8 Great Places to Retire Abroad(In case Obama is re-elected)

yahoo.com ^ | July 9, 2011 | Donna Fuscaldo

[ilovesarah2012]

Great places to retire can be found outside of Florida and Arizona. In fact, many can be found outside of the U.S. entirely. Safe, attractive and affordable places to retire are scattered across the globe, from Latin America to Asia and even Europe. We've narrowed our list to eight overseas retirement hot spots.

Two factors critical to retirees (and their wallets) shaped our choices: cost of living and health care. To make our picks we consulted several experts on travel, tourism and overseas retirement, including Jennifer Stevens, executive editor of International Living, and Kathleen Peddicord, publisher of LiveandInvestOverseas.com. We also gave added weight to the cost of living, real estate and health care components of International Living's Global Retirement Index of the top 25 countries for retirees.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

I’m confident I have a skill set they would be interested in.

[steve86]

Canada is getting more conservative all the time. Any opinions?

Sure, I have an opinion. Gay marriage and harassment of Catholics and other Christians and social conservatives isn't conservative. And don't try to take your handguns.

[Broker]

PHILIPPINEs. A # 1.

[steve86]

Vancouver has the biggest un-popped housing bubble in the western hemisphere. And B.C. is more Marxist than D.C. will ever be.

[Forgotten Amendments]

I lived in Chile for 3 years in the 90’s, and if I were younger/healthier, I’d go back in a heartbeat. Or anywhere in South America. We need to face the reality that the Constitution has been destroyed and we live in a police state that’s only gonna’ get worse. Down there, even under socialist governments, the government has no power over day-to-day life.

[steve86]

That’s what I’ve heard and read and my latest doctor happens to be a Filipina. I would certainly like to spend some time there anyway.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

I guess he wants to fight over the scraps.

Americans are a transient people and we do what needs to be done to protect our family’s future. I don’t begrudge people who hold 11’s opinion but I will do what it takes to protect my family. If Obama’s ideas were coming a foreign power, it would be easy to identify the cancer and get rid of it. They aren’t. We’ll see in 2012 if the American people vote for the kind of discipline required to cut our federal budget by 40%. I don’t think they were given that choice in 2010 and don’t think they will be in 2012. Until then, we work for the right candidates. If our debt to GDP ratio goes above 90% then it’s over and time to pick up and go and that’s no different than any one of our ancestors did.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

If it comes down to a fight you will have to inhale my dust getting to the front line. I don’t think it will though. Debt is a different kind of oppression.

[MontaniSemperLiberi]

The #1 problem I have with Australia is that all my guns, even the littlest pea shooter I have, is classified “C” or higher.

[JPG]

Kenya is the place! Barry's half-brother only pays $1 a month for his shack and you might pay even less if you don't need a roof! Of course, when a chicken tickles your feet in the middle of the night, it's only looking to get out of the rain...so please, be gentle when removing it from your bed. In addition to cheap housing, the goats are VERY friendly. Expats can easily live on $50 USD a month...plumbing optional.

[Dick Bachert]

I’ll hang around (perhaps LITERALLY) and may wind up here — and I’m not even Jewish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6XOxduodKU

[andy58-in-nh]

I have traveled throughout Costa Rica. It is a beautiful country filled with usually friendly people. Many speak English, or at least enough to get by, and it is not difficult to learn enough Spanish to get by, either. Government is mixed social democratic, but they openly encourage small business and welcome tourists. The coffee plantations in the mountains a source of significant affluence, as well as the coastal resorts. Third world-style poverty is not nearly as visible as in Mexico, but it's there. Far from perfect, but I could live there. You had better really like red beans and rice, though - they serve it at every meal. ;-)

[DanMiller]

My wife and I have lived in a rural part of western Panama, up in the mountains, for about eight years. We live in a house we had built our small thirteen acre farm. The weather is great, so are the people and we love it here.

That said, many have come to Panama, lured by stuff in various promotional sources that I would hardly classify as objective because they tend to promote places advertising there. For example, the Red Frog development in Bocas del Toro was heavily promoted and many folks thought they had found their dream retirement place; Red Frog croaked and many lost the investments they had made in property there. Other heavily promoted developments have turned out well and many are happy with what they got. Many buy property, move here and then, within a year or so, decide they made a big mistake and go back home. The round trip from living in the States, coming here to live and then going back costs lots of money. The process can also be quite upsetting.

Anyone seriously considering retiring in Panama -- or anywhere else -- should go for several months during each of the seasons and experience the place. A week or so is simply inadequate. Furnished rentals are available, cheaply, many because of those who came, bought, didn't like it and left.

We have two seasons, wet and dry. They are different. In some areas, reasonable if modest fluency in Spanish is necessary. Many customs are different. The extended family is a big part of life here.

Nearly everything is different. Many things are less expensive, many things are more expensive. If one enjoys or even tolerates different cultures, it's a great place. If not, not.

[Michael.SF.]

Canada is getting more conservative all the time. Any opinions?

Unfortunately the areas of Canada with the most appealing weather (Vancouver, Victoria) are still amongst the most liberal section of Canada. The Okanagan Valley is mild in climate and beautiful, though I am not aware of how that area is politically.

If you can tolerate the climate, Alberta is probably the most conservative Provence in the country.

[montanajoe]

I don't understand leaving because of whoever is elected/reelected.
However if you are so inclined to stretch your dollar, have a little adventure and are in good health the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam (if you liked it the first time...) are good choices in my opinion.

[FlingWingFlyer]

If I had any money, I’d get the hell out of this joint. This isn’t America anymore. It’s a Kenyan banana republic. America is gone.

[CitizenM]

My son lived in Vancouver a few years ago. He thought he was going to love it as he had visited several times. Beautiful city, lots of activities and cultural life. But the cost of living was very high. And the sq. footage of apartments was much less than you could get here at comparable costs. So, based on his experience, I doubt it would be good to retire there. I don’t think I would like to move to a colder climate either.

[Stonewall Jackson]

If it came down to it, I think I’d probably move to Palau. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, and plenty of fish and shellfish to live off of if things go to pot worldwide. About the only drawbacks are the heat (can get up to 125-130) and the occasional typhoon.

[Pining_4_TX]

Their horrible socialized health care system is enough to keep me from considering it. Then, of course, there is the anti-gun mentality and laws, the thought police (must not criticize homosexuals or Muslims!), the increasing number of Muslims there, and the weather - cold enough to freeze a well-digger’s butt, as my mother used to say.

[ilovesarah2012]

Sounds like a place I could afford. LOL