condo – 2RetireInPanama?

What Have We Been Up To?

We love our home in Panama and are always waiting in anticipation for our next adventure. Having been in the United States for the Christmas and New Year holidays, another trip north was not on our radar. While we visited during the holidays, we were realizing the opportunity for investment in Florida real estate. My sister, Melinda is an agent in Punta Gorda where she and my dad both now live. She was telling us of the thousands of people who are relocating to Florida because of the positive handling of the COVID crisis and the particularly good political environment. With the huge influx of people relocating there the real estate industry has almost no inventory. I mentioned to her that we were anxious to get some of our money out of the stock market and park it in a hard asset. I asked that she keep her eye out for something that may meet our need in the way of a condo. In May she contacted us with a possibility.

The condo that she found for us was in our price range and showed pride of ownership. The systems and appliances were all recently updated, and it was recently repainted top to bottom. She immediately gave us a video tour and we made an offer. We were competing with other potential buyers, but our offer was cash with a guaranteed 15 day close. The elderly seller was happy to accept our offer which gave her a quick easy closing. We waited for the inspection report, which revealed almost no issues, and booked our trip to Florida to close on our new investment.

We did our own final inspection the day before our closing and found it to be very much what we expected. It is less than 15 minutes from my dad and my sister in nearby Port Charlotte. We found it to be very convenient to restaurants, shopping, churches, and the harbor. The community is quiet, and our neighbors were very welcoming.

We settled in and did a little redecorating. We prepared the unit for a potential tenant during the high season in Florida. We equipped it with fresh linens and replaced the small appliances in the kitchen. We purchased cookware and a couple of pieces of furniture. By the time we were through it proved to be wonderfully comfortable.

By the time we left to return to Panama we had secured a tenant for the high season and are pleased with our new investment.

While we were in Florida, we were terribly busy. We registered to vote, got drivers licenses, celebrated a couple of important birthdays, helped my dad with a project, celebrated Father’s Day, and got our COVID shots. In addition to all of that we made sure that everything worked properly in the condo. We also made a trip to Michigan to visit with friends and family.

I wanted to report on the vaccination process in Panama, but had we waited for our turn to get it here we would still be waiting. The process in Florida was quick, free, and simple. We made our appointment at Walgreens and the process caused us no stress whatsoever. By the way, it is important to note that when we were returning to Panama, we got our COVID test free at Walgreens as well. That process also requires an appointment, but it was also easy. We made the appointment on-line and were directed to go through the pharmacy drive through at our appointed time. Once there, they passed the swabs through the window, and we were instructed how to swab ourselves. Another important note here is that neither of us had any side effects from the vaccine. I know that there is much controversