ER overseas

[wildcat]

I have been noticing quite a few posts lately about spending time overseas in retirement. Could some people post their observations, tips or experiences? Sounds significantly cheaper to spend a few retirements years overseas but what do you do about a home base?

 

[GTM]

I have been noticing quite a few posts lately about spending time overseas in retirement.  Could some people post their observations, tips or experiences?  Sounds significantly cheaper to spend a few retirements years overseas but what do you do about a home base?   

I think living overseas a while would be adventurous and fun, I hope to do it someday.

As a home base there are mail forwarding services that give you a street address to receive you mail at and they have couriers that deliver it to their office in the country you are living in. Cost about $25 a month. You can use a prepaid cell phone as US telephone # and call in from a land line phone for your voice mails. Also can get a # over the internet.
Banking can be done online.
Stuff can be keep in storage.

What else do you feel you need a home base for?

 

[Mr._johngalt]

What else do you feel you need a home base for?

I have to have a "home base". An absolute must. It may be an
"age thing".

JG

 

[Nords]

... but what do you do about a home base?   

I think Vicki Terhorst used to say that she only needed her coffee cup to feel at home.

But now they're building a home of their own. So even PT seems to eventually revert to a nesting instinct.

 

[wildcat]

For some people, myself included, it would be tough to adjust to a nomadic lifestyle for a long period of time. Some times you wanna go where everybody knows your name...da...da...da and they are always glad you came...Cheers song

 

[Beachbumz]

I have been noticing quite a few posts lately about spending time overseas in retirement.  Could some people post their observations, tips or experiences?  Sounds significantly cheaper to spend a few retirements years overseas but what do you do about a home base?   

You can rent an apartment in the US if you MUST. I was looking at an apartment finder for Dayton Beach, FL and you can get a one bedroom for around $400 to $500 per month, if you get a few minutes away from the beach.

We are thinking about spending six months a year abroad and six months here. Our thoughts are to either rent the apartment, buy a RV (travel while in US) or purchase an inexpensive condo.

Beachbumz 8)

 

[wildcat]

I think it could be a good way to start retirement but not end it. Sell the big house you don't need anymore (collect cap gain) and keep spending low the first few years by living overseas for a little while. Might be a good idea for some people that don't have as much but want out of a job.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

You can rent an apartment in the US if you MUST. I was looking at an apartment finder for Dayton Beach, FL and you can get a one bedroom for around $400 to $500 per month, if you get a few minutes away from the beach.

We are thinking about spending six months a year abroad and six months here. Our thoughts are to either rent the apartment, buy a RV (travel while in US) or purchase an inexpensive condo.

Beachbumz 8)

I am still vascillating about this one. Where the base should be is the big question, also what do you do with it when you leave for a few months?

I am currently looking in the Jacksonville St. Augustine Area. No definates though.

SWR

 

[GTM]

I am still vascillating about this one. Where the base should be is the big question, also what do you do with it when you leave for a few months?

I am currently looking in the Jacksonville St. Augustine Area. No definates though.

SWR

I would not add the expensive of keeping an apartment when there are other options including using the address of friends or family.

One of the ideas is to keep costs down.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I would not add the expensive of keeping an apartment when there are other options including using the address of friends or family.

One of the ideas is to keep costs down.

We actually use a FL mail service, they are great! They sort mail, remove junk, ship anywhere. We started using them when we were cruising, and kept them when we became landlubbers again. Still we do need some kind of base. Again, on the perpetual search where. Hate RVs so that is out. Boating can get tedious after a while, even in the Caribbean.

Oh well.

 

[GTM]

We actually use a FL mail service, they are great! They sort mail, remove junk, ship anywhere.

Oh well.

ShokWave may I ask what mail service you found to be very reliable.

 

[Beachbumz]

I am still vascillating about this one. Where the base should be is the big question, also what do you do with it when you leave for a few months?

I am currently looking in the Jacksonville St. Augustine Area. No definates though.

SWR

As far as where, I think St. Augustine is great, we have friends there and they love the place. We do too, but it's too far north for us!  .

As far as what to do with it, that's a good question. That's why I like the condo or apt. Atleast they will take care of the grounds and exterior stuff. There will also be plenty of people around, which might be good from a security standpoint. The RV thing sounds pretty good to me too. We can live in it and travel the country when here and store it at a friends house while we are gone.

Our approach this year worked pretty good, but not everyone could do it. We rented our beach condo out for 3 months and used the time (and money) to travel. The tenant (a referral) lets us store our personal stuff in a closet, agreed to take care of any problems (we would pay for any repairs of course) and paid us in full in advance. Hopefully, we can do that again next year.

Beachbumz  8)

 

[fire5soon]

I am still vascillating about this one. Where the base should be is the big question, also what do you do with it when you leave for a few months?

I am currently looking in the Jacksonville St. Augustine Area. No definates though.

