five at home for the same thing abroad, albeit with a better view. But there are plenty of easy, engaging ways you can earn in a few hours a day and help fund the life you dream about overseas…

And that’s just for starters…

Uncover the Secrets that Make Ecuador, Uruguay, Colombia, and Spain Worth Your Attention

Dan Prescher and Suzan Haskins, two of our Senior Editors and authors of the hot new book, The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget.

Dan and Suzan have been living abroad since 2001—and they know the ropes better than anybody else. Today they’re based in Ecuador, but they’ve lived in Panama, Mexico, and Nicaragua as well. In this package, they’ll share with you the lessons they’ve learned… to help you make your own transition overseas seamless, fun, and cost-effective.

Dan and Suzan will lead the discussion about ECUADOR. That great-value nation has a lot to offer—from temperate weather to majestic scenery… from good healthcare in the larger communities (at a fraction of what you pay in the States) to a warm and welcoming populace.

What’s more, it’s extremely affordable. Most retired couples in Cuenca, the most popular destination for English-speaking expats, say they live quite comfortably for $1,500 to $1,800 a month, and that includes rent.

Dan and Suzan will also share insider guidance about the nuts and bolts of an international life—no matter where you live. Things like what you do about shipping belongings or pets, or the best ways to bank or to stay in touch with friends and family back home…

And having spent time in Colombia recently, we’ve tasked Suzan with filling you in on this up-and-coming market, too.

In the south there’s a university town we like, for instance, where you can relax in the cafés, and in the main plaza children frolic in the shade while old men shoot the breeze. It’s common to find bargain-priced homes for $65,000 and less.

David Hammond, originally from Seattle, writes for us at IL from Punta del Este, URUGUAY. Living in Uruguay is a little like living in the United States in the 50’s… but with all of today’s conveniences. Crime is nearly non-existent. Plus despite its very “European” feel and all the comforts that come with that, $2,000 a month will provide you a very comfortable existence.

And you can still find properties for a song. In Montevideo, for instance, you can find 1-bedroom apartments in the desirable Pocitos neighborhood starting at around $100,000. For $220,000 you can get a 5-bedroom, 2-bath apartment in the heart of downtown.

Glynna Prentice, based for us in MEXICO, has in fact lived outside the States for much of her professional career, including stints in international banking in Brazil and strategic consulting for Price Waterhouse in Spain. And in recent years, she’s been splitting her time between Mexico and Europe—enjoying European summers and rediscovering her old stomping ground in Spain and Portugal in particular.

Glynna will be focusing your attention first on Mexico. She’ll talk about places where you can enjoy the comforts and built-in beauty of a colonial city and have access to activities like the opera, shopping, movies, music in the streets almost every night… and own a home from $135,000…Rentals in Mexico’s colonial cities can offer excellent value, too. There’s a beautifully furnished two-bedroom, two-and-half bath place in San Miguel, for instance, with a rooftop deck offering expansive city views for $1,575 a month—and that includes the maid, WI-FI, and cable tv.

Glynna will point you to beachfront… seaside towns… lakeside retreats… and more…

Plus she’ll tell you about how to best take advantage of the considerable savings waiting for you on medical treatments in Mexico—and beyond—too. Hip replacement? Stateside it would be $43,000 to $63,000. In Mexico, $12,000. Cataract surgery? $5,000 to $6,000 per eye up north. In Mexico, $1,600 to $1,800.

And, as our resident SPAIN expert as well—Glynna spent last summer back in her old stomping grounds and is headed there again this year to spend a few months as well—she’ll share her latest finds.

Spain’s market is on the floor and bargains abound, particularly in the south. Throw in amazing Mediterranean weather, where even winter days average in the 60’s… and the varied terrain, where snow-capped peaks for hiking and skiing lie here hours from the beach…the fact that in lots of towns a couple can live well here on $2,000 a month… and it adds up to some of the best value for money in Europe today.

And this year, because we see such opportunity in PORTUGAL right now—Glynna will share the low-down on that great-value nation as well. We’ve dubbed Lisbon “Western Europe’s most affordable capital.” A couple could live comfortably here for as little as $2,100 a month, all in. So if you’re budget-conscious, take heart. Lisbon is a place where you can enjoy a European lifestyle at Latin American prices, with history, romance, astonishing hospitality, and a seaside location to boot.

Glynna will share her tips for where to go, where to stay, and give you a snapshot of what real estate and rental options you have.

Explore the Promise of Good-Value Living and Investing in Panama, Italy, Nicaragua, Belize, and Costa Rica…

Jessica Ramesch, our woman on the ground in PANAMA, will be your source for real-world, tell-it-like-it-is intelligence about this very popular destination—which won top honors this year in our Index of the world’s best retirement havens.

As she’ll explain, Panama is a great place to upgrade your lifestyle—and do it for less than it would cost you to stay home.

Panama’s allure lies in a rare combination of value and variety. Plenty of places in the world offer one or the other. But how many offer both? Panama is a country that offers convenience—the U.S. dollar is the currency, you don’t need electric adaptors for your appliances, you’re two-and-a-half hours from Miami, and you can get anything there.

It just “works.” Huge infrastructure investment is underway and so the roads are decent and getting even better. It’s a banking hub. The healthcare is very good and costs half or less what you’d pay in the States—there’s even a Johns Hopkins-associated hospital in the capital city.

Plus friendly immigration policies make this nation more accessible than ever. Not only does the Pensionado visa program offer retirees a convenience option, but two new residence programs make it easier than ever to stay here whether you’re a retiree or younger.

In addition to all that, Panama offers tremendous variety at good-value prices. Beach towns, mountain escapes, big cities, quiet villages. Steamy jungles, cool-weather highlands. You have options here. And a couple can live comfortably here for $1,700 a month, rent included.

You’ll hear from Steenie Harvey as well. Our intrepid Euro editor will be on hand to bring you her straight-shooting take on where in ITALY you can reap all the benefits of the good life for a small fraction of what you’d expect it to cost.

In a corner of Tuscany sometimes called the “Land of a Hundred Castles,” for instance—you can own your own Italian retreat (a three-bedroom affair an hour from beaches, half an hour from skiing) for just $124,000.

Or, consider a stretch of coast that has Italy’s second-largest national park. The beaches here are sandy, wide, and easily accessible. And with water views, you can find a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment from $85,000.

And then there’s Apulia—way down in Italy’s heel. It may not be the first place you think of when Italy is mentioned, but now’s the time to go before everyone else discovers the great-value, low-priced properties on offer. There’s plenty on the market for under $113,000. In many places, one-bedroom apartments mostly rent for less than $500 a month.

Combining rustic charm with sun-drenched romance, Apulia has everything that makes Italy so alluring for starting a new life, purchasing a second home, or renting for an extended stay. It’s unspoiled, laidback, and endearingly eccentric.

Steenie will lay out for you all your best Italy options.

Bonnie Hayman, our correspondent in NICARAGUA, will lay out the benefits of that haven, one where reputation still lags the reality on the ground. This is a country rapidly coming into its own and ideal for adventuresome sorts, who will find it bursting with opportunity.

Whether along the Pacific coast—which serves up some of the best-value beach buys on the planet—or in a colonial city like Granada, where bakeries and cafes and boutiques are opening in surprising numbers, you’ll find that on a budget of as little as $1,500, you can fund a comfortable life, rent included.

Belize is a country that ticks a lot of boxes for would-be expats, and with reason. It’s English-speaking, close by in the Caribbean, offers gorgeous beaches, nice warm weather, and great beauty. It’s the quintessential “no shoes, no shirt, no problem” destination. Plus a special residence program for retirees allows you to declare Belize your country of residence, though you’re not required to be physically present there more than a handful of weeks a year.

Our resident correspondent in BELIZE, Ann Kuffner, will point you to the very best this tiny nation has to offer, and that includes remarkable-value real estate. Consider that the average condo in Bermuda sells for $800,000—but that you can own one on Ambergris Caye, Belize’s most popular resort island, for $200,000 or rent from $750 a month.

