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Monday, May 4, 2009
FREEDOM
“In the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine...we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry and playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked on the shelves of patience. Before we know it the tomb is sealed...When you consider the beauty there is in the world, the rapture that can be known, the honest relationships, the excitement and exaltation there is for the taking...the real things to look at and feel and read...Where, then, lies the answer? In choice.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Moving to Ecuador Helped to Preserve My Freedom
DAVID BEYER’S STORY
Now living in Quito, he comments on his reason for moving to Ecuador and choosing to live outside the U.S. (other than having married a lovely Ecuadorian woman): “Like a lot of expats, I just don’t feel like living in the United States anymore. I don’t like the direction the country is taking. I want to preserve my freedom and I experience more freedom when I am in other countries.”
When I asked him why he feels more at liberty in other countries, he replied, “The United States has too many laws. Here in Ecuador, you never know what will happen. Life every day is free-flowing, while in the U.S. it's all the same.”
A Lifetime in Pursuit of Twin Passions
Two of David’s passions are computers and law. It’s hard to imagine that at his current age of 36, he already has 30 years’ experience in computer programming. He began working at the wee age of 6, writing store demos for Radio Shack in Melbourne, Florida. He started selling for the store when he was ten and before long was selling more than the older salesmen.
“The store manager called me into his office and said, ‘If you’re gonna sell computers, you’ve gotta dress up. Wear a suit and tie.’ So I did. I would answer all the customer’s questions and then send them to the checkout counter. I wasn’t exactly legal, but I was cute. The store would buy me lunch when I sold something.”
David’s other love, law, led him to study law in college for two years and then applying law to his various businesses over the years. “I am very analytical and I enjoy problem-solving, “ he told me. “Law is gray, not black and white, so I can apply creativity to working things out.”
Motorcycle Accident Interrupts Travel
While spending lots of time in Central America and in Columbia, he had read good things about Ecuador and decided that moving to Ecuador was the best choice for him. During a visit to Ecuador in early 2007, David met his Ecuadorian/Columbian wife in a Quito disco. Moving to Ecuador in September ’07, he told her, “I’d be back in one month.” Instead, he was gone 4 months.
On September 18, 2007, a motorcycle accident in Florida resulted in 4 months’ recovery in the U.S. and titanium parts to repair damage to his leg and arm. Finally, he made his way back to Ecuador and his wife-to-be and they were married in April of 2008.
The newly-weds intend to build a house on their land in Mindo, where they conduct tours in one of Ecuador’s most diverse biological ecosystems.
Multiple Talents Lead to Several Ecuador Business Opportunities
Utilizing his numerous entrepreneurial talents has led to more than one Ecuador business opportunity for David. He now operates two businesses in Quito and one in the United States:
1. Mindo Express, an Ecuador business offering tours of Mindo
Same address as above
Telephone: (02) 222-5464 (Espanol)
08 294-6663 (English)
Mindo Express mainly targets backpackers, nature lovers and bird watchers. They employ a bilingual tour guide and a chauffeur. There is a two-person minimum for tours.
2. Asesoria Legal, an Ecuador business operated with Ecuadorian attorney partner Leonardo Viveros to assist newcomers with all their Ecuador visa, legal and residency issues.
His partner Leonardo helped him obtain his residency. The process worked so smoothly that David decided to partner with Leonardo to assist others.
David and Leonardo’s legal services are available by phone, internet or in-person consultation. They specialize in immigration issues and can also help with obtaining an Ecuador visa and with land and car purchases. For those moving to Ecuador, his services are indispensible.
David, while not an attorney, has studied business law for two years. He holds certification in Business Administration as well as being a business major and is pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration.
David will provide answers to immigration questions at no cost. He keeps up-to-date on legal issues in Ecuador, visa requirements and changes in the laws and can also do English translations of documents. Although not fully bilingual himself, his staff is bilingual.