SWR

I'm not sure you'd want to live in a $400-$500/mth apartment in Jax. You might be able to get away with that in St. Augustine or maybe a smaller place like Keystone or Middleburg.

 

[Beachbumz]

I'm not sure you'd want to live in a $400-$500/mth apartment in Jax.  You might be able to get away with that in St. Augustine or maybe a smaller place like Keystone or Middleburg.

I don't know about apt prices up their, I only saw a Daytona Beach apt finder, but from what I've seen, St. Augustine will probably be higher than Jacksonville.

Beachbumz 8)

 

[ShokWaveRider]

ShokWave may I ask what mail service you found to be very reliable.

http://www.boatmail.net/

Email Doug.

SWR

 

[GTM]

http://www.boatmail.net/

Email Doug.

SWR

Thanks SWR

 

[haha]

I don't know about apt prices up their, I only saw a Daytona Beach apt finder, but from what I've seen, St. Augustine will probably be higher than Jacksonville.Beachbumz  8)

I believe what he meant is that you may not be real happy with the socioeconomics of a $400 apt in Jack. Can you say PROJECT?

Mikey

 

[fire5soon]

I believe what he meant is that you may not be real happy with the socioeconomics of a $400 apt in Jack. Can you say PROJECT?

Mikey

Exactly what I was getting at.  Anything less than $600, and really anything less than $700, will not be on the efficient frontier of comfort...  8)

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I understood the nuance of the $400 apt. rent post.
It reminded me of yet another ER error I made.

After I went back to work in Dallas with "fat' expense allowance,
I ended up paying $1750 a month (in my defense, I did have
2 kids still living with us). The point is, over the 2 years I did this
we could have been quite comfy in, oh say a $1000 a month place.
$750 X 24 months = $18,000 in rent receipts. At least I didn't join
the country club

JG

 

[dougdo]

I keep going back and forth on ER overseas; I'm not a fan of Vancouver winter and I love the culture of Latin America but spending all year down there seems to be a big leap. So I've spent 4-6 months each of the last two years in Costa Rica and Guatamela -- but that has it's own pitfalls too, hard to feel really connected to either of your communities with two homebases.

It's certainly an interesting way to find out how it would feel to ER overseas. Going down and renting a house for 4 months is a very different experience than traveling for 4 months. Probably I'll end up spending more and more time somewhere and less and less somewhere else and that will really determine where home is.

Here's an article a friend wrote on the topic of ER in Costa Rica: Living in Paradise

 

[haha]

It's certainly an interesting way to find out how it would feel to ER overseas. Going down and renting a house for 4 months is a very different experience than traveling for 4 months.  Probably I'll end up spending more and more time somewhere and less and less somewhere else and that will really determine where home is.

Hi DougDo!

This is intersting, I would like to hear more about your experiences down there. I spent some time in Costa Rica some years ago and enjoyed it. But I wasn't alone and there seemed to be lots of gringos especially in San Jose but also out in the countryside, so it was pretty easy to have companions.

When you go to Guatamala, is that what you do? Rent a place for 3 or 4 months? In Antigua, or out in the boonies?
What does something like that cost you? Is it farly easy to find social connections, even with no work associates to depend on?

Mikey

 

[dougdo]

Guatemala 2003-2004 a friend and I rented the top floor of a house in Antigua: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, our own kitchen and big rooftop deck and hammocks. All for $100US/month each!  Of course, there's much cheaper in Guatemala but this was a good deal for what it was.

I was doing the language school thing off and on for most of the time there so that was my main way of making connections. But if I actually lived there for more than a few months I'm not sure what it would be like since I got the impression that most people were just passing through. If I went back and spent the whole winter there or longer I think I'd go to San Marcos in Lago Atitlan. Amazing place--full of counter culture types offering massages, yoga, meditation, etc. And very cheap too. Here's a link to my Guatemala page if you want to read more and see pics: Travel Blogs Guatemala. 

And here's one of my fave pics of Lago Atitlan:

Costa Rica had a lot more expats and also a lot more educated locals so I feel like it's easier to make connections there. I hung out with Ticos (Costa Ricans) and foreigners in equal numbers there but found I had trouble connecting with Guatemalans in Guatemala on a social level. Of course prices are higher in Costa Rica.  I rented a 2 bedroom/2 bath house in the jungle in Costa Rica this winter for $550/month. Of course, it was the whole house plus a 1/4 acre so not really comparable to the Antigua one.

Doug.

 

[GTM]

Doug, any experience with Panama?

I have heard from many sources that Panama is the best retirement location for a number of reasons.

 

[haha]

Thanks Doug. I'll look at your Guatamala blog. I read some of the Costa Rica blog that I think linked off your friend's article.

Nice writing.

Mikey

 

[ESRBob]

Doug,
my old boss is ER'd in Antigua Guatemala and loves it. Here is a link to their place if you are ever there and want to stop by. They are right near the train station. Have restored a guest house and rent mostly to aid workers and people coming to Guatemala to adopt babies.

http://www.cernikovsky.com/