And there are up-and-coming enclaves emerging as expat “hot spots” elsewhere in Belize as well. Ann will talk about where they are and how they’re distinct—including one tranquil, slow-paced town on the coast where you can rent a furnished, one-bedroom place from $400 a month.

Our man on the ground in COSTA RICA, Jason Holland, will also feature in this pacakage. And he’s bringing with him a whole basket full of opportunities for you: great-value destinations… good-living options… real-world intelligence… and Costa Rica secrets you won’t hear about anywhere else.

For instance, he’ll talk about an outdoor-lover’s paradise that’s attracting friendly, laid-back expats who enjoy an easy-going, low-cost lifestyle. This place is about three hours from San José… and the views are extraordinary. So is the weather-not too hot, good breezes. If you like to sail, kayak, canoe… this place is for you.

From Malaysia to Thailand to France… Exotic, Culture-Rich Living

And you’ll hear from Keith Hockton, too. Keith is our correspondent in MALAYSIA, and he’ll pull back the curtain and share with you an insider’s perspective about this Southeast Asia gem.

Malaysia is hard to beat if you’re looking for warm weather and beaches. It’s a tropical 82 degrees year-round and delivers swaths of white sand. English is the de facto first language. And it has some of the region’s best street food, great restaurants, bars, shopping malls and movie theaters.

Two people can have a three-course meal here for $10. A bagful of fresh fruit costs around $4. You can have a maid pick up after you and clean the house once a week for four hours at a cost of $12. The healthcare in Malaysia is very good—and extremely affordable. In the 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package, you’ll get the full rundown on where to go and what to expect…

THAILAND is another place well worth your attention. For pennies on the dollar, as Jason Gaspero, an expat living there will explain, you get a year-round tropical climate and access to modern comforts and conveniences, including affordable, high-quality medical care.

And it’s beautiful. Think turquoise seas and white sand beaches, jagged limestone cliffs, beach-rimmed islands, mountainous jungle retreats. With that comes a whole range of lifestyle options. On a budget of around $1,800 including rent a couple can live well anywhere in the country.

You may assume FRANCE is out of your price range… but you’d be surprised. As our France correspondent, Barbara Diggs, will tell you: In the right places, you can enjoy all the best France has to offer—a history-rich culture, incredible food, pretty landscapes, and the civilized pace—and do it for less.

Naturally, Paris costs more. But consider a sun-kissed, flower-filled corner of France where almost every loop and bend along its web of rivers reveals a perched village, a medieval town, or the turrets of a chateau. Here a gorgeous, renovated 18th-century mill house with 4 bedrooms and beautiful mature gardens, a private stream, a carport, and a workshop list for just $246,000… or a 3-bedroom country home move-in-ready with a pool walking distance to a pretty village is on offer for just $109,000.

Within easy reach of Paris, you’ll find all sorts of gems. Like a medieval village that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Homes are half-timbered and window boxes overflow with pink flowers. It’s a lively place with plenty of shops, bakeries, and cafes. A three-course meal at a fancy place runs about $35 per person, but there are a few bistros that offer a three-course lunch for $17 or less. Here you could have a 2-bedroom apartment in town for $110,000.

You Can’t Beat the “In-the-Field” Intelligence You’ll Gain

In this package, in addition to our expert editors, you’ll also hear from folks just like you who have traded up to a new life overseas. They’ll share their stories and the lessons they’ve learned so you can avoid the mistakes they made… and find your own “right” life overseas quickly, easily, and seamlessly…

To help you on your way, we’ve enlisted Warren Hardy of the Warren Hardy Spanish School in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Many of the countries you’ll learn about in the 2015 Ultimate Retire Overseas Package are Spanish-speaking—and that can be a roadblock for many folks.

Warren can help you waltz right around it. His specialty is teaching expats—seniors primarily—how to speak Spanish. He gears his programs specifically for older learners and he makes it fun. He’ll talk about why it’s important that you learn the local language wherever you end up… and will demonstrate some tricks to make it a lot easier than you imagine.

The intelligence our editors and guest speakers who are out there “in the field” share is worth a small fortune. Because just one recommendation… one single caution&he