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A guide to moving to Latin America, finding work, and settling in.
Episodes
Monday Jul 23, 2012
Monday Jul 23, 2012
-The 2nd most difficult thing about becoming a permanent expat is keeping a low profile- since generally, gringos have so much more disposable dough than the average Latin and can really afford to splurge on an extravagant lifestyle.
-The MOST difficult thing becoming an expat is just getting off the couch and making a decision to come down.
-Some tricks on how to fly way under the radar by using Latin S.A. anonymous corporations
-Expat Eddie’s tips on using and abusing ATM machines, both in Latin America and the rest of the world!
-A report on a person who just might be the only incorruptible country president in recent world history
-A very new libertarian development in Uruguay that is already starting to shake up the rest of the world
-Some email questions about Cartagena, Columbia. It’s on the tourist trail- kinda- but I still recommend it.
-Now you can 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 Jul 20, 2012
Friday Jul 20, 2012
-All Latin American medium and large cities have all the same big international hotels we have up in the first world- including the usual convention centers for big events. But who in their right mind would hold an international convention in Bogotá Columbia or San Pedro Sula Honduras? You’ll be surprised (well maybe not). Either way, the chances are… you are paying the bill!
-More depressing news on the US financed war on drugs; the war that we lost a long time ago.
-Some interesting facts from the court testimony of a Mexican hit man/killer with 39 murders to his credit
-Many part time expats only visit their Latin American homes a few months or weeks a year. What should they do about security when they are NOT there?
-What if you live in Latin America permanently but have to leave for just a few days, weeks, or a month at a time? How do you handle security then? What if you have dogs or pets to feed?
-Now you can 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.
Monday Jul 16, 2012
Monday Jul 16, 2012
-The three things all new expats and expat wanabees worry about most; money, money and money. Newbees are always calculating how long their nest egg or savings will last thinking they might fail to get a job or start a successful business. But they almost always find (when they’re off the tourist trail) that they vastly underestimate how far their dollars will go. Its something they have to figure out for themselves.
-A few thoughts on adjusting your own spending habits once you get down here
-If you think you’ll never make it on $15k a year down here just remember that tens of thousands of first world teachers are down here right now teaching English and working at the unheard of salary of between $300- $400 a month ($4000 to $5000 a year). And many love the life so much they stay on for years! Ever wonder how they do it?
-There are signs that the economies and currencies of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Venezuela are about to take a dive. That means a real estate blowout too. Should you buy in when the dust settles? Maybe not.
-What’s up with all those first world Christian do-gooders flying down and trying to make an impact on the poor in two whole weeks? I guess its ok… as long as they feel good about it and have good photos to take back to the congregation back home.
-Now you can 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 Jul 13, 2012
Friday Jul 13, 2012
-Bottled water, ice machines and water cooler issues in the first and the third world. Water quality and water purifier questions addressed.
-What H2O filter units do I personally use and/or recommend in the home/office and on the road?
-When in Latin America, always drink out of bottles- use ice cubes and pour your beverages into (apparently) clean glasses and cups at your own risk.
-Ingenious scams; how Latin lawyers skin certain gringo clients in gringo saturated areas. And how those expats keep getting milked over and over again, yet they keep coming back for more!
-Corporate taxes: how the local Latin govts will tax your business (i.e.,very, very lightly).
-DYK that in Latin America you can write off ALL of your expenses? Not just the legit business deductions but all of the personal ones too. Unlike the IRS, down here there is no such thing as a disallowed deduction! As long as you have a receipt (called a factura) you can write it off!
-Now you can 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.
Monday Jul 09, 2012
Monday Jul 09, 2012
-Johnny’s seminar ended a few days ago. It’s over and now here’s some dirt on just what went down in that dangerous, blacklisted, backwater (according to the US State Department website) known as Guatemala.
-Third world airport stories. Walking through an airport down here is like pre- 9/11: no scanners, no pat-downs, no shoes-off, no dogs, no pompous feces-headed TSA bureaucrats anywhere to be seen in Latin America (they’re only your privates where YOU live!)
-Why are there so many short, dark, indigenous people hanging around third world airports? 95% of them aren’t selling anything, so who are they waiting there for? You’ll be surprised!
-The big city Latin American real estate bubble; it’s got all the signs of a peak and is just looking for a pin to pop it. I’ll give it another year or so and then we’ll be able to pick off the penthouses and beach houses at 25 cents on the dollar.
-Guatemala has just been rated by an international committee in Europe as having the fifth happiest people in the entire world (out of 190+ countries). I wonder why the US State Department website doesn’t warn us about THAT revolting development.
