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A guide to moving to Latin America, finding work, and settling in.
Episodes
Sunday Apr 14, 2013
Sunday Apr 14, 2013
-The dates for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” (well off the gringo tourist trail of course) will be Sunday, June 23, thru Friday, June 28. In the first part of today’s show you’ll get many of the specifics but do be sure to go to ExpatWisdom.com and click on the seminar link for in-depth details and pricing…
-One big reason so many expat wanabees remain on the fence and never actually get to Latin America is because they have a real fear of failure. Somehow they have it in their minds that they won’t be able to make a go of it on the nest-egg they have, no matter how big or small. So in a sense they are letting their first-world comfort-based cradle-to-grave paradigm get in the way of their goals.
-I'm happy when expats and wanabees have a common dream of retiring or semi-retiring in Latin America... but I wince when I hear that the other half of that dream is to own and operate a restaurant! Jeese Louise!....seems like every gringo thinks there's a chef in the family! In reality the restaurant biz has always been very hard work with miserably long hours… and no one who’s ever done it will admit that it resembles anything close to semi-retirement. Even so, there can be rewards and some great success stories if you can find that certain “niche” market…. that's IF you can find it!
-Buying, renting or partnering up with an existing small business in Latin America- Part 1. Some pitfalls you should know about- if for example, you wish to buy a going concern, like a mom and pop hotel or a restaurant. Listen to Part 2 on the next show.
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Friday Apr 12, 2013
Friday Apr 12, 2013
The dates for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” (well off the gringo tourist trail of course) will be Sunday, June 23, thru Friday, June 28. In the first part of today’s show you’ll get many of the specifics but do be sure to go to ExpatWisdom.com and click on the seminar link for in-depth details and pricing…
-One big reason so many expat wanabees remain on the fence and never actually get to Latin America is because they have a real fear of failure. Somehow they have it in their minds that they won’t be able to make a go of it on the nest-egg they have, no matter how big or small. So in a sense they are letting their first-world comfort-based cradle-to-grave paradigm get in the way of their goals.
-I'm happy when expats and wanabees have a common dream of retiring or semi-retiring in Latin America... but I wince when I hear that the other half of that dream is to own and operate a restaurant! Jeese Louise!....seems like every gringo thinks there's a chef in the family! In reality the restaurant biz has always been very hard work with miserably long hours… and no one who’s ever done it will admit that it resembles anything close to semi-retirement. Even so, there can be rewards and some great success stories if you can find that certain “niche” market…. that's IF you can find it!
-Buying, renting or partnering up with an existing small business in Latin America- Part 1. Some pitfalls you should know about- if for example, you wish to buy a going concern, like a mom and pop hotel or a restaurant. Listen to Part 2 on the next show.
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Sunday Apr 07, 2013
Sunday Apr 07, 2013
-Here are the dates for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar”. Mark your calendar- it’s scheduled for June 23rd thru June 28th and be sure to stay tuned for the details on next week’s show…
-Some people love the beautiful (but hot) Belize Cays. They are excellent beach destinations, but first world expensive. So how do they compare to the very similar but much cheaper Honduran islands of Roatan and Utilla (only about 200 miles south)? And what are the general opinions of Expats who actually live in both places?
Note: never expect anyone in real estate or tourism to give you honest answers- they're always looking out for #1
-A few words about house security if you are going to be gone for a day or more, or even a month or two.
-Wondering about the incidence of high seas piracy in Latin America? Well here’s the scoop on that…
-Some more evidence that Ecuador is slowly being ruined by the steadily increasing hordes of gringo tourists and retirees.
-More hard evidence that the Chinese are snapping up huge chunks of South America and forcing those countries to water down their environmental regs
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, we can talk about your situation one on one
Friday Apr 05, 2013
Friday Apr 05, 2013
-Reviewing a few dangerous countries in Latin America that are not recommended as permanent destinations for Expats
-Some people think that since Chavez has just died, and the currency (the Bolivar) has been devalued twice in the last 50 days (close to a western world record for fiscal irresponsibility), maybe Venezuela‘s hit rock bottom and just might be a good time to get in on the ground floor of a big boom. Well I don’t think so… here are 101 more reasons to avoid Venezuela as an Expat destination.
-Some thoughts on making deals and signing contracts with Latinos
-Using ATM machines in countries like Venezuela, Cuba and Argentina: the Latin countries that have strict currency controls
-Since the official Venezuelan dollar to Bolivar exchange rate is only about 1/3 of what you can get on the street, that means if you have USD’s you get an instant 300% return on your money (if you have a trustworthy black market currency exchange guy). Now there’s a golden opportunity, right? If only one could get a truckload of USD's into the country….
