Expatriates Retiring Single Women and Men Overseas.

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:22:00 +0000

Experiment With A Test Move To Learn About Living Overseas

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:32:00 +0000

Experiment With A Test Move To Learn About Living Overseas

Feedzilla: Travel News

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:26:00 +0000

Feedzilla: Travel News

Expatriate Insurance News: Britons 'most likely' to relocate

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Expatriate Insurance News: Britons 'most likely' to relocate

How the World Works Lately

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:52:00 +0000

*How the world works lately...*
If a man cuts his finger off while slicing salami at work,
*He blames the restaurant*.
If you smoke three packs a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer,
*Your family blames the Tobacco company*.
If your neighbour crashes into a tree while
driving home drunk,
*He blames the bartender*.
If your grandchildren are brats without manners,
*You blame television*.
If your friend is shot by a deranged madman,
*You blame the gun manufacturer*.
And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and
tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the passengers kill him instead,
*The mother of the crazed deceased blames the airline*.
I must have lived too long to understand the world as it is anymore.
So, if I die while my *OLD WRINKLED ASS* is parked in front of this
computer, *I want all of you to blame Bill Gates.*

Where us like-minded wanting to travel, invest, retire overseas meet.

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:04:00 +0000

The Financial Guide to Retiring Abroad

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:37:00 +0000

The Financial Guide to Retiring Abroad

December 12, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:23:00 +0000

December 12, 2010

Walking and Eating

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:22:00 +0000

Walking and Eating

Scuba diving city - The Undiscovered Beauty of Panama

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Scuba diving city - The Undiscovered Beauty of Panama

Wine,Women & Song

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Wine,Women & Song

Kingdom of Tonga - South Pacific

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Kingdom of Tonga - South Pacific

Unexpected serenade & a new bike

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:58:00 +0000

Unexpected serenade & a new bike

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:16:00 +0000

Unexpected serenade & a new bike

Overseas Living - Free Blog

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Overseas Living - Free Blog

ABOUT PANAMA

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:11:00 +0000

ABOUT PANAMA

StartNaked

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:35:00 +0000

"Handcrafted Gifts | Eco friendly Tote Bags | Handmade Baskets | Bags Eco | Fair Trade Gifts"

Single Boomers, Living Overseas, Expatriates, Travel, Adventure, Investing Overseas Real Estate

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:00:00 +0000

Retired and Single? – You are not alone

Mention adventure travel and thoughts usually turn to the under 25´s embarking on some crazy potentially life shortening activity in extreme conditions. But hey, the over 40´s can get adventurous too and what`s more, they have the time and the money to pursue their heart’s desires. What they very often don’t have is someone to share the experience with.

Ok, so you are not seeking a wild adventure but you have worked hard all your life and now have some funds to invest but not enough to indulge in that log cabin on a paradise island. Maybe, just maybe someone else shares your fantasy and can match your investment. What if you got together as business partners, you each use the log cabin for your vacation hideout for part of the year and then rented it out for the remainder? What if your business partner turned out to be “the one” you know, that special person you think you could share your life with in the romantic sense? It could happen!

Whether you want a relationship that will culminate in romantic nights under the stars, or you are seeking a financial partnership that will allow both parties to explore further or invest deeper there is a place you can go to find your likeminded partner.

Thanks to the determined efforts of Celia to overcome obstacles, set-backs and frustrations - RetiringSingles.com is the result of three years passionate nurturing of this fantastic concept designed with you in mind.

Uniting likeminded single retirees, retiringsingles.com and RetiringSinglesOverseas.com is a perfect combination between a dating website and a travel site where retired single people can join up for free, post their profile and their pictures, discuss where in the world they want to visit, live, retire, explore or invest, and meet up with others who share their dreams and ideas.

If you are retired and want to see the world, get more out of life and share your experiences with a friend, a partner or a lover, RetiringSingles.com is the first destination for you as you begin your adventure!

Join now, for free, take the first step and start the journey.

The Christmas Hat - An expat Christmas in Punta del Este, Uruguay

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:54:00 +0000

Monday, December 21, 2009
By David Hammond

It is a little after 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and I am getting a chivito at Chiviterio Marcos. (A chivito is a popular Uruguayan sandwich.) Tonight at two a.m. the place will be full, but since it so early the only other people here are a family from California, with their two young children. (Uruguayans dine late.) The workers at Chiviteria Marcos have just finished prepping, when an elderly man comes in from the street selling Christmas hats.

The hats are made of red felt with a fury white band – like Santa’s hat, only smaller. I am surprised to see the young men who work at Chiviterio Marcos so interested in the hats. They all buy one. Shortly after, as I finish my chivito, the formerly very quiet chivito makers all come out in front wearing their personality transforming Christmas hats to wish me a warm and hearty Feliz Navidad.