-Now you can 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 Jul 06, 2012
Friday Jul 06, 2012
- Is there anti-Semitism in Latin America? What’s the story on the Latin orthodox Jewish Community?
-Latin America has its own terrific rhythm. In every little town and village there are unbelievably talented musicians that would be stars in Cleveland, yet they’re playing in dives just for drinks in Peru. Consequently, 99.99% have day jobs, live at home with mom and dad or are starving.
-Can first world doctors who are sick of the red tape, the insurance companies, the frivolous lawsuits and oppressive Big Brother government, chuck it in and set up a medical practice in Latin America? How easy or hard is it to do/
-The ins and outs of getting permanent residency in Latin countries. When you have it, you can work any job in that country without a permit. But the fact is, most expats own their own businesses- and you DO NOT need residency at all to do that. You only need residency if you want to work for a company (er, legally and on the books that is)
-Many expats are down here to be free from certain unpleasant entities like court judgments, and the IRS for example. But once you’ve attained the free and easy life down here, should you worry about running afoul of their 77,000 pages of mind-numbing IRS double-speak (and just how long are those tentacles if you do)?
Speaking of running afoul of the IRS… what about extradition?
-Now you can 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.
Monday Jul 02, 2012
Monday Jul 02, 2012
-Expat Eddie talks shares some new business ideas for expats
-Mistakes Green expats often make when starting their first businesses in Latin America
-Examples of expat businesses that failed because they landed just a bit before their time, and some lessons on how not to fall in that same trap.
-When it comes to business, let first world movies and cable TV do your product marketing for you. Don’t reinvent the wheel.
-Latin American medium and large cities do have their animal activist groups, but their goals are much different their first world counterparts
-Don’t trust pet pedigrees. After all- Latin America is the land of forgeries and pirating they’re experts at it!
-The reasons why frivolous lawsuits are almost nonexistent in Latin America in L.A.
-Having exotic animals as pets is fairly common down in Latin America. They may be exotic to YOU- but right now there are a few right outside my door!
-Now you can 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 Jun 29, 2012
Friday Jun 29, 2012
-What if you want to bring Fido with you down to LA? What kind of obstacles will you encounter along the way. Is it an easy or hard thing to do? And what does it cost? Are the rules pretty much the same in every LA country? Here’s the dirt on that stuff.
-What about that pet quarantine business? How can they do that when all my papers are in order? What’s up with that? How much is it going to cost and how long does Fido have to stay locked up in solitary?
-Airline carriers have their own very detailed restrictions and rules about shipping pets to foreign lands. Here is a breakdown of some of the main airline regs.
-What about exotic animals? Can I bring Cristo, my Jesus Lizard, down to Peru?
-Some advice and comments for expat wanabees who are thinking about coming down to LA as a couple.
-Now you can 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.
Monday Jun 25, 2012
Monday Jun 25, 2012
-When you’re an expat in LA, you will surely have some household help. They really love working for expats but there are some things that go on between the boss (you) and the help (them) that will really surprise you.
-How to hire a Latin gardener, maid or handyman. What to look for in the candidates and the pitfalls to avoid.
-Sometimes if you have very dependable good long term help, they’ll know they’ve got your confidence and work a subtle scheme to get their whole family into the act. Generally, there’s nothing wrong with that- they sort of become your extended family anyway and you feel more than a bit responsible for them and their family, even though you’ll never visit their neighborhood-and often wouldn’t want to either! (does that sound classist or what?)
-When you find a very good gardener or maid you sometimes have to bite your tongue and put up with a lot of petty (or not so petty) annoyances
-Now you can 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.
Monday Jun 18, 2012
Monday Jun 18, 2012
-Living in Argentina is just about first world expensive and is about to get about 14% more costly. On July first a new 14% tax goes into effect covering all imports from non-South American (Mercosur) countries. It a protectionist measure that they think will foil cheap Chinese and South Korean imports which have flooded the markets (sound familiar?) But it’s really just a desperate revenue measure from a boated, corrupt govt.
-And did you know that Santiago Chile is now about 20% more expensive the Buenos Aires? That’s what you get when third world govts try hard to follow the first world example (i.e. tax, spend and grow like cancer)
-Why do a tiny handful of backpackers never get sick? Do they have an iron stomach, an alien immune system, or do they have a secret we’d all like to know about? Well here it is from the horse’s mouth, from certain immune travelers in Latin America on the cheap who should be regular victims; people who have never had Montezuma’s revenge, ever!
-When you think of machetes and Latin America, you automatically think working class gardeners and farmers. The machete is the ago-old outdoor working man’s basic tool. But guess what? Rural women are surprisingly adept at using them too! (Ouch)
-The truth about eggs, chickens and fertilizer in Latin America
-Now you can 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.