2.2M
Downloads
1480
Episodes
A guide to moving to Latin America, finding work, and settling in.
Episodes
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
-The so called “Lag Time” effect is alive and well here in Latin America.
Example: now for the first time there's an "all new" great gringo expat business idea that's flourishing. Only thing is, I spoke about this exact opportunity on a show over 4 years ago. Yes, it took 4 years to get here and looks like whoever’s doing it is set to make a killing. Which only proves once again that Expat wannabees and gonnabees can follow some simple formulas and do much the same thing.
-Panama just enacted price controls on 28 basic food items. Any pinhead knows price controls never ever work in the long run and only tend to distort the economy. Price controls are the best way to create black and grey markets and guaranteed shortages. Alas, who ever said govt decision makers rate any higher than pinheads.
-The truth about bugs, bats, wasps, snakes and other things that creep along in the night. Its true that rainforest creatures get cold and damp too. They're near, at hand, and forever trying to find a way to co-exist with us. Be prepared for the occasional/inevitable) encounter so ladies, now might be time to think about growing a thicker skin.
Friday Jul 17, 2015
Friday Jul 17, 2015
-Venezuela’s economy and currency, the Bolivar, are so out of control that the grey-market street exchange rate for dollars is now 50 times the official bank rate. With the “official” yearly inflation rate now pegged at 68%, the real number for basic goods is more like 500%. Meanwhile Chinese “saviors” have shown up. They are stealthily buying up everything they can (for dollars of course), picking up dying businesses, land and buildings at the ultra-fire sale of a lifetime.
- All Latin American countries have quite a diversity of foreign ethnic groups. That said, what are the numbers, demographics, economic and social status of minority immigrant groups like Muslims, Asians, and Jews? Do they assimilate or stick out? Do they get along? The facts will surprise you.
-Bitcoin is on the rise again. It seems every time a country’s economy takes a sudden dump like Greece just did, BC takes a jump. While every time a government tries to regulate or ban BC it predictably takes a dive. Nevertheless, BC still remains one of the few slick ways to move your money around anonymously… provided you take the right steps and plan ahead.
-We finish off today with some irate and wickedly clever emails
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
Sunday Jul 12, 2015
-More of the latest updates on certain Latin permanent residency programs for Expats. Note that very soon residency application requirements will be getting tougher. That means you’d better get on the stick and start making plans.
-Today we have another absolutely true, but very sad story, coming from a disjointed middle-class Latin American family with some members living up in the USA illegally. These situations non-Spanish speaking gringos rarely get a chance to see, much less experience or understand. Get ready for some weighty messages…
-Now some facts that single gringas looking for love and romance in Latin America should know, including a scathing morality tale or two…
-Lately Donald Trump seems to show up in every Latin news outlet on the hour. While Latins continuously dump on him, Latin media hacks are showing they are blatant hypocrites with one track minds. It’s not as much about Trump bruising the collective Mexican ego as much as the fact that Latins see Trump as a threat and a barrier to their easy and unrestricted entry into the US. They want an open border to grab their piece of the (non-existent) “American Dream” and are absolutely terrified what Trump will do if he gets into office (he hasn’t a chance anyhow)
Friday Jul 10, 2015
Friday Jul 10, 2015
-Gringos, gringas and new Expats beware. If you’re driving through Latin America and find the need to stop at a hotel for the night don’t get fooled when you see very inviting hotel signs saying ”Auto- Hotel”. Even if they look nice, new, safe and secure, these places are NOT the Latin equivalent of a Budgetel or a Motel 6. Here’s the scoop.....
-Looking in the Latin Yellow Pages, classifieds and on the internet, you’ll always see an ad or two promoting the services of a Latin P.I.- a so called Latin Private Investigator. Note these guys usually make their living doing two things; polygraph testing and chasing down upper middle-class male infidelities.
-In the past we’ve discussed mandated yellow fever vaccinations indicated for travelers to South America. We’ve seen that the written laws seem strict yet there seems to be very spotty enforcement. So today we have more on yellow fever vaccines from two clever Expats who just traveled through many of those questionable countries. We also have some very surprising and confounding yellow fever infection stats.
-Latin America and gun violence often seem to appear in the same sentence. Today we bring you some amazing statistics coming out of Latin police departments and hospital emergency rooms and show how wildly misleading they can be.
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
Sunday Jul 05, 2015
-What’s the story on property taxes in Latin America? Maybe you’ve heard they’re ridiculously low- and they are. Note that by Latin standards, even when property taxes are considered quite high, you can bet they’d be 4 times as much up in the first world. Remember, nothing is standard down here. Things are infinitely flexible- including property valuations for tax purposes. So today we have a detailed guide to property taxes and how local Latins and expats use certain tricks to drive down land and home evaluations (and thus their property taxes) often to the point of embarrassment.
-Tips on property hunting. The proper use and abuse of Latin real estate agents
-Things you should know about the VAT sales taxes (called IVA) in Latin America and why they vary so much between Latin countries.
-Latin Americans and personal loans:
Latins think we all are rich gringos. Since most middle and lower class Latins can’t qualify for bank loans they often reach out to any friendly gringo they know for some cash. It’s happened to me dozens of times. If you are like me, you will test the wters by making a few small loans. Guaranteed you will be greatly disappointed as payments arrive late or never at all. THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU…guaranteed. So today we have some tips in dealing with that eventuality.
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to the www.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Jul 03, 2015
Friday Jul 03, 2015
-What’s the real cost of first-world living in Latin America? Everyone wants to know exact figures and how to make a plan and formulate a proper budget. So today I’m providing a breakdown of my own personal monthly expenses “off the gringo tourist trail”.
