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Retirees Bring Economic and Political Stability

By Jane Goodwin | March 1, 2007

Anecdotal evidence, as well as actual facts, tell us that Baby Boomers are already retiring in great numbers to Central and South America, and Mexico.  There are many reasons for this migration.

Land, while it’s going up, is still cheaper than anything we could buy in the States.  Nations that, a few years ago, were considered primitive and isolated now have good cell phone coverage, broadband internet connections, and satellite television.  Communication is modern and easy.

Housing?  While coastal areas are experiencing a bit of a rise, there are still very reasonable prices for many boomer retirees.

In Nicaragua, things are getting interesting, too.  In spite of the fact that we still conjure up images of dictators and revolutionaries, small coastal communities like San Juan del Sur and cities like Granada are swarming with retired boomers who are buying land and building dream homes, many of them right on the beach, for a fraction of what it would cost in the U.S.

Exact figures are difficult to obtain, but the U.S. State Department estimates that over 380,000 Social Security checks are delivered outside the U.S. each month.  Not counting embassy officials and the military, over four million Americans are now living overseas, many of them retirees.

Central American countries, via their governments, are luring us Boomers with impresive incentive packages, and despite the political risks that remain in some of these countries, it’s worth the gamble.  Retirees get a lower cost of living, warm beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches, and cheap housing, and these countries benefit because more retirees means more local jobs, resulting in a better economy, and when the economy is stable, there is less political instability, too.

If you’re planning to leave the freezing blizzards of Michigan or Indiana and head south, why not check out something besides Florida?  There are all kinds of wonders, if you go just a little, or a lot, further south.

Sphere It

Topics: Travel / Relocation, Friends and Family, Government Incentives, Lifestyle, Money and Taxes, Destinations, Real Estate, Healthcare, Retirement Overseas |

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