-Man, can governments lie. If you think that Obama and Bush have advanced degrees in endless BS, well how about this whopper… according to official Venezuelan govt. statistics the country’s monthly minimum wage is about $400 (and 80% of Venezuelans make that minimum wage). But the actual monthly minimum wage is just $115. Here’s how they try to feed that big lie to the world...
-I’ll soon be announcing the latest plans for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” which will of course be off the tourist trail. It’ll be coming up in the early summer so stay tuned for more info…
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Sunday Mar 31, 2013
Sunday Mar 31, 2013
-Hondurans just might be the worst drivers in the western world. So how easy (or hard) is it to get a driver’s license in Honduras? Maybe you can you get them out of a bubble gum machine. You’ll be surprised!
-An update on Roatan, Honduras; that nice little gem of an island on the world’s second largest barrier reef. Now as you might know, a few years ago I picked it as one of my 17 undiscovered Latin American paradises (in a free report available on the www.ExpatWisdom.com website). But now that I’ve revisited the place, I regrettably see that its become a regular stop for the big-ass cruise lines and the influx of day trippers is driving prices up to near first world rates. And now a real estate bubble is evident there too. But don’t think I’m scratching it completely off my list just yet and here’s why…
-Here are some very important points to remember if you ever decide to RENT a car in Latin America.
-And now a very recent story of how I took one of our Expat Wisdom seminar attendees on a personal mission (he’s down again for 3 months to do some more exploring). He contacted me to help him on his mission to first search out and buy a good non-descript car- following some of the specific car purchasing methods I’ve pointed out in previous shows. Of course we found a nice solid car… but also were able to got it registered and insured all in one day! An Easter Miracle maybe?
-I’ll soon be announcing the latest plans for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” which will of course be off the tourist trail. It’ll be coming up in the next few months so stay tuned for more info in a week or so…
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a private consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Friday Mar 29, 2013
Friday Mar 29, 2013
-Some words about the life and death of Hugo Chavez. When alive he was much bigger than life, but now that he’s gone what will happen in Venezuela? Will his so called 21st century socialist “Bolivar” revolution” endure? And whether it does or not, will it be a safe haven for expats? It certainly is not a recommended expat destination now… not even for a short visit.
-200 US cable TV channels (with Spanish subtitles) have invaded Latin America. Latins are now being spoon-fed the same mind-numbing crap first world folks are getting and its generating quite a strong desire for Latins to want to move to the US and get a piece of the last remaining fantasy that the boob tube projects... and it is a fantasy.
-Expat Eddie had some Latina friends over and heard them discussing a certain US cable TV program. During the program the Latinas reacted in a way you or I might never have expected.
-For any of you who still might believe that Hugo Chavez has created a kind of lasting socialist utopia in Venezuela, then please explain why neighboring Colombians almost never emigrate to Hugo’s paradise, and yet there’s a strong, steady flow of Venezuelans constantly slipping into Colombia?
-Do you ever wonder why so many Latin American presidents and leaders stuck up for, and supported, Hugo Chavez through thick and thin even though he was often seen as a loose cannon? Sure it was about getting his cheap oil but it was about much more than that.
-Announcing the latest plans for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” which will of course be off the tourist trail. It’ll be coming up in the next few months so stay tuned for more info…
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Sunday Mar 24, 2013
Sunday Mar 24, 2013
-Some words about the new Pope. He’s a huge star here… all over TV and in the press daily. And here in Latin America he’s bigger than Elvis (gaudy outfits and all, but alas he can’t sing). His election has revitalized hoards of non-practicing Latin Catholic folks who might have jumped ship completely - but are now out rooting for their papal homeboy (very smart move by the Vatican)
-Now for some totally un-PC comments about the new breed of Evangelical snake oil salesman (with their limos, bodyguards and helicopters) who pattern themselves off of successful 1st world TV preachers. They promise a stairway to heaven as they suck hard-earned centavos from gullible under-educated Latin lower and middle classes. Yes folks, these guys have found their own twisted version of the “gringo advantage” and its pretty disturbing.
-When and how does the realization finally strike the average expat that he or she might actually be fluent in Spanish?
-Speaking of the “boot camp” method of learning Spanish (meaning, learning good conversational Spanish in a very accelerated period of of time like 2 months)… now here’s an email from a gringo who is has been doing just that. With boots on the ground and suffering through his own Spanish “boot camp” in Xela, Guatemala he offers some very good tips on how to get the best out of the experience and how to avoid the worst.
-Announcing the latest plans for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” which will of course be off the tourist trail. It’ll be coming up in the next few months so stay tuned for more info…
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Friday Mar 22, 2013
Friday Mar 22, 2013
-Announcing the latest plans for the next Expat Wisdom “Latin American Insider Seminar” which will of course be off the tourist trail. It’ll be coming up in the next few months so stay tuned for more info…
- If most of the river and lake water in Latin America is polluted due to runoff, raw sewage, mining, factory and farm sludge, then where can an expat actually locate and be free from the worries of all that?
-More comments about the water situation in Latin America.
-Never, never, never, use a public jacuzzi or wet sauna in Latin America- unless you don’t mind bathing in the rancid bacterial soup from the last 50 people who used the thing!
-A report on the awful Eco-destruction that’s happening along the so called “Mayan Riviera”- that really beautiful length of white sand beach that stretches a few hundred miles, from Cancun, Mexico to Belize
-An update on that great (lifetime guarantee) Sawyer water filter reported on a few shows ago
-Most of the news about the water in Latin America is bad but the good news is that for some very good reasons the municipalities don’t fluoridate (yet). However, get this… you can buy salt that’s actually got fluoride added at the grocery store! And as usual the locals think that since its endorsed by so called 1st world experts it must be ever so good and healthy. Duh!
-While driving through Honduras on his latest road trip, Expat Eddie found after being stopped four separate times by the Honduran cops, that his Gringo Advantage was not exactly working the way he’d planned. But he did observe another advantage that under certain circumstances even trumps being a gringo!
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Sunday Mar 17, 2013
Sunday Mar 17, 2013
-What will happen in Latin Countries that use the US dollar as their sole currency (i.e. Ecuador, Salvador and Panama) when the next inevitable next financial crisis comes along, the dollar crashes, and the rest of the producing world realizes all the US really has left is (1) a massive military and weapons industry, (2) Disneyland, (3) Hollywood, and (4) Cleveland?
-ATM’s in Latin America spit out US twenty dollar bills. Sounds good so far especially if you’re in a US dollar denominated country like Salvador or Ecuador. But the trouble is that seventy five percent of small businesses, mom and pop stores and restaurants won’t have change for your Jackson’s… so forget about carrying Grants and Franklins! And that, by the way, smells like an excellent expat business opportunity…
-If you see sign that says “Nightclub” its not gonna be your US style dance, jazz or blues club, but a combination strip joint and bordello. And yes, prostitution is technically illegal in Latin America, but as usual the laws are as flexible as a slinky.
-Some new cases of credit card cloning have been popping up throughout Central America and the Carribean. And ninety percent of the cases have been linked to persons trying to make a cash withdrawal using a particular Latin bank’s ATM machine. Here’s the poop on that and how not to get sucked into that black hole……..
-What happens when glitzy international newsletters and travel magazines select their best Latin retirement destinations of the year? Well, just like in Panama and Costa Rica, in a few years later they become contaminated by gringos and the gringo dollar, the crime soars and the whole area becomes more expensive. Can you guess what destination is next in line for the honor?
- If you are interested in attending a short, one-day, Expat Wisdom “Expat Fast Track” seminar guaranteed to jump-start your eventual move to Latin America then just email me Johnny@expatwisdom.com. And tell me what city you are living in or living close to. The Expat Wisdom crew just might be heading to a city near you!
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one
Friday Mar 15, 2013
Friday Mar 15, 2013
-I’ve recommended a few portable travel water filters before, but now I’m introducing what should be the very last portable water filter that you and your family will ever need.
I know this sounds crazy, but this little filter cartridge is guaranteed to last for a million gallons, that’s enough pure water for thirty average American lifetimes! What’s even more amazing is that its only 50 bucks and you can attach it it to any kitchen faucet or use the gravity feed method, or you can do the annoying backpacker straw-sucky slurp thing. And here’s the full scoop on this little wonder (and as usual, I have no financial interest and do not make one cent from this at all)
-Want to know the present and future state of the Latin American water supply? Its pretty depressing if you are crazy enough connected to be connected to a municipal water supply. But its not a problem at all if you have a well or collect your own rainwater in a big cistern
-Some more bad news about the rivers, lakes, lagoons and aquifers in Latin America; more reasons why you really need to purify your own water
-Breaking news about the most contaminated countries in LA. Does it surprise you the Brazil tops the list and China is getting on on that Brazil action because they know environmental laws are so lax?
-Examples why you must not believe everything you read on those newbee expat blogs that have been sprouting up. Not only can they mislead you with incomplete info, they might also lead you on a path that could be bad for your health
- If you are interested in attending a short, one-day, Expat Wisdom “Expat Fast Track” seminar guaranteed to jump-start your eventual move to Latin America then just email me Johnny@expatwisdom.com. And tell me what city you are living in or living close to. The Expat Wisdom crew just might be heading to a city near you!
-Follow the link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com to schedule a consultation with me. If you want to discuss the details of living, working, playing, doing business and/or retiring in Latin America, now you and I can talk about your situation one on one