Warm,Low cost of living,No/Low taxes, inexpensive golf & water sports

[JohnnieRed]

Still waiting........

There is however one safety issue related to Australia. Some Texans want to invade it!!

Just after the Iraqi invasion, an Australian TV Company went to Texas to interview people “on the streets” to learn whether the average Texan thought the US should invade somewhere else and where that should be. Overwhelmingly, the replies were “Yes” and the place should be either Iran or North Korea.  (One guy included France, but he looked a bit of a nutcase). Unfortunately, only 1 in 10 of the respondents could actually locate Iran on an unmarked map of the World. No one could locate North Korea. One guy thought Australia was North Korea and expressed surprise when he saw how North Korea was much bigger than South Korea (which he mistook for New Zealand). It was interesting to note how many of the people interviewed were clearly unfamiliar with a map of the world.

So beware, you might be sunning yourself on Bondi Beach one afternoon when a sudden amphibious assault by the Texas Rangers finds you swept off to GITMO!!!! 

Cheers and have a good weekend one and all.

Honkie

Bondi beach is worth the risk!!!

 

[Peter]

It is not that difficult to emigrate to Australia / New Zealand to work, even more straightforward to emigrate there to retire.

Here are details on the Australian retirement visa:

http://www.migrationexpert.com/content/retirement_visa.asp

The thing that bothers me is that this visa only lasts 4 years. Yes, it's renewable for 2 year periods thereafter, but I would always feel a bit uneasy without some longer term assurance.

Peter

 

[AltaRed]

Here are details on the Australian retirement visa:

http://www.migrationexpert.com/content/retirement_visa.asp

The thing that bothers me is that this visa only lasts 4 years. Yes, it's renewable for 2 year periods thereafter, but I would always feel a bit uneasy without some longer term assurance.

Peter

Why should Aussie be any different than USA? I can get 3 yrs at a time in USA, with 2 year extensions each time for work visas. After that, I need to get annual Free Trade visas. As a Cdn snowbird, I can do 180 days a year without succumbing to US taxes.

 

[MJ]

Here are details on the Australian retirement visa:
http://www.migrationexpert.com/content/retirement_visa.asp
The thing that bothers me is that this visa only lasts 4 years. Yes, it's renewable for 2 year periods thereafter, but I would always feel a bit uneasy without some longer term assurance.

You think that's bad. Read some of the requirements of a Thai visa to retire there.

Purpose of visit To stay in Thailand for a retirement purpose.(Category “O-A”)
Validity of visa The validity of visa is 3 months.
Period of stay Travelers with this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a period up to 1 year.

1. Every 90 days, the alien must report to the Immigration office or the police station in the alien’s residence area.
2. At the end of the one-year stay, the alien who wishes to extend his/her stay must submit a request to the Immigration Bureau with the documented evidence of money transfer /or a deposit account in the Kingdom /or an income certificate at the amount of no less than 800,000 Baht /or an income certificate plus a deposit account at the total amount of no less than 800,000 Baht a year.

See the full requirements here

I'm not sure what you need to do after 1 year, besides depositing some money. Maybe Lance or Ben can elaborate.

MJ

 

[Honkie]

Bondi beach is worth the risk!!!

Yup, your right, the Texans would probably get clubbed senseless with surf boards before they could get out of the water!!!!

Here are details on the Australian retirement visa:

http://www.migrationexpert.com/content/retirement_visa.asp

The thing that bothers me is that this visa only lasts 4 years. Yes, it's renewable for 2 year periods thereafter, but I would always feel a bit uneasy without some longer term assurance.

Peter

I can't think of anywhere that gives emigrees "unlimited visa" status straight of the bat. The US doesn't.

Actually OZ is quite generous in giving 4 year visas which are then renewable. Provided you haven't strayed too far from the straight and narrow, there is no reason it shouldn't be extended. I have lived overseas in various places for over 10 years and I have NEVER had a visa with a duration longer than 2 years (and they were all previously contingent on staying with the sponsoring employer, meaning that if I changed employer I had to re-apply for a new visa..

Cheers

Honkie

 

[Brat]

One of the core values of US Visas is that the emmigre is law abiding and doesn't become a public ward. No different elsewhere.

 

[WRBT]

Cambodia. Plenty of Western expats (mostly Euros) that woudn't trade it for anything.

Great site here: http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia.htm

 

[preben]

The Aus retirement visa requires one to be 55 years of age. The Thai one only 50 years of age.
The Thai retirement visa is valid for 1 year if one applies at Thai embassy. The extensions are also for 1 year and for a single person all that is required is $20k in a Thai bank(you don't have to spend them - can be used for next renewal too). How much is needed in Aus?