The PDF file below provides David with all the information needed by his attorney to begin the residency process for you. Clients may either edit the file, fill the form out online and return, or they may print it out, fill in the blanks and bring it with them when they meet with David or his staff.
Click here for David's "Legal Services Application"
3. Softworks International, Inc., a Florida corporation which operates under the name BeyerSoft Ecuador S.A. in Ecuador. This company is a phone dating business, his primary business, which sells programs so that anyone can establish a phone dating program anywhere in the world, with voicemail, chats, etc.
David’s phone for English/Spanish:
877 653 2823 toll free from U. S. or Canada
08 294 6663 from inside Ecuador
Leonardo’s cell phone for Spanish only: 09 0630451
The address of David's office is:
Robles E7-46 y 6 de Diciembre (next to Banco Pichincha)
If moving to Ecuador is in your future, contact David for all your Ecuador visa, immigration or legal needs. Please tell David you heard about him on Pro-Ecuador.com.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ecuador Avocado Farm for Sale - By Gary Scott
by Gary Scott
Our last real estate tour looked at a number of new properties including an Ecuador Avocado farm.
Studies of avocados suggests that people of the Valdivia, an ancient. Ecuadorian culture, probably brought avocado to Ecuador and neighboring northern Peru where they grew well.
In fact Ecuador avocados played some role in the development of California’s avocado industry from the 1920s. An interesting report from the 1920s entitled AVOCADOS OF THE CHOTA VALLEY, ECUADOR was written by WILSON POPENOE, an Agricultural Explorer for the United States Department of Agriculture.
The introduction of that report said:
Synchronously with the increased demand for hardy avocados of good commercial
quality, which has arisen in California since the cold weather of January 1922, comes the discovery of a hitherto unknown avocado region, in the remote Andes of northern Ecuador, which seems likely to supply such varieties. I refer to the Chota valley, home of an unusual series of large-fruited avocados of the Mexican race, some of which have been introduced into the United States by the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, United States Department of Agriculture, and which will soon be sent to California and Florida for testing.
I have put a link to that report at the bottom here if you wish to read it for fun. The point though is that this is the area where avocados have been grown for at least a century… maybe much longer.
This appeared to me (but I am not a farmer) to be a really well organized 12 acre avocado farm just on the outskirts of Ibarra. The owner has returned to Loja.
The land feels isolated though it is only about 15 minutes from Ibarra.
To get to the farm you take a long winding road…
past a dairy.
The land looks rich.
Here is the entrance to the avocado farm.
the main house.
inside living room and…
kitchen.
with many cabinets.
The house is a modest two bedroom, one bathroom affair appearing in very good order
plus there is a helper’s house.
We did not go in the helper’s house as it is occupied.
There are very well kept gardens.
Here are both houses from the rear and…
the back garden.
Here, in front of the houses, is the fruit… the cash generator.
The avocados are flowering for their first crop.
Some more shots…
We are told they will offer a $50,000 a year income after two years… $25,000 potential this year. (Be sure to check this out as we are not avocado farmers so cannot discern the truth.)
Here are the early buds.
Behind the houses, I walked up the hill where they have an irrigation system collecting water for several holding ponds.
Along this system there are Naranjilla trees growing as a secondary crop.
This is the naranjilla.
Another secondary crop here is the chirimoya.
Chirimoya, is also called the cherimoya or custard apple. This is a rare exotic high priced fruit used to make sweets and desserts.
They are grown a lot in Spain but originate in subtropical zones such as Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.
Asking price with these two houses, land and crops is $260,000. I am not a farmer… do not know how to sell avocados, naranjilla or chirimoya and have written everything I know about the property here, so please if this property interests you, do your due diligence and contact the broker.. not me with your questions.
The broker on this is Paola Mena. Her telephone is 593 09804479
web site: www.bienesraicesimbabura.com
email: paolamena14@yahoo.es
I have had complaints that she does not answer her email often, so be persistent. The best bet is to get a Spanish speaking person to call her.