The Christmas hats must have come on a truck, because within half an hour they are in wide circulation. A car full of young surfers, donned in beach trunks and Christmas hats position themselves on the side of the road (where everyone will soon be passing on the way to the seawall to watch the sunset) to wave at traffic.

At a little before 9 p.m. people gather at the seawall, where more Christmas hats are seen. A few hours after sunset, it is midnight and fireworks are going off from several beaches, as well as flares from some of the yachts anchored in the harbor. At 12:40 the fireworks are dying down and people take to the street to get something to eat and start a night of Christmas celebration. One young woman walking with a group of friends (who is wearing a Christmas hat) holds her arms over her head and yells, Feliz Navidad – WOOOOOO!

After dinner, friends start text messaging to wish each other a Merry Christmas and to plan out the night. At the same time many families spend Christmas Eve at home with loved ones, with wrapped presents and a few simple decorations. For traditional Uruguayans, the love of family is the center of their identity and culture.

It is a little before 11 a.m. on Christmas day and the first wave is coming out for breakfast – the two restaurants closest to my apartment are playing the Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith at a celebrative volume. I have not heard any Christmas music, and none of the businesses on the main street have Christmas decorations.

What I have learned this year is that even though I am separated from friends and family; and there are no presents, no decorations, and no Christmas music, I can carry the spirit of Christmas within myself as long as I have the love of Christ and a Christmas hat.

David Hammond is the author of Buying Real Estate in Uruguay – an ebook you can purchase and download now.

For more information on reale estate in Uruguay visit www.ParadiseUruguay.com

Real Estate Foreclosures in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Real Estate Foreclosures in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Purchase Properties Overseas

You´ll never find a better time to invest in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; besides, where else can you live in a climate better than Hawaii, 2-4 hours from home, all the amenities of home, more activities than at home, and at a fraction of the price?

Foreclosure, by definition, is the legal procedure for satisfying claims against a mortgagor in default who has not redeemed the mortgage; satisfaction may be obtained from the proceeds of a forced sale of the property.

There are many reasons why mortgagors may fall into default but historically it happens when the mortgagor loses his job, loses his health, or for some other reason is unable to make his mortgage payments in a timely manner.

Today, the majority of reasons for default are totally different. Many recent mortgagors were able to obtain loans with little or no credit history and little or nothing as a down payment. They received adjustable rate mortgages and if they were ever able to afford their monthly payments, they were no longer able as soon as the interest rate increased and consequently the mortgagee was forced to foreclose on the buyer. As the foreclosure rate in a given region started to increase, so did the availability of distressed property sales. Of course, an increased volume of distressed properties in the neighborhood resulted in a rapid depreciation of the neighboring properties. With the value of a given property well below its mortgage payoff balance, many mortgagors merely elect to abandon their property and walk away from their mortgage; thus the mortgagee is forced to foreclose on these borrowers as well.

This vicious circle of foreclosure events is currently occurring at an unprecedented rate in the US. Headlines such as "US Foreclosures Up 24 Percent in 1st Quarter "," US Banks Step Up Home Foreclosures "," Las Vegas Tops Foreclosure List", "Sun Belt States Lead Q1 U.S. Mortgage Foreclosures" and "Foreclosures May Hit 1.5 Million in U.S. Housing Bust" are seen in the news on a daily basis.

Okay, know that we fully understand the cause for and frequency of the recent foreclosures and knowing it's a buyer's market, perhaps, if you still have a little money left over after the recent stock market sell off, you might be considering shopping for a foreclosed property at a distressed sale price in a resort such as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. If so, you might as well forget it; you'll not see a foreclosure sign in Mexico!

The following is taken verbatim from Condo.com, one of the major websites dealing in worldwide condo sales:

Mexico Foreclosures – Condo.com is the best way to find free foreclosures listings in Mexico. Find foreclosed condos, foreclosed condos, foreclosure properties and other foreclosure investment opportunities in Mexico. Search bank foreclosures, REO properties, preforeclosures, HUD homes and more foreclosures in Mexico.
Sorry! There are no search results found. No For-Sale listings available

Well, that pretty well sums up your opportunities to "steal" a nice condo in PV! There are numerous reasons why foreclosures are essentially nonexistent in Vallarta however the primary reason is that up until just recently, all purchases were done strictly on a cash basis. Mortgages are now available in Mexico but only with a substantial down payment. With a solid credit history and income stream, one might be able to purchase a property in Mexico with only 20% down, however most of the mortgages are with down payments approaching 50%. As you can imagine, it takes an awfully good reason to walk away from a property when you have that kind of investment in it! Consequently, with 98% of the properties owned outright and the remaining 2% with well funded mortgages, there are virtually no foreclosures in Paradise!

