Best Places To Live And Retire

Ever wondered where those beautiful Latinas and handsome Latinos are coming from? Central and South America is also called Latin America for reasons that most if not all countries there speaks Spanish and were once colonized by a European country – Spain or Portugal. Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in the Latin America having more than 100 years of political stability.  And this is one of the reasons why tourist, foreigners and vacationers prefer visiting this 51,100 km² Central American country. 

Is that the only reason why these people come to Costa Rica? Of course not, some people would say that Costa Rica has been blessed with varied landscapes and mild climate, making it the perfect destination for a vacation getaway. Sometimes these short trips and vacations would make vacationers and tourist consider the notion of settling in a Central American country, especially if that country is Costa Rica. 

Costa Rican culture is a reflection of its racial diversity, predominantly, it is the European culture.  One important aspect of Costa Rican legacy is their love for peace and democracy. They take pride in their long standing democracy and the absence of the military.  

You won't only have beautiful sights of nature at the tips of your hands but you can also be assured of a country's stable economic growth, friendly people and stable government without any treats of unrest, revolutions or class struggles for Costa Rica has no enemies from outside nor from the inside. Cost of living here is also considered lower than its counter part countries, aside from low cost health care systems. What the country save from military expenses are put into the improvement of the people's standard of living. 

Costa Rican constitution also guarantees that every person, citizen or not has a right to own land and property in their country. This opportunity is given to those that decide to improve the quality of their lives, usually by getting back to nature and spending their time doing the things they love. Properties in Costa Rica are surveyed and registered in their national registry. They show its physical descriptions and chain of title, allowing prospective buyers to ascertain the property type and its owner. Buyers are then fully aware of what they are buying and can even purchase title insurance from a US title insurance company for further security. 

Apart from that, foreign retirees generating only US$600 monthly income or pension can also apply for its residency programs. The Costa Rican government has also reduced taxes on some cars and other imported goods, making them affordable for most natives as well as foreign residents.  

Majority of immigrants to Costa Rica are enjoying the same benefits they do at home, such as access to Social Security, checking accounts and credit card service from bank, labor relations.  

Even new residents can already purchase telephone lines as well personal and business property and real estate properties. 

CNN has cited a study by International Living, and surprise - Ecuador is considered as the second top choice as best country in the world for retirement.. but I say, why wait that long before going there? 

Ecuador has long since been awakened from its incognito status and being off the global scene. Yearly, more and more people are discovering Ecuador's "hidden" and exhilarating diversity in its landscapes, biology, people and culture. Its impressive natural diversity is due to two circumstances – it's "middle of the world" location which gives it that greater diversity of vegetation and second, its biological diversity is enhanced by the range of altitudes given of by the Andes mountain landscapes. Its cultural diversity on the other hand, stemmed principally from its many colorful indigenous tribes. Amerindians are still an integral part of Ecuador's authenticity and political landscape. 

Aside from all these natural beauty, this country can also offer vacationers, tourist and retirees more reasons to consider staying and making this beautiful country as their home. Think about its near perfect climate, the low cost of living and the peaceful nature of its politics and you have a world class destination for any budget. In this small country, all regions can be visited for a short time, giving rise to the saying that in Ecuador "you can see the sun rise over the Amazon, have lunch in the Andes and finish the day by watching the sun set over the Pacific." 

Immigrants to Ecuador can also avail of the big discounts in terms of tax payments, utility bills offered by the state. 

Beautiful homes can be owned by prospective settlers at a fraction of the cost compared to countries up north. You can have your dream life of having incredible homes, maids, gardeners, cooks and even drivers. Ecuadorians are sweet people providing sweet life for those who decides to make this lovely place their homes. Native markets can provide you with the freshest variety of food and vegetables. Nothing plastic wrapped in here with prices that makes you think you're buying them for free! 

Aside from those, Ecuador also offers progressive and  effective health services. Medical tourism is highly advocated by the government proving that even developing countries can provide top-class medical services without burning a hole in your pockets.  

Even with a tight budget, like UD$250 per month, one can already cover your expenses for the entire month. People who have grown bored and would want to visit other countries can avail of less costly airfares that some airlines are offering.  

Retirees, or people 65 years old and above can take advantage of a 50 percent price slash by several airlines.  

Most of us are familiar with the scenic and beautiful mountain places of this country. The movie Lord of the Rings was said to have shoot most of their scenes in this South Pacific country. New Zealand has once been a British colony which gained independence on 1907 and continued to support the British Army in the World Wars. Presently, this country's participation in defense alliances has already lapsed.  

New Zealand can be considered as a new and vibrant country. Its economical status is still far from other well developed countries. Yet, it is steady improving characterized by its willingness to adapt to changes and answer the challenge of globalization. 

This small and lightly dense country is currently inviting vacationers, tourist and would be retirees to come and visit and hopefully decide to migrate and settle down here.  

You can consider New Zealand as a quiet peaceful country. Traditional social constrains and class structures are not evident, they firmly believe in social equality and frown upon formalities and stuffiness. Most New Zealanders have access to social and sporting activities for they are a bunch of people who loves the outdoors and a passionate about sports and their open and unspoiled countryside which is less than a twenty minute drive from the cities. 

Health services in New Zealand tend to be very good compared to other countries. There are subsidies for children and people having lower income. The public health system can provide for more expensive services such as hospital treatments. 

At the moment, New Zealand is openly inviting immigrants to bring in their specializations in different fields and to add color and diversity to their young nation. Once you settle in New Zealand, you can work to any age you want and if you live continuously for at least 10 years, with 5 years after the age of 50, you'd get a state superannuation at the age of 65 which is currently $249 per week after tax if you're single or $383 per week after tax for married couples. If you qualify for superannuation and still work beyond the age of 65, you'd get both your pay and NZ superannuation payments.  

Pension from overseas government may probably be deducted from your NZ superannuation payments but pension you get from former employer overseas will probably be paid in addition to your NZ superannuation As a new migrant destination, this country has a lot to offer yet life here can very different from what you were accustomed to especially if you're coming from a largely developed country. A lot consideration must be taken in full account before really deciding to settle here.