Since we are on the subject of avocados and naranjilla, here is a great recipe for avocado and naranjilla muffins.
The Avocado Naranjilla Muffin (substitute limes or sour orange if you cannot get naranjlla).
Cream:
* 2 sticks butter
* sweeten to taste
* 1 Cup wheat flour
* 1 Cup quinoa flour
* 4 Eggs
Blend (stiring clockwise).
* 2 avocados
* 1 tablespoon of Naranjilla juice
Stir avocado mash and the zest of the narnajilla into the creamed mixture.
Pour into a muffin tin and bake at 350 for 30 min.
Avocado Frosting
* 1 avocado
* 1 cup of powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup of butter
Mash the avocado and mix with the butter and powdered sugar.
This recipe was derived from an avocado lime cupcake recipe which you can read here
Until next message, make all your living be good in Ecuador or anywhere.
Gary
Join us in Ecuador at a 2009 course or tour.
Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour May 16-17. $499 Enroll here. $749 For a couple.
Imbabura-Cotacachi Real Estate Tour May 20-21. $499 Enroll here. $749 For a couple.
Ecuador Amazon Herbal Tour May 22-24. $399 Enroll here. $499 For a couple.
Panama, Ireland and Taxes
But, no question, controlling your tax liability can make a big difference in your standard of living. Reduce your tax bill from, say, 40% a year to, say, 20% a year and it's like giving yourself a raise and super-charging your investment portfolios. You're earning no more, but you've got a whole lot more disposable income.
So, again, we're not moving to Panama to reduce our tax burden, and neither should you. You can't organize your life according to tax code. But you don't want to ignore it either.
We Americans have it double tough. No matter where we go, our obligations to Uncle Sam follow. When we take up residence in a foreign jurisdiction, therefore, we've got double the tax masters. We're beholden to both the IRS and the local tax collector.
We must understand the tax requirements on both sides, and we must file annual tax returns in both jurisdictions...but that is not to say we owe double the taxes.
On the contrary. As an American abroad, you can reduce your annual tax burden, even significantly, from what you were paying when you were residing full-time within U.S. borders.
This is where things get interesting...and complicated.
Don't worry. You don't have to become an international tax guru to manage this part of your new life in paradise. After more than 20 years researching this stuff and more than 10 years paying taxes in multiple jurisdictions, I'm still no expert. But I've been fortunate enough to get to know people who are.
Which leads to my first and probably most important piece of advice on this subject: When planning to move, retire, or invest overseas, don't try to become a global tax authority. Hire one.
In fact, hire two. One in the jurisdiction where you're planning to live or invest...and another in your home country.
During one of our scouting trips to Ireland before our move 10 years ago, we met with Ernst & Young in Dublin. We didn't know what we didn't know, but we knew enough to ask for help.
At the time, Ireland taxed its residents on a remittance basis. That is, living in Ireland, you paid tax only on whatever money you earned or brought into the country. You could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. But if you brought (remitted) only $50,000 per year into the Emerald Isle...the Irish tax authorities expected their cut of that $50,000 only. Maybe you owed other tax authorities in other countries other tax on other pieces of your total income...but Ireland cared only about the piece of your income that flowed into Ireland.
The Ernst & Young tax guy we met with explained this to us and then he made a critical recommendation. He told us to organize ourselves so that all assets held prior to our move to Ireland were lodged in separate accounts from any assets we might ever bring into Ireland. This way, there could be no confusion. The Irish tax collectors could never lay claim to any assets clearly separate from other assets that might ever be remitted to Ireland.
And, then, he said, as long as you're living in Ireland, make sure that money you don't intend to remit to Ireland goes into those other accounts. Make sure everything is clearly separate from the start...and keep it that way.
We followed his advice.