Because there are no foreclosures, there has been no significant depreciation of values in Puerto Vallarta. That's not to say that there's not been a leveling off in prices or that the developers are not more inclined to "negotiate" today than they were a year ago. To the contrary, prices on newly constructed condos have never been better than they are today and bargains can be found throughout the city. This is to some degree due to over building during the past ten year boom period and partly due to the reduction in prices of steel and other construction materials as well as the decrease in construction labor rates as the Peso recently devalued by 30% relative to the US Dollar.

For the reasons regarding foreclosures outlined above, you should never see your investment value plummet in Vallarta as it has in many desirable locations throughout the US. Because the North Americans have been recently hit so hard financially combined with the fact that the local developers have overbuilt, Puerto Vallarta is a true buyer's market. There are 1,000´s of new condos currently on the market in PV and with interest rates at an all time low, the time to buy will never be better.

Any North Americans still holding cash will never find a better time or place to invest it; besides, where else can you live in a climate better than Hawaii, 2-4 hours from home, all the amenities of home, as many or more activities than at home, and at a fraction of the price? So, why wait; come on down and explore the possibilities; just don't look for any foreclosure signs!

Jim Scherrer has owned property in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for 26 years and resided there for the past twelve years. The mission of his series of more than 70 articles pertaining to retirement in Puerto Vallarta is to reveal the recent changes that have occurred in Vallarta while dispelling the misconceptions about living conditions in Mexico. For the full series of articles regarding travel to and retirement in Vallarta as well as pertinent Puerto Vallarta links, please visit us at http://www.pvreba.com/.

Expat Exchange - Christmas in Belize -- 'Tis the Season - Belize, Belize Expat, Living in Belize, Moving to Belize

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Expat Exchange - Christmas in Belize -- 'Tis the Season - Belize, Belize Expat, Living in Belize, Moving to Belize

Posted using ShareThis

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Single Boomers CLICK HERE

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Single Expatriate Boomers Unite in our Global Village.

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:15:00 +0000

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Gap Year in Italy - An Unforgettable Experience

Do you feel fed up with your daily routine? Then you should try a new exciting experience abroad.

Every year, many students from all over the world decide to have a different experience and learn a foreign language in a foreign country, and more and more young people choose Italy as their favorite destination.

Italy in fact, offers a wide range of environments, landscapes, cities where to live for a long term period, for studying the language, for working or just for knowing our wonderful country and culture, rich of traditions and ancient habits and customs.

In Italy it is possible to find cosmopolitan and internationally renowned cities like Milan or Rome, or smaller but rich of art and culture towns like Florence or Siena. It is easy to make new friends and know people of different nationalities who want to share such a magnificent experience with other students. It is an occasion which young students have to try at least once in their life.

That's the reason why so many students come to Italy and choose the Italian language school for foreigners Leonardo da Vinci to spend an Academic School Year in Italy (http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/gap-year-in-italy.php) and learn Italian language.

The Academic School Year or Gap Year course in fact is intended for beginner and elementary students and lasts for 32 weeks, leading to the internationally-recognized AIL (Accademia Italiana di Lingua) diplomas (DILI-Intermediate and DALI-Advanced).

By attending this course, students will gradually learn Italian language, but they will also discover and deepen every aspect of Italian culture, from art and culture, to economy and fashion.

The course is divided essentially in two parts: the first part of the program is concentrated on Italian language preparation and grammar, where students will attend 480 Italian standard course lessons taught in Italian from the very start and 80 lessons to prepare them for the AIL diplomas, whereas the second one is focused on art, history, civilization, business and fashion subjects.

At the end of the course, we will ask you to write a final essay on a topic of your own choosing related to Italian culture (art, history or business), with the help of our school library and of a personal tutor (10 lessons).

We remind all the students that the Italian language schools for foreign students Leonardo da Vinci are located in the most beautiful and charming cities in Italy: Rome, Milan, Florence and Siena and students will have the chance to attend the Academic School Year courses in all the school locations.

Next starting dates (http://www.scuolaleonardo.com/Italian-language-dates-newyear.html#AcademicYearItaly ...) for the Academic School Year Course are:

- From 4th January 2010 to 13th August 2010;

- From 3rd May 2010 to 10th December 2010;

- From 20th September 2010 to 13th May 2011.

Kissing the Property Frog

noreply@blogger.com (likeminded single boomers expatriates abroad overseas) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Kissing the Property Frog

Condo for Sale

Ah yes, the “Real Estate Agent” … profession of default for the mildly educated expatriate … second only to “English Teacher”.
Where I live on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand, there are well over 300 Property agents and agencies hanging their shingle as purveyors of land, house and all other manner of abode. From corporate conglomerates like Colliers and CB Richard Ellis to humble little shop-house operations like “Location, Location, Location Property Partners”; everyone wants a piece of the real estate pie.

