Half Time Change of Life.

[kuma]

Wife and love two places in Europe.  She france and myself Spain.  If in France we love the "Cote du Azure" Rivera area.

But a small town that sits between Nice and the border of Italy is called Menton.  It is a sleepy little town with

the ability to either go to Italy (a mile away) thats heading east and heading west is Nice.  When the temps. reach

the boiling point in summer in that area you head to the mountains which cools you off.  In winter temps temps are

in the low 60's degrees.

Spain is cheaper tax wise and buying land.  Loveboth areas for the pricing for food.  I mean super markets and out door markets.

I thought the prices in the states were very good but both countries have states beat by a mile or is that

kilometer for just general produce / fish / veggis etc, etc..  Mass transit is soo much better here than in the states.

You can take local trains and bullet trains all over Europe on the cheap,  Owning an auto is also the way

to go if you are going to live there for any lenght of time.  But getting around Europe is super easy.

States can be fun I have friends in Las Vegas and they love it.  Also

 have friends in Texass Austin a party town.  Nothing like driving in the states.  Cheap gas, cheap clothes

no VAT tax like in europe.  Remember american is a melting pot the only true americans are

the Indians.  The restof us are ist, 2nd and 3rd generation Europeans or slaves brought over from Africa.

Yes all countries have their good points and not so good points.  If you have some cash you

can live real well in the states.  Hope some of my comments help.  Stay well Rob if you

need any info or asistance hit me up.

[Bohn007]

5 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I love Oz but it was always a goal to live overseas for  5 years to a decade once my youngest turns 18. That is in 18 months or so away and so my mind has turned to where in hell I would base myself?  I would travel extensively from there but I would want to immerse myself in the local culture. It would need to be tax friendly, warm, and on the water  As much as I travel I haven't as yet found the ideal locale. 

So let me raise the question. 

If you could pick a city/country to live for 5 years.....which would it be and why? 

I would pick the island of Anguilla. Nicest people on earth. 35 pristine beaches. Great food. 

[kwsaw63]

3 hours ago, Fuzz said:

I had the opportunity to do this 6 yrs ago, but I didn't like their requirement that I deposit RM$300,000 into a term deposit account at a local bank, and maintain a balance of RM$150,000 after the second year. I mean, I get that you want to know I will be able to support myself whilst living in Malaysia, but that's still a hefty chunk to be locked away.

If you are over 50 the requirement drops to RM$100,000; which given how the ringgit has tanked in the last year is only A$30,000; which is not that hefty a chunk. Plus you still enjoy about 4% interest on the term deposit...which should be just about enough funds for you to keep buying cigars from Rob!

[RWhiz]

Panama, we own so property there, undeveloped as yet, but would like to semi retire there for the reasons mentioned.

[Rye]

3 hours ago, Jeremy Festa said:

First pick would be Galway

Second would be Porto Cervo 

Third maybe Taormina or Positano?

Fourth, somewhere on Zakinthos 

 

Are those real places or ones from a hobbit book? ?

Sadly, I know nothing of world travel. I do know Canada fits none of the three requirements mentioned 

[BEVOSREVENGE]

6 hours ago, Colt45 said:

Monaco, Cayman Islands.....

Yes, Grand Cayman

[Jeremy Festa]

31 minutes ago, Rye said:

Are those real places or ones from a hobbit book? ?

Sadly, I know nothing of world travel. I do know Canada fits none of the three requirements mentioned 

LOL 

And yet you live there, and the photos always look incredible. 

[Fuzz]

1 hour ago, kwsaw63 said:

If you are over 50 the requirement drops to RM$100,000; which given how the ringgit has tanked in the last year is only A$30,000; which is not that hefty a chunk. Plus you still enjoy about 4% interest on the term deposit...which should be just about enough funds for you to keep buying cigars from Rob!

I only just turned 40! I'm not ready to join the grey hair brigade.

Besides, I can think of better things to do with $30k than keep it tied up in a foreign bank (though, I thought the over 50 requirement was RM$150k).

[NJP]

RA you would rock Panama, mayor of the city within the 10yrs. Like playing in HK but with a little more romance. 

 

 

[Bartolomeo]

South Florida

no income tax...check

warm weather..check

close to Cuba...check

international airports...check

[Maxismoke]

If I were in that situation, (kids are 7&9 now) I'd move back to Oz. Spent 2 fantastic years in Melbourne 15 years ago. Loved everything about it.

Spent 5 years in San Diego, also a nice city, but when re-visiting now a decade later it seems a bit more run down. Not as nice, but still nice.

[Jimmy_jack]

Low taxes? Pfffttt..France Duh.

[Ryan]

If the kids were out of school, for me it would be one of two places in Spain.

Firstly, somewhere between Bilbao and San Sebastian on the north coast. Great food and wine culture, some of the best in the world. Nice attitude towards life.

Second, on the Costa de la Luz in the southwest, near La Barrosa beach. Slower pace of life, fantastic beaches, good food. Close to Seville, Cadiz, Jerez, Cordoba. Cheap, lovely towns, architecture, interesting history. Great food markets for fish, fruit and veg. Very few foreign tourists, i.e. not too many Irish/English pubs. Property still available beachfront for not too much money.