In addition, as Americans residing abroad, Lief and I both were able to take advantage of the earned-income tax exemption, meaning that our first $80,000 to $85,000 of income each year apiece (the amount of the exemption has increased over the past decade and stands today at $85,700) was free from U.S. tax.
Plus, Ireland and the U.S. have a double-taxation agreement, meaning we didn't owe tax in the States on any income taxed in Ireland.
Bottom line, by organizing ourselves carefully, as Irish residents, we were able to reduce our overall rate of tax to less than 20% per year.
The tax laws in the Emerald Isle have changed significantly in the past decade, and Ireland no longer taxes its residents on a remittance basis. Today, Ireland taxes residents on their worldwide income...just as the U.S. does (with some complicated exceptions).
Yikes.
As I said, we're not moving to Panama because of its tax laws...but it hasn't escaped our notice that the country's position on taxing its foreign residents is about as good as it gets.
In Panama, we'll be paying tax only on the money we earn in Panama. You gotta' love that.
Panama is not the only tax-advantaged jurisdiction worth a close look right now. Belize is another place where, as a resident, you pay tax locally only on the money you earn locally.
Furthermore, Belize is one of the easiest places in the world to become a full-time (legal) foreign resident...at least if you're older than 45. Show the Belize immigration authorities that you've got a guaranteed income of at least $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year) from outside Belize, and you'll qualify for Qualified Retired Person (QRP) status. They'll roll out the welcome mat.
And they won't even require that you're physically present in the country more than one month per year. A friend refers to it as "virtual residency." Belize is a beautiful, safe, friendly, affordable little country. In fact, it's one of my favorite places in the world and my favorite spot in the Caribbean. But if full-time Belize life doesn't appeal to you, no problem, say the Belizeans. Spend a month a year with us. In return, you can claim full-time Belize residency.
If you're an American, this offer is particularly appealing. For, if you're a full-time resident of Belize...you can't be a full-time U.S. resident. Which means you're eligible for the U.S. foreign-earned-income exclusion.
It's not quite that straightforward, and, again, you'll want an expert to help you organize yourself properly. But the idea of becoming a full-time resident of a foreign jurisdiction for tax purposes is not only possible, it's also legal and safe...and it can cut your overall annual tax burden dramatically, even in half.
It's even possible, depending on your circumstances, to become a resident of Panama, for example, or a QRP in Belize and live tax-free. It depends on how much income you earn and where it comes from. But, again, it's possible, and it's legal. You just need counsel you can trust to help you consider the options and make a plan.
Don't Google "foreign tax specialist" or "international tax advisor." You'll find lots of resources that way...but none you can trust. The Internet is awash with guys who'll set you up with offshore structures for a fee and who'll be glad to help you get one over on the IRS.
You don't want to get one over on the IRS. You just don't want to pay that U.S. government agency $1 more of your income than you absolutely have to each year.
And you don't necessarily want offshore structures either.
I have no idea what you do want...or need. And, probably, neither do you. But I can tell you this: Take the advice of some offshore expert you find with the help of Google, and your chances of ending up someplace you don't want to be (engaged in a one-on-one conversation with a representative of the IRS, for example) are probably increased.
Neither should you dash off an e-mail to your U.S. accountant or attorney asking for help managing the tax consequences of your new life or investments abroad. He won't have answers for you, and your questions will make him nervous.
My U.S. attorney a decade ago, at the time we were planning our move to Ireland, told me not to mess around with the earned-income exclusion for Americans living abroad. "It's too risky," he counseled me. "Better just to pay what you owe and not to try to get away with anything."
I understood almost nothing about any of this at the time, but I knew enough to know he didn't know enough. He's no longer my attorney.
I didn't replace him immediately or easily--though not for lack of trying. I began looking for a competent, experienced, and open-minded U.S. tax advisor as soon as I realized my attorney of many years was none of those things when it came to the issues faced by Americans living and investing abroad.
In my position as publisher of International Living over the past two-plus decades, I met lots of guys who called themselves "offshore tax experts."