-A word on the sometimes confusing issue of domestic water service in Latin America. Home and business owners are generally allotted what is called a “paja” of water or some fraction (or multiple) of a paja. One paja is about 8000 gallons per month, enough for a family of four gringos if properly cognizant of water conservation- whereas the same amount of water will serve a middle-class Latin family of 10 or more people. Californian’s are about to learn some difficult water lessons the Latins have been dealing with for decades.
-Some Latin American swimming pool tips you'll want to know.
-Want to get off many(perhaps all) of your prescription meds? Here’s one listener’s plan on how she’s going about it once she moves down.
-A few more words, and another pointed story, on vaccines in Latin America.
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to the www.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Sunday Jun 28, 2015
Sunday Jun 28, 2015
-Often a husband and wife, or a couple, will come down to Latin America, one of them being the obvious driving force behind their expat move while the other partner seems not nearly as geared up. Sometimes the less enthused one displays resistance and is critical and negative about the move. When that happens, what is there to be done?
-There are still many first world people out there in “gringolandia” and Europe who would never think of coming to Latin America because they simply believe it’s too classist, dangerous, backwards and unsanitary. Today we have an email from such a person. He’s never been to Latin America and says he would not chance the trip even if he had the dough.
-When the next shoe drops and the feces hits the ventilator, might there be a backlash against gringos and expats in Latin America? Might the downtrodden locals get pissed off and come after the “rich gringo” in the neighborhood? After all, when the next worldwide economic blowout hits it will affect every country and all will be the worse for it. Surely solid blame will be placed on the American government- its lies, the reckless fiat monetary system and toxic derivatives - as it should be.
-Donald Trump is all over the Latin news this week. His words about Mexico’s low life’s and crooks sneaking in to the US and causing endless grief and damage have enraged the Latin American public- who mostly believe it’s their right to sneak into the states if they feel like it. Meanwhile Latin news op-ed pieces and the tweets appearing on TV and in the media show just how undereducated, ill-informed and petty most of these outraged responder’s comments appear to be. They want to get in and Trump’s not going to stand in their way!
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to the www.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Jun 26, 2015
Friday Jun 26, 2015
-Chinese autos have invaded Latin America. Though they look like the usual high end common models you’re familiar with(clones of Toyota, Honda even Range Rover) and seem very nicely appointed in auto showrooms and good enough in test drives, don’t fall for the low prices and the hype… there’s trouble ahead.
-The case for buying non-original (clone) replacement parts versus so called original factory replacement parts for your car while down in Latin America
-The news has gone viral in Latin America that under a new law, starting Jan 2015, California has given out 350,000 drivers licenses to illegal aliens. The reaction down here in Latin America is more than noteworthy. The news has lit a fire under millions of poor uneducated Latins with no skills and some very bad habits. Millions more conservative Latins are now packing for a move “gringolandia”. Now many think they'll have a sort of legal safety net that will lead to the free benefits that so many down here have been hearing about.
-Just when you thought you heard everything today we have another story pathetic but true yet so obviously stupid that it underlines just how unrealistic and pigheaded people can be especially those who desperately want their 15 minutes of fame. Wonder if anything like this could happen up in the states? Probably!
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to the www.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Monday Jun 22, 2015
Monday Jun 22, 2015
-Expats and gringos arrive in Latin America as newbees: not registered or tracked by any agencies or databases save for their entrance on immigration computers. It’s a real gift to be free from Big Brother’s microscope and that means we all start out in Latin America with a clean slate, a low profile and with a very tiny footprint. So today we have more tips and suggestions on how to keep it that way…
-A discussion of some of the various “out of the ordinary” things your friendly Latin lawyer can do for you and why you want to build a long term relationship with him and not hop from one shyster to another.
-Cell phones, SIM chips, low profiles and anonymity
-The wholesale drug trade: some very weird and scary drug news that you’ll never get from mainstream media. You won’t believe who’s involved and who has been getting busted lately, on the wholesale level, and who gets away it.
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to thewww.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.
Friday Jun 19, 2015
Friday Jun 19, 2015
-More tips and suggestions when applying for Latin American residency
-Today a discussion that will be of interest to any listeners who might be considering a certain type of Latin American residency called “pensionado”. Yes this special residency plan does have its small advantages, but also a few restrictive disadvantages… and at least one very serious drawback.
-Another Latin Residency avenue employed by many expats is the so-called residency by qualified investment. This is just as it sounds, meaning the applicant must make a substantial monetary investment in some kind of govt approved venture. Depending on the country, the investment can be a few hundred thousand bucks with very strict rules and monitoring, or the investment can be a very small one and the rules quite lax.
-More outrageous eye-witness examples of idiot Latin showoffs with more money than brains. Of course wealthy showoffs with bodyguards and bulletproof SUVs making pompous asses out of themselves in public may be twisted and even morbidly funny sometimes (it’s their forte). After all it’s their often stolen public money and thus their own business- kinda . Unfortunately it’s not all that amusing when the average public is inconvenienced by their stupid escapades.
JULY 2015 -LATIN AMERICAN SEMINAR NOTICE: Make your plans today for the next Latin American Expat Wisdom seminar. Just go to thewww.ExpatWisdom.com main page and click on the Latin Seminar link for full details. The seminar will take place from Saturday, July 11th through Thursday July 16th, 2015.
-CONSULT WITH JOHNNY- SCHEDULE A CELL OR SKYPE CALL: Follow the consult link on the main page at www.ExpatWisdom.com and Johnny will help you sort out your Latin American plans.