Travel & Holidays Retiring Overseas

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by Redwing, 2nd Aug, 2015.

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  1. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    I have several properties overseas but would never buy again - I agree with all your points!
     
    Terry_w, 9th Aug, 2015
    #21
  2. Casteller

    Casteller Well-Known Member

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    Living in Spain now, not working, so "retired / unemployed". Looking at buying another property here (to live in), market seems to be bottoming out, but no rush, I will be here at least 10 years, maybe 20 or more. Barcelona has just started picking up after 7 years of declines. First one I bought was too early into the crash, market kept going down. Overseas property can work, my London place more than doubled, but I was living there.

    Language can be an issue, I've reached intermediate Spanish conversation level but have to start again now with Catalan, can get by in Barcelona with Spanish but its better to speak the local national language (plus my kids here and everyone else I deal with speaks Catalan, not Spanish).
     
    Casteller, 9th Aug, 2015
    #22
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  3. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Easy, just send the kids to the shops.
    Are you near La Rambla or further out?
     
    Azazel, 10th Aug, 2015
    #23
  4. Casteller

    Casteller Well-Known Member

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    I am further out, near Camp Nou football stadium. Good thing about learning Catalan is the classes are free for beginners, they want to promote the language. This year I joined the Castellers (human castles, Catalan tradition), which is also a great way to meet some locals. We have done a few castells 9 levels high.
     
    Casteller, 10th Aug, 2015
    #24
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  5. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Wow, what an amazing coincidence. That you username is the same as the human castle activity!
     
    geoffw, 10th Aug, 2015
    #25
  6. Tranquilo

    Tranquilo Well-Known Member

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    My wife and hope to split our time in the future between Barranquilla Colombia and here.
     
    Tranquilo, 10th Aug, 2015
    #26
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  7. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    I haven't been to Barranquilla, I'd love to see the carnival. Tropical weather though doesn't suit me- I loved the climate in Medellin. Springtime all year round.
     
    geoffw, 10th Aug, 2015
    #27
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  8. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Nice. I'm not that familiar with that area but I'm sure I would have driven past it after getting lost driving back from Mazarron late at night last time I was there.
    I remember all of the Catalan flags on balconies, they seem to take it pretty seriously.
    How much would a 2 room apartment not too far out cost?
     
    Azazel, 10th Aug, 2015
    #28
  9. Casteller

    Casteller Well-Known Member

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    In my barrio 200k - 250k euro would get you a nice place. In the best areas up to double. In worse areas half. I know someone who just purchased for 50k a 2 br apartment from the bank but they had to evict tthe squatters (paid them cash to leave).
     
    Casteller, 11th Aug, 2015
    #29
  10. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    I want to move to Thailand one day.
    i think we have Thai expats here?
     
    Darlinghurst Boy, 11th Aug, 2015
    #30
  11. D.T.

    D.T. Specialist Property Manager Business Member

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    Why?
    Depends which part I guess. But the parts I've holiday'd in I certainly wouldn't want to live in
     
    D.T., 11th Aug, 2015
    #31
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  12. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    I haven't been in the holiday resorts of Thailand, they have little appeal to me. It has been a long time since I've been to Thailand, but I really liked the areas up country, like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. They were good places to be back then, I've heard reports that Chiang Mai, for instance, has become a popular expat location. (Though a very high expat population in a location would put me off).
     
    geoffw, 11th Aug, 2015
    #32
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  13. Tranquilo

    Tranquilo Well-Known Member

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    Hi Geoff. I haven't been to Medellin maybe at the end of the year as I'm going for new years eve. Carnival is great. I have been to Carnival 2 times. This trip will be my 4th time in Colombia. I love Colombia and the people.
    Colombia Te quiero
     
    Tranquilo, 11th Aug, 2015
    #33
  14. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    I love Pattaya mostly.
    Second in my list to live would be Chiang Mai.
     
    Darlinghurst Boy, 11th Aug, 2015
    #34
  15. Terry_w

    Terry_w Lawyer, Tax Adviser and Mortgage broker in Sydney Business Member

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    Pattaya is one big brothel with sand. Too many Russian gangsters and Thai mafia
     
    Terry_w, 11th Aug, 2015
    #35
  16. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Maybe that's the attraction.
     
    Ed Barton, 11th Aug, 2015
    #36
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  17. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Is it a bit dodgy with the drug crime? Are you ever worried about being kidnapped as a rich American and held for ransom?
     
    Azazel, 11th Aug, 2015
    #37
  18. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    Medellin was once a very dangerous city. It is not so now. There are dangerous parts of the city but those are the areas which would make Australia's worst slums seem like luxurious accommodation.

    Pablo Escobar was killed about 20 years ago. Since then a huge amount has been done to clean up the city. The valley is now a safe, prosperous place, more like an Australian city in some respects than a Latin American one. It has wide streets, lots of trees, and people walking around at all times of day or night. Medellin won an award from a prestigious US magazine a couple of years ago as the most innovative city in the world. It has a fast metro system which is incredibly clean. They have built cable cars in several places so that the people in the slums have ready access to the metro and therefore to jobs; and in some places, outdoor escalators linking to the cable cars. They've invested a lot into the poor areas, providing facilities which have been well planned to help and to integrate with the poorer areas. Utilities and transport are priced according to the wealth of the neighbourhood where people live.

    A city has bad things happen, and people remember it forever. When it does good people rarely hear about it.
     
    geoffw, 11th Aug, 2015
    #38
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  19. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    I plan to travel in retirement like Kathrynd does ... buy a small lock and leave place in Australia as a home base - and a place to come back to when I'm old and decrepit - then hop on the house sitting loop in Europe and onwards. Quite happy to look after pets - and often a car is left to use - cuts down expenses dramatically with no accommodation costs and can eat in ... and if you don't like a place, see it as a short adventure with no commitment
     
    Lizzie, 11th Aug, 2015
    #39
  20. Mombius Hibachi

    Mombius Hibachi Well-Known Member

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    Going to South America for two months in December, woo!

    Heading to: Colombia, Argentina and Nicaragua. That's the plan anyway, keeping it pretty loose, see what happens.
     
    Mombius Hibachi, 11th Aug, 2015
    #40
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