Finally, less than a year ago, I found a guy who I'd call an offshore tax expert. His name is Chris Rusch.
Our situation has grown ever-more-complicated in the decade since we left the States, but Chris has organized and simplified as he has counseled us in how our Panama plans will impact our U.S. tax obligations.
Chris knows his way around the offshore world. He knows what's allowed and what's not, and he respects the rules. He also knows how to solve problems and how to get things done. Our experience with Chris over the past 10 months has been remarkably efficient, painless, and productive...wholly different from our experience with the half-dozen other offshore advisors we tried to work with prior to finding Chris.
I told you, though, that you need not one, but two global tax authorities, one to manage tax, reporting, and structure issues for you in the States...and one to manage those things in your jurisdiction of residency.
For us, the Panama side of things is managed by longtime friend and counselor Rainelda Mata-Kelly. Over the past nine years of doing business in this country, Rainelda has helped us buy and sell real estate, open bank accounts, form corporations, hire and pay employees, acquire residency (through the reforestation visa program)... I know no Panama attorney more experienced or more competent at helping foreigners live and invest safely and successfully in this jurisdiction. And I know a lot of Panama attorneys.
Kathleen Peddicord
P.S. One of the best way to become a foreign resident of Panama today is through an investment in timber...a hard-asset play that makes sense right now, residency advantages notwithstanding.
P.P.S. You can reach U.S. attorney and offshore tax specialist Chris Rusch here. And you can get in touch with Rainelda Mata-Kelly, premier Panama attorney, here.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The 10 most popular countries in the world for travelers
Monday, March 30, 2009
Nicaragua - Boomers Outside The Box
"It started about five years ago. After some 40 years building and operating the Landgrove Inn in Vermont, our thoughts turned to semi-retirement and change. We intended to sell our country inn business, and that prospect put us face-to-face with the big 'What Next?' question.
"I started reading and researching. Articles on Central and South America caught my attention. I wanted to see these places. I wanted to know them firsthand. It was as though I could hear a voice saying, 'Go south, old man.'
"Something you wrote, Kathleen, a few years ago, really got to me.
"'Live your dreams,' you said.
"I made a list of countries to explore. At the top was Nicaragua, partly because it was the shortest flight time for us (!), but also because, by all accounts, it was a very inexpensive place to live.
"Then I took off to see the rest of the country--remote villages, coastal towns, planned developments... With only three days remaining on this first visit, I felt a strong desire to return to Granada. Back in the city, I took the plunge. I began speaking with real estate agents.
"Walking around Granada with the agents, I realized all my senses were satisfied. I liked what I saw, what I smelled, what I heard, what I tasted, what I felt...
"I place a lot of value on the sixth sense, too--on intuition. And I liked what my gut told me about Granada. The place felt right, and I felt at home.
"Why continue looking and waste precious time? I asked myself.
"There was no reason I could come up with, so, the next day, just before leaving for home, I made an offer on a piece of land in town.
"Retirees in the States right now face a serious dilemma. It's impossible, really, for them to live on Social Security. And the cost of quality retirement living options has exploded. The current meltdown in U.S. housing costs doesn't change this fact. Most retirees can't afford a retirement home.
"I thought about all this walking around Granada during that first, life-changing trip. It seemed to me that I'd found an alternative...a viable, appealing option for Americans trying to figure out how in the world they're going to make it in retirement.
"Nicaragua seems to offer exactly what people like me are looking for--an affordable, quality lifestyle bundled with the chance to start over...to make a significant change in your life.
"Plus, in Nicaragua, you're not too far from the States, so you can get back and forth easily, and the medical care is both inexpensive and excellent (I speak from experience).
"I made my decision...and then I prepared myself for battle. I rehearsed responses to the incredulous stares and raised eyebrows I expected from my wife and family.