Then there's Cuba, if you have income from outside the country, one can live very well there.

My wife had an idea about 18 months ago that we move there for a year. Her idea was to give the boys a year of being able to live outside, go to the beach any day. She grew up in Zambia and loved it. We looked into it, it was looking doable, we could get residency by enrolling in the university and thus get the boys on the list for one of the international schools. The boys don't have any Spanish so would miss a year of school if we sent them to a local school, my wife didn't like the idea of a home tutor because of the social aspect, though that would have been very cheap. The final straw was the international schools have a 1-year waiting list for people who aren't sent there by an embassy. A year in Cuba, oh well.

[JohnS]

So hard to decide! I love southern Californian weather, it reminds me of where I live in Australia. San Diego is appealing, then again I welcome the thought of living in the Florida Keys.

[Fuzz]

14 minutes ago, JohnS said:

So hard to decide! I love southern Californian weather, it reminds me of where I live in Australia. San Diego is appealing, then again I welcome the thought of living in the Florida Keys.

I can give you a taste of the Florida Keys. I picked up a cigar in Key West that you need to try (and by that I mean, take a bullet for the team! ).

[GrouchoMarx]

14 hours ago, El Presidente said:

 It would need to be tax friendly, warm, and on the water

That cancels Canada.....

[irratebass]

For me it's these 4 places

Phoenix Az - Not sure about taxes, but NO SNOW!!!!

Pensacola, Fl - Again not sure about the taxes, but the never ending gulf breeze is enough for me. 

Rhode Island - Again with the taxes, but fresh seafood, and it's a small beautiful community

French Peninsula -  No idea on anything there, but it's on the water, and the movie Couples Resort made me want to go there.  

 

 

[Philc2001]

7 hours ago, Bartolomeo said:

South Florida

no income tax...check

warm weather..check

close to Cuba...check

international airports...check

By no income tax I assume you mean no "STATE" income tax, but you still pay FEDERAL income tax and Social Security Tax and ungodly property tax. Plus, if you want a home in S. Florida you will most likely have to pay home owners association (HOA) fees. Just to give you an idea, it costs me > $1,000/month just for property tax, HOA fees and hurricane insurance - and I live 20 miles inland. That doesn't even include any maintenance, or lawn care or even a community pool or community clubhouse. 

Want a home anywhere near the water in the tri-county area of S. Florida, be ready for sticker shock of ~$1 million to start. And don't overlook Florida sales tax of 6-6.5%.

I love living in Florida, but if it wasn't for my good fortune in employment and investing, I wouldn't be able to afford living here. It's all relative I guess, but in my travels I have found much cheaper places to live, even within the US, but much more so outside the US. 

[GrouchoMarx]

@El Presidente wants "Tax friendly, warm, on the water...."

Cayman islands has all three.

Oh - and Cuban sticks are legal !

[Sunsmoke]

Why not Cuba haha

[clutch5150]

You're not that far away from Fiji...In fact I have met the most Australians at any given time while on the Island of Nandi or Turtle Island (cannot live on Turtle) but Nandi is an amazing place with low crime, great people and AMAZING weather all year long.

[Bartolomeo]

3 hours ago, Philc2001 said:

By no income tax I assume you mean no "STATE" income tax, but you still pay FEDERAL income tax and Social Security Tax and ungodly property tax. Plus, if you want a home in S. Florida you will most likely have to pay home owners association (HOA) fees. Just to give you an idea, it costs me > $1,000/month just for property tax, HOA fees and hurricane insurance - and I live 20 miles inland. That doesn't even include any maintenance, or lawn care or even a community pool or community clubhouse. 

Want a home anywhere near the water in the tri-county area of S. Florida, be ready for sticker shock of ~$1 million to start. And don't overlook Florida sales tax of 6-6.5%.

I love living in Florida, but if it wasn't for my good fortune in employment and investing, I wouldn't be able to afford living here. It's all relative I guess, but in my travels I have found much cheaper places to live, even within the US, but much more so outside the US. 

I am from Boca, I know the deal

 

there are very affordable places to live in South FL but I hear what you are saying

[BrightonCorgi]

Scottsdale, AZ

Miami, FL

Las Vegas, NV

they're all warm...  I liked Singapore, but not exactly cheap

[JohnInCleveland]

21 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I love Oz but it was always a goal to live overseas for  5 years to a decade once my youngest turns 18. That is in 18 months or so away and so my mind has turned to where in hell I would base myself?  I would travel extensively from there but I would want to immerse myself in the local culture. It would need to be tax friendly, warm, and on the water  As much as I travel I haven't as yet found the ideal locale. 

So let me raise the question. 

If you could pick a city/country to live for 5 years.....which would it be and why? 

 

 

Tax friendly, warm, and on the water?

 

Only one good option...

 

Cleveland.  With a tanning bed.

[Philc2001]

Anyone know about Abruzzo, Italy? 

Seems to have good climate, ocean, mountains, and its cheap (relatively).