Expat retirees enjoy a life reminiscent of an earlier time

NextAvenue.org ^ | July 17, 2017 | Chuck Bolotin

[where's_the_Outrage?]

This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org.

I’m seeing a yearning of many people around my age to return to a simpler time, like when we were growing up. My evidence: the hundreds of interviews I’ve done for Best Places in the World to Retire and the studies we did in which we asked expats about their lives abroad.

Interestingly, many Americans and Canadians have not only moved abroad partly to search for a life reminiscent of an earlier time, but quite a few tell me that they’ve found it — and in some very unlikely places, including Mexico, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua.

Here’s what they told us: Less government involvement

It may sound odd that the government in countries considered to be socialist would have less government involvement than in the U.S., but in the day-to-day lives of the locals, it’s true. Whether these governments would want to be more involved or not, they simply don’t have the resources to do so. That means locals find themselves doing some things that the federal and state governments often do in the U.S.

“Having the government less involved creates an entirely different dynamic than north of the border,” explains Dr. Santiago Hernandez, formerly from the Chicago area and now practicing in Ajijic, Mexico, on Lake Chapala. “If there’s a problem, most locals don’t expect the government to fix it, so they either live with it or fix it themselves. This creates more community cohesion and a feeling of involvement and belonging.”

While this is true of locals, it is even truer among expats, especially the “fix it themselves” part.

[jmaroneps37]

Be an EXPAT no thanks America is and will remain the place to be; and the best part is that those who disagree are free to leave at any time.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Sounds all peachy and stuff but...places like those mentioned have no 2nd amendment and simply owning a firearm is fraught with obstacles galore.

[mad puppy]

If you’re coming to Colorado, I would STRONGLY suggest you NOT set up shop in/around Denver/Boulder.

Hickenlooper has opened the doors to the homeless and though certainly booming right now, there is no way this ends well. Been here since 1970. Need ~10 years and if I have my way, the wife & I are leaving at least the Denver-metro area; possibly the state.

[avenir]

“Looks like this is the route I will be headed for any number of reasons. But what a sea change in this country when so many people can not afford to retire in the their own country.”

My Mom retired in Arkansas after working there for Lockheed. I had never been there and wound up loving it. It’s a welcoming, laid back place that would actually favor retirees because real estate and such is cheaper (I’m talking about Camden/Chidester, for ex.). I was also shocked that their doctor network was excellent. Some things had to be done elsewhere, but it was all handled well. My stepdad has stage 4 prostate cancer and using up to minute treatments they’ve stopped it and my Stepdad’s back on the river boating (after having had a hard period).

I mention this because I believe there must be many places in America where someone could “expat” from the big city government nitwits. Small towns can’t do monolithic things here anymore than they can abroad, so the same community aspect around keeping it together exists here, too.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Sounds all peachy and stuff but...places like those mentioned have no 2nd amendment and simply owning a firearm is fraught with obstacles galore.<\i>

Yes, kind of like living in a blue state like California.

But there are legal ways for non Thai to own a firearm. However the easier way is to have your Thai spouse (if you are luckily enough to have one) buy it.

[RegulatorCountry]

There are any number of depopulating third tier cities and towns scattered across the country with decent climate, good soil, low crime and low cost of living that could become retirement meccas. Trouble is, once they do the cost of living goes up and the primary motivation for going there, goes away. So, pick one and keep yer mouth shut, lol.

[BBB333]

If you decide to leave Colorado come join us in Montana. The Wife is a Real Estate Broker/Owner and we know the state very well.

Best to you.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

It was a hard choice for me, came down to whether I wanted to live with my wife in Thailand or just visit her, the US has turned her down for a visa 4 times so far. That’s what happens when you try to do things legally.

However, I am now thankful it happened otherwise I would still be in the USA working 50-60 hours a week in a high stress job making money I do not need. On the downside it is the renters enjoying my waterfront home.

Getting a Thailand visa was not that difficult, and Thailand has grown on me.

[chud]

here are any number of depopulating third tier cities and towns scattered across the country with decent climate, good soil, low crime and low cost of living that could become retirement meccas.

We should pick one and designate it as a Freeper-preferred retirement town. Strength in numbers.

[RitchieAprile]

those places are depopulating for a reason. theres nothing in those places but tumbleweeds and dustdevils.

[rochester_veteran]

My son, daughter in law and grandson live in Castle Rock. The only negative is that housing is very expensive there. It’s a boom town. I lived in Colorado from 1980-83 and met and married my wife there (we met working at St Joseph Hospital). When we were there, Castle Rock only had a population of 4,000. Now it’s 55,000 and growing, construction of new homes all over the place.

[HLPhat]

>>Hickenlooper has opened the doors to the homeless

Yep.

Notice all the low income housing his bankster cronies are financing the construction of all along the public transportation rails?

Next stop: Chicago! All aboard!

[RegulatorCountry]

No, sometimes it’s due to misbegotten trade policies that killed the primary employers in a given area. For instance, most of rural North Carolina. The most glaring example in my exposure is southside Virginia. Danville, Martinsville, South Boston, VA. Very pretty countryside, historic old cities, even grand in the instance of Danville. Lakes, mountains, recreation, motorsports heritage. Very desirable, but dying due to trade policy. Textiles, furniture, gone offshore.

[rochester_veteran]

A friend of mine’s wife is from Thailand and they travel back to there every year to visit her family. Their little girl is a sweetheart!

[RegulatorCountry]

I nominate the US 58 corridor from Martinsville, VA to Danville, VA. Historic, very pretty country, fertile, plenty of rain. Both are large enough to offer some amenities but not so large as to have much of the typical urban problems. They need a boost. Danville’s downtown and Millionaire’s Row are, as I mentioned, grand. Fading grandeur but it’s not too late.

[al baby]

Its all part of the new world order

[RegulatorCountry]

Here’s an extremely well-kept mid-century ranch, over 2800 sf on acreage with a vintage bomb shelter, needs a little updating but just minor aesthetic stuff, $168K:

https://www.trulia.com/property/3225370671-171-Beech-Ave-Danville-VA-24541

[RegulatorCountry]

In Martinsville, there’s a very nicely kept late 40’s brick Cape on 2 acres, over 3,000 sf, $159K

https://www.trulia.com/property/3256471010-1013-Oakwood-Ct-Martinsville-VA-24112

Properties like this abound up there. I’d probably look to be in the county rather than independent cities, though. Municipal taxes are always higher than county.

[ThanhPhero]

Việt Nam is Communist country, or rather the official organization is Communist. For people on the street there is more of what I call walking-around freedom than exists in the USA. We talk of the corruption that is ubiquitous in the small countries but we have it in America much worse but here it is called Code and Regulation. In Cam Đức a man can build a house on his piece of land without having to spend the price of a house getting government permits. There is no Building Code. if the typhoon blows your house down well, you should have built it better. In the course of building your house you will find it incumbent to cross a few palms with a few dồng and may spend one percent of the cost of building your house on petty bribes. That's much smaller portin of a much smaller cost because you only build what you want. The government does not require that you pay off a host of merchants for things you don't want and a host of government agents and offices for permissions.
- We have officially enacted and enforce bribery. We have to pay off government offices $30,000 before we can put a shovel in the ground. We pay inspection fees during the process of building the house. We have to spend more money for the sole purpose of satisfying the Code.
One is rather less likely to have to deal with a government office or official generally as one goes about in Việt Nam.

[mad puppy]

C. Rock is just far enough away. At least for now. And you’re right, that area is pop’n. Get away from I-25 and that is a pretty part of the world.