"But they disappointed me. Instead of, 'Are you out of your mind?' my plans were met with enthusiasm, excitement, and encouragement. The support I've enjoyed from family and friends has had a lot to do with my being able to follow through on the plan I hatched those first days in Granada.
"Three years ago, when I made my first trip to Nicaragua, the market was hot. Today, activity has slowed considerably. There was a pullback just after Ortega was elected, but the Señor Daniel fears are settling down. Meantime, economic and investment market worries are escalating in the States. Investors, especially American investors, are looking for options.
Boomers Outside The Box
"I don't have a solution to the problems facing Americans and others right now. It's too frustrating to contemplate. I do feel, though, I've found an alternative that works for me and that could work for many, many others, as well.
"You've got to think outside the box--the box being the United States. I realize this isn't a new idea, but it's truer and truer. Statistics show an increase in the numbers of Americans leaving the States and a big increase in the numbers considering the idea.
"It's tempting to continue living the way you've been living. It's easy. Certainly easier than making the kind of change I'm talking about. It can be very frightening to think about creating a whole new life for yourself in a foreign place.
"That fear can keep us from acting on chances for fun, for adventure, and for possible profit.
"All I can tell you now is that I'm thrilled with my decision. My adventure in Nicaragua has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life."
Playing The Sandinista Factor
The story of little Nicaragua has been anything but dull these past 30 years. Political unrest, civil war, economic disaster...then a renaissance. The Sandinistas were pushed aside, and the free market was given a chance.
During these sunny days, the tourists came, followed by the speculators, the property investors, and the retirees. Speculation turned to frenzy, and beachfront property prices were pushed up and up and up and up, with seemingly no end in sight.
The end came when the Sandinistas returned in the person of Daniel Ortega, whom the good people of little Nicaragua re-elected as their president in 2005.
"Oh, no!" came the collective cry from travelers, investors, and would-be retirees the world over, who panicked at the news and retreated at once.
"What will Sandinista Danny do now that he’s back running the show?"
Three years later, we have an answer to that question:
Nothing much...at least nothing much that any foreign investor or retiree to worry about. Ortega continues to reassure the world that foreign investment in this country is safe. And he continues to support the rights of private property owners.
Meantime, the clock is ticking. Ortega can’t be re-elected when his term finishes in 2011.
Tourists are returning already. The first half of this year saw a 13% increase in visitors from the U.S. and Canada and 6.7% growth overall. In fact, Nicaragua saw more tourists during the first five months of 2008 than it did during the entirety of 2006, the year prior to Ortega’s re-taking office.
The tourists are ignoring the Sandinista factor...and you should, too.
When you put the country’s politics aside, what do you have?
You have a long coast along which the Pacific Ocean crashes just as dramatically and just as beautifully as it does across the border in Costa Rica, where pay four, five, six, as much as eight times for the privilege of owning a little piece of this glorious Pacific coast.
You have rolling, diverse countryside...and warm, welcoming people with a lot of heart. People intent on putting their troubled past behind them and getting on with the business of rebuilding their beautiful country.
You have one of the world’s most pristine environments, featuring an enormous variety of flora and fauna.
You have a country that boasts tax incentives, a low cost of living, and a generally low crime rate.
And, right now, you have a moment of opportunity. While much of the world is maintaining its sidelines position on this market, you, dear reader, have the chance to position yourself.
Buy on the dips
This is your chance to buy on the dip, as they say. This market raced toward a top...then stalled. Today, two-plus years later, sellers are open to offers. Developers who, three years ago, wouldn’t have considered discounting or special offering are getting creative...and open-minded.
Right now is the time to move back into this market, whether you’re looking for a second home at the beach, a rental investment or a renovation project in one of the world’s most charming colonial cities, land for speculation, or a full-service, turn-key gated community where you could plan for the retirement you’ve been dreaming about your whole life.
As Jay Snyder assures you, you don’t have to give up on your retirement dreams. You just need to expand your horizon...to think outside the box.
Open-minded retirees with no interest in cutting back or making do at this important stage of their lives are finding that, in Nicaragua, you’ll never have to worry about outliving your nest eggs.
In Nicaragua, you can not only maintain the standard of living you enjoyed during your hard-working years, but you can improve it. You can enrich your life...find new ways to spend your days...discover...explore...grow...
Nicaragua Property Prices May Never Be This Low Again
Open-minded investors can get a really smokin’ deal on a piece of Pacific coastline...a stretch of sandy Caribbean beach...or a colonial architectural gem. You haven’t seen prices like these in this country in a decade.
And you may not ever see them again...
What To Do Now
The first step is to arm yourself with information from the scene...up-to-date, current, and complete intelligence from an insider who knows his way around.
Allow me to introduce Scott Taylor. Scott has been traveling, researching, scouting, and investing in property all over the world for the past four years. His has been an accelerated learning curve, for, during these past several years, Scott has focused his time and his attention on international real estate and nothing else.
As Scott explains, "Of all the places I’ve traveled, Nicaragua remains one of my favorites...and one of the reasons is because this country continues to hide some of the world’s best deals on beachfront property."
Scott not only talks the talk. He also walks the walk. He knows the Nicaragua real estate market from every angle...buying, selling, borrowing, purchasing, holding, structuring...and from personal experience.
And, recently, he took the time to record his experiences in a way that would make it not only possible, but easy and, critically, safe for other investors, expats, and adventurers to follow in his footsteps.
Scott wrote everything down. He created the definitive guide to "Living and Investing in Nicaragua."
As Scott explains, "I love everything about this country, and I believe you will, too. My objective in writing this report was to help you get the most out of your time in Nicaragua, whether you’re passing through, thinking about staying put, or looking to make a killing."
In "Living and Investing in Nicaragua," Scott tells you:
- Why now is absolutely, positively the best time ever to live and invest in this country. It would take years of your time and many thousands of your hard-earned dollars to round up all this information yourself...and, in truth, even with a big investment of time and money, you’d have your work cut out for you.
- Where to look for the hottest property deals.
- Step-by-step how to purchase real estate in this country, including Scott’s uno, dos, tres checklist.
- Find out when you should spend a little more during the purchase process...to save yourself dearly in the future.
- How to get an exclusive Investor’s Visa...and why you’d want one in the first place.
- One thing you must know to avoid the otherwise most difficult thing about moving to Nicaragua (page 93).
- Where to find the most inexpensive but impressive Spanish-colonial style homes...with vaulted ceilings, columns, hallway arches, and big, beautiful windows.
- How to speed up your purchase time, reduce your stress during the process, and make your final move...all in record time...following one important tip (page 71).
- How to choose the beachfront resort or private community that’s right for you.
- How to develop a resort of your own!
- How to refurbish for rental. Miss even one step in this process, and you risk losing it all...
- Where to grab timeless architectural treasures for less than US$20,000.
- The one person you need to make your investment experience a success. Without him, you’ll wish you’d never come to Paradise (and that’ll be ashame). See page 53.
- The most common problem foreign buyers encounter when investing in this country (this one might really surprise you).
- How to quality for little-known special monthly benefits just for buying property in this country. These benefits could save you thousands of dollars every year.
- The dirty little language secret that has bitten more foreign investors than any poisonous snake in the rain forest. Page 73 shows you how easy it is to avoid this common mistake.
- Three reasons why Nicaragua’s real estate market is hotter than ever.
- The key reason you need to act now or risk losing out on this opportunity to realize your dreams of living and investing in paradise.
- Creative options for financing.
- The markets with the biggest upside potential (page 124).
- How to secure government funding for your business adventures.
I’ve been in love with Nicaragua since I first visited more than a dozen years ago. I’ve started businesses in this country, invested in real estate here, made friends, and stored up wonderful memories...
I’ve had a grand time in Nicaragua these past dozen years.
My one regret? That I didn’t have a manual like Scott’s to set me straight from the start. All the time and money I could have saved...
Alas, I’ve made my way in Nicaragua on my own. But you don’t have to.
Scott knows this country as well as anyone I’ve ever met. Leverage his experience. Learn from his mistakes. Accelerate your learning curve.
Realize your dreams of "Living and Investing in Nicaragua" now.
P.S. In Scott’s own words, here’s what you don’t get in "Living and Investing in Nicaragua":Sunday, March 29, 2009
Vilcabamba Ecuador Living, Homes and Land
I saved one of the best photos for last: This is a picture of my garden, with the morning light illuminating it from the East. How would you like to grow your food in this kind of environment?I can tell you this: I've grown food in Wyoming, Arizona, Missouri and Oregon. In all those places, it was hard work. But here in Vilcabamba, it's EASY. Push a stick in the ground and it sprouts leaves. Give it a little time and water and you get fruit. Even complete idiot gardeners can have hugely successful gardens here (assuming you get the right soil, of course - always check the soil before buying land).
If you're a natural health advocate and a green living type of person, I invite you to consider living here. You'll find a remarkable community here, and a heaven-on-Earth type of natural environment that's simply unmatched anywhere else in the world.
The cost of living, Spring-like weather and abundant water and sunlight all make this a sustainable, free-living paradise where you'll be safe from the chaos of the United States and other first-world nations.
Not everything here is perfect, of course: There are a few mosquitos (not a lot, but some), the locals here move *very* slowly to get anything done, the government paperchase game is a bit of a nightmare, and you can't buy Dr. Bronner's soap anywhere. Don't expect to find a Whole Foods here... you have to GROW your whole foods!
But the downsides are more than made up for by the enormous advantages. And that's why more and more people are choosing Vilcabamba (the Valley of Longevity) in Ecuador as their home.
Come visit and see for yourself
The best way to figure out of Vilcabamba is right for you is to come visit and see it first-hand.Tips for visitors: These tips are VERY important if you plan to visit Vilcabamba:
• Do NOT get in a taxi that's yellow with a horizontal blue stripe along the edge. These taxis belong to a company of suicidal drivers who seem to be on kamikazee missions. Opt for a white truck taxi instead of the yellow / blue taxis. (Trust me on this...)
• DO strap all your important stuff to your body. There's not much violent crime in Ecuador, but there are a lot of pickpockets. You can pretty much kiss goodbye to anything that's not physically strapped to your body (including your purse, cell phone, backpack, etc.) If you wear a backpack, wear it in FRONT.
• DO practice some Spanish before you get here. You'll need the basics. The very best course I've ever found is Pimsleur Spanish, levels 1, 2 and 3. If you get through just level one, you'll do fine here. (It's an audio course.) I studies 3 levels for a couple of months and I can get by here with everything I need: Taxis, buying things, asking for directions, making reservations, etc.
• DO bring long pants. Don't run around in shorts all the time, especially at night, or you'll get sandfly bites on your ankles. They're not harmful, but they itch like a bitch.
• DO bring your own toilet paper. Why? Because all the TP here is loaded with fragrance chemicals. Seriously. Load up your suitcase with TP. It's not even very heavy.
• DO bring lots of $1 and $5 bills. Locals don't accept $10 and $20 bills, and don't even think about bringing a fifty. Load up with $1 bills like a crack dealer and just bring those bills with you! Ecuador uses U.S. currency, so you don't need to exchange anything. Cool, huh?
• DO bring your own natural soap, shampoo and feminine hygeine products. You won't be able to find "natural" brands here.
Finally, let me add that I have no personal financial stake in the sales of properties in Ecuador. I have spent considerable time and effort creating this photo tour primarily for the purpose of informing NaturalNews readers about a tremendous opportunity to live a healthful, abundant life in a natural paradise with affordable costs of living.
Enjoy the adventure, and I hope to see you in Vilcabamba!
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