The 90 reporting is a bit of a hassle - but can now be done by mail and hopefully soon online - so not such a big thing after all. Also; if you travel a lot it counts as a "reporting" when you fill out the arrival card so only need to report if more than 3 months in Thailand with no travel.

Cheers!

 

[ForeignExchange]

Ben wrote:

>>>The Thai retirement visa is valid for 1 year if one applies at Thai embassy. The extensions are also for 1 year and for a single person all that is required is $20k in a Thai bank(you don't have to spend them - can be used for next renewal too).<<<

You may not have to spend it all, but my understanding is you do have to show the authorities that you've been using it for expenses.

You can get a marriage visa for half the necessary deposit as a retirement visa in Thailand. I should know, I was lucky enough to marry a Thai nineteen years ago.

 

[JWV]

here's an interesting blog;

http://blogs.booklocker.com/travel/archives/000966.html

judy

 

[pattirose]

Hi everyone, I registered just so I could post this and hopefully it will benefit someone.

My best friend lives in Puerto Rico and is recently retired. She gets $300 and something a month from social security, she receives food stamps and is in public housing, she's applied for medicaid or medicare (I forget which) meanwhile she pays $150 a month for Bluecross.
She is very happy.
She is single, no kids and lives alone, she has no relatives there nor does she speak spanish or care to learn it, she has no retirement savings as she claims she never thought she'd live that long!

Anyway my point is if you haven't saved your pennies it is still possible to retire somewhere cheap and warm.

 

[SteveR]

Hi everyone, I registered just so I could post this and hopefully it will benefit someone.

My best friend lives in Puerto Rico and is recently retired. She gets $300 and something a month from social security, she receives food stamps and is in public housing, she's applied for medicaid or medicare (I forget which) meanwhile she pays $150 a month for Bluecross.
She is very happy.
She is single, no kids and lives alone, she has no relatives there nor does she speak spanish or care to learn it, she has no retirement savings as she claims she never thought she'd live that long!

Anyway my point is if you haven't saved your pennies it is still possible to retire somewhere cheap and warm.

Having lived in PR myself for a few years I would not call living there cheap by any means. About the only things that are less expensive than in the US would be local fruits and Rum. Virtually everything else has to be "imported" and that cost money. Also, many items also have a stiff import duty-like tax on them which increases the price even more. I would not want to try to retire there...public assistance or not.

 

[Chan]

The Aus retirement visa requires one to be 55 years of age. The Thai one only 50 years of age.
The Thai retirement visa is valid for 1 year if one applies at Thai embassy. The extensions are also for 1 year and for a single person all that is required is $20k in a Thai bank(you don't have to spend them - can be used for next renewal too). How much is needed in Aus?

The 90 reporting is a bit of a hassle - but can now be done by mail and hopefully soon online - so not such a big thing after all. Also; if you travel a lot it counts as a "reporting" when you fill out the arrival card so only need to report if more than 3 months in Thailand with no travel.

Cheers!

 

[Chan]

The Aus retirement visa requires one to be 55 years of age. The Thai one only 50 years of age.
The Thai retirement visa is valid for 1 year if one applies at Thai embassy. The extensions are also for 1 year and for a single person all that is required is $20k in a Thai bank(you don't have to spend them - can be used for next renewal too). How much is needed in Aus?

The 90 reporting is a bit of a hassle - but can now be done by mail and hopefully soon online - so not such a big thing after all. Also; if you travel a lot it counts as a "reporting" when you fill out the arrival card so only need to report if more than 3 months in Thailand with no travel.

Cheers!

Why bother about the visa? Me and my half are both early 40's, therefore impossible to wait over 10 yrs. As long as you don't mind to go somewhere(outside Australia) for holiday every 3 months, it's no problem for everyone to get an online tourist visa which is valid for 10 yrs. It also minimise the tax problem: No tax for overseas residents in Australia.

 

[Slarty]

I have a couple locations on my current radar. Anyone have comments or experience with any of these?

1) Ecuador - Seems cheaper than Nicaragua now and more interesting place because of the mountains as well as beaches.
2) New Zealand - Feels like paradise when I'm there. Lots of diverse things to do. Stable. Can be cheap, but real estate has gone up recently. Exchange rate with the US is too high right now, but could be a great move in 2 years or so. Long expensive flight and importing my pets would be a big problem.
3) Colorado - The front range is wonderful. I can ski on Saturday in the mountains and play golf on Sunday. The warm temps and lack of snow on the front range seems to be unknown to most people. Sun everyday.
4) New Hampshire - I heard taxes were low and it could be cheap to live there with good access to interesting stuff all around New England.
5) Northern Italy - a little out of the way of tourist areas. Real estate can be really cheap. Food quality can be excellent. Good access to interesting places in Europe and trains to incredible cities nearby in Italy.