This past week I had the formidable task of sorting this list down to a manageable target and visiting those I thought were most capable of renting or selling my condo near Jomtien Beach. The agent who sold me the unit is the best candidate as his firm also built and now manages the low-rise luxury building. Naturally I listed with him. But, in Thailand there are no rules or even a clearly defined etiquette regarding property listing or sale. So, I decided to go on a road show, listing with as many agents as possible.
Lucky for me, my sales agent gave me a short list of companies that met 3 criteria; 1) they were familiar with the building 2) they were familiar with Jomtien Beach and 3) they advertise a lot.
My first visit was to Alan Bolton Property Consultants, a big slick agency that inhabits a huge chunk of ground-floor shopping mall space in the center of town. I saw at least 6 foreign agents and a handful of Thai helpers busily moving about, clicking computer keys and carrying on animated phone calls. The agent who helped me was a young Irish guy with spiked hair and a ridiculously thick accent. He efficiently loaded my pictures and information from my thumb-drive, had me sign the commission agreement, and I was out of there in 15 minutes.
There was no offer to visit the property. My listing would be added immediately to the website. Since the condo photographed well, my listing would be included in the next double page space ad in various local property publications. This was quite obviously a media-lead driven organization. I left wondering how they wrangled all those foreign work permits.
The next stop was what I thought was a mega-shop called Fair Properties. This company advertises heavily and takes up a big corner on a main road between Pattaya and Jomtien Beach. It’s the kind of building people reference as a landmark when giving directions. The giant storefront windows are plastered with dozens of property listings facing out for passersby to ogle; an oversized blue-and-white sign hanging over the road.
Inside the place looked like an empty airplane hangar. In the corner sat one pitiful desk with a young Thai girl slumped over her keyboard eating fried rice and playing video games. After we settled on a language somewhere between Thai and English, she accepted my thumb-drive and jammed it into her computer. Within 3 keyboard strokes she erased all the files on my thumb-drive and staring at me blankly proclaimed, “mot lao”. Roughly translated this means, “finished already”. In other words, she was telling me nothing was on my storage device. She went back to attending her rice and Pokemon game.
Stunned and amazed, I stumbled a few doors down to another well publicized local agent, Seaboard Properties. The place reminded me of one of those “Ice Bars” that are so popular now. Everything was stainless and hospital white. The air conditioner turned down to “glacier”, the 4-girl staff had to wear a few layers of clothing to keep their teeth from chattering.
Three of the agents were clones of each other; manicured, coifed and immaculately dressed in little “Jackie-O” outfits. The fourth agent, and obviously the boss, was an older Asian lady from somewhere other than Thailand. She checked my thumb-drive and confirmed that the information had been erased. “Sometimes they just keep pushing the buttons” she said, apologizing for her “competitor” a few doors down.
Miss Ja, the English speaking clone, helped me fill out an information form while one of the other clones served me a really nice cappuccino. When I left Miss Ja gave me a card with a reference ID number on it. She told me to e-mail the information and my listing would be up in 24 hours. An appointment was made to visit the condo the next day.
During the next week I would visit 7 other property agents. Every experience as varied as the first three. I stayed away from big multi-nationals like CB Richard Ellis as they tend to represent cadres of big developers and really have no interest in selling or renting my one unit for a measly 5% commission. I also avoided the really small mom and pop operators as they tend to be “buyer’s agents” interested more in bargaining than transaction.
Two weeks on, I am reviewing the efficacy of my effort as well as the agents.
Of the eleven agencies I listed with, 6 had me on their website within 48 hours. All 6 featured my listing as “new” or “hot” or some other promotional heading. 3 placed my condo in space advertising in one or more local property and investment publications. 2 visited the property before showing it (counting the agent who sold it to me).
To date the property has been seen by 8 prospective buyers. All were with the 2 agents who had actually seen the property before showing it. It doesn’t take long to separate professional realtors from “list it and they will come” property mills.
But, if the truth be told, I wouldn’t really appreciate the 2 outstanding agents if I hadn’t been exposed to the 9 others. Kissing the property frog … it’s a matter of research really.
About the Author: Bart Walters is a retired advertising executive from Orlando, Florida. He is now a part-time real estate developer celebrating his 10th year in Thailand. Bart lived several years in Bangkok, spent 3 years on the island of Phuket and now resides in Ban Amphur on Thailand’s eastern seaboard.
To view the condo he has for sale go to either http://www.towncountryproperty.com/condos/jomtien-condo/15401.html or http://www.seaboard-properties.com/?page=property&id=1439