Wednesday, March 16, 2011
There’s an easy, fun way to find the perfect overseas destination…
Dear Reader,
My home base is Panama’s hip historic quarter, Casco Viejo. It’s a fun place to live, but it’s the kind of place you either love or you hate. And for that reason, it highlights the importance of trying before you buy.
The Casco’s mix of architectural styles (colonial, French, Art Deco) and historic attractions make it unique in Panama, a city of modern glass and steel towers. The attractive plazas…the bohemian arty edge…and a past of pirates, presidents, and Canal-builders… make the Casco appealing to flocks of tourists, retirees and those looking for a second home.
But the mix of renovated, stately buildings, alongside crumbling decaying wrecks, strewn with garbage and stray cats…the full-volume partying that can last until dawn…and the lack of strict zoning can make it tough for some to live here full-time.
Because of this, Casco Viejo represents just about every place you could choose to live overseas. There are advantages, and disadvantages…and the disadvantages are usually less-publicized.
I’ve met property owners here who bought without “trying on” the neighborhood, and regretted it. The Casco had all the benefits they expected, but it also had unexpected negatives—or it just didn’t feel right for them.
And the only way you’ll know if a place is right for you is to spend time there, and check it out for yourself.
An easy way to try out a location—and a property or two—is on a Pathfinder Chill Weekend.
These are short trips offered by developers and brokers we work with, at discounted rates (think three nights all-inclusive in a five-star resort for $180). Chill weekends are your chance to experience another culture…test drive your new lifestyle overseas…and really get a feel for a place, before you buy a property there.
You’ll see the best real estate options in the area…find out the answers to all your questions about buying a property overseas…and meet other expats who have already made the move.
You can relax in a hammock in the afternoon breeze…soak up the sun on tropical beaches…and enjoy a mini-vacation…while getting the important, first-hand information you need to make the right decision.
Arenal is a gorgeous landscape of lakes and mountains…a little secret corner of Costa Rica, with amazingly low property prices. You can find out just how far your real estate dollars will stretch here, and why this place is the Switzerland of Central America, on a chill weekend.
The Riviera Maya in Mexico is one of the top locations for investors these days, but what about second home buyers? Well, for only $180 you can spend four days in this place…and find out why so many investor buyers decide to spend more time in their new Riviera Maya home…
Whether you like Ecuador, Mexico, or Costa Rica—or other locations like the new retirement hot spot in Belize or the exotic coast of Nicaragua—you’ll find that there’s a chill weekend designed specifically to introduce you to your chosen area.
Chill weekends are most cost-effective way to know if an overseas location is right for you…and one of the most enjoyable ways to “test drive” your new home or investment abroad, without committing a lot of time or money. You can check out all of our upcoming chill weekends here.
Margaret Summerfield
You might also be interested in:
Chill Out in Costa Rica’s Lake Country
Posted Under:
costa rica, mexico, chill weekends
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