Anybody have two places to live while FIREd? Maybe rent one out 6 months of the year? Too many good options. :

 

[bpp]

Aren't permanent residence permits available in any of the countries discussed here? (Besides the US.) Not right off the bat, but as an eventual possibility, at least?

Bpp

 

[Howard]

The eventual problem is Health Care, after a certain age companies will not insure you or will only insure for short periods,a nd premiums can be excessive.

New Zealand is quaint oi visit, but after awhile it can be boring.

Australia, more people die of Croc attacks than sharks, more poisonous snakes than anywhere else in the world, spiders that attack and can kill you, plus you are isolated from the rest of the world, and also has highest incidence of skin cancer in the world.

Real Estate has gone crazy.

Spain and Portugal offer low cost living, great scenery, history and architecture galore, major drawback too many Brits and Germans.

 

[kat]

I hate the idea of golf, so haven't tried it, but..... here's my take on the other part...... Live in UPSTATE New York and rent a place down South for as long as you want to be away in the winter. NY doesn't mess with retirement savings. My property taxes are about $2800 now and were about $2500 thirteen years ago.

 

[MJ]

I hate the idea of golf, so haven't tried it, but..... here's my take on the other part...... Live in UPSTATE New York and rent a place down South for as long as you want to be away in the winter. NY doesn't mess with retirement savings. My property taxes are about $2800 now and were about $2500 thirteen years ago.

I had a summer house in the Catskills not far from Delaware county. I would close the house for 4 months during the winter. In the 1st few year, I got burglarized several times so, I was always concerned about buglaries and kept only inexpense furnishings. My house was on quiet country road with no houses nearby so the luxury of isolation was also a liability. Not the best way of enjoying a vacation home.

What part of NY is your house and do you live in town with close by neighbors.

MJ

 

[kat]

I'm in a lovely residential area of one of the Eastern upstate cities. I grew up in suburbia and won't ever stop appreciating how nearly everything in the city is an easy walk from home, on a sidewalk.....

I know what you mean about vacation home burglaries.... I worked as an ADA for a few years and one of my duties was handling the justice court in Renssalaerville......you know, more cows than people.... Burglary was a big problem in the isolated areas, where it was well known people were away....

From what I hear from senior NYers, renting for a few months in the South in the winter is a good option, but I'll probably never do it.

 

[bearkeley]

Not sure if anyone else has researched the Philippines or not...

My parents retired there and are living on $1k a month -- house, food, car, entertainment and 5 maids! It's definitely warm and with the low low cost of living, they are able to get a local insurance plan with a catastrophic plan in the US.

We're planning on looking into it as a possible ER destination....some security issues in certain places, not to mention the over population thing...but the beaches are supposed to be beautiful!

Suprised to see that no one's mentioned Costa Rica --- visited there recently and is definitely on our list....

 

[Slarty]

I live in Upstate New York in the Suburbs of Buffalo. It's the worst place for taxes that I have ever lived. Property taxes are over 3%! Sales tax is now 8.75%! I can't imagine why anyone would live here in retirement. Maybe the taxes are better in other parts of New York.

 

[73ss454]

I live in Upstate New York in the Suburbs of Buffalo.  It's the worst place for taxes that I have ever lived.  Property taxes are over 3%!  Sales tax is now 8.75%!     I can't imagine why anyone would live here in retirement.  Maybe the taxes are better in other parts of New York.

Don't consider Nassau County Long Island, the taxes here could melt your credit cards.

 

[Jarhead*]

I live in Upstate New York in the Suburbs of Buffalo.  It's the worst place for taxes that I have ever lived.  Property taxes are over 3%!  Sales tax is now 8.75%!     I can't imagine why anyone would live here in retirement.  Maybe the taxes are better in other parts of New York.

Slarty: My wife grew up in that area of New York. (Years ago).

Curious about your property tax.

You mention it is 3%. Is that 3% of the market value?

ie: $600,000 value home, taxes $18,000.?

Jarhead, who agrees with ReWahoo, that Texas is the best college football team in the country.

 

[kat]

I live in Upstate New York in the Suburbs of Buffalo. It's the worst place for taxes that I have ever lived. Property taxes are over 3%! Sales tax is now 8.75%! I can't imagine why anyone would live here in retirement. Maybe the taxes are better in other parts of New York.

Local property taxes vary a great deal around the state, depending on the tax base and other sources of revenue.

When she owned her house, my aunt owed ZERO in school taxes because of NY's STAR program. Can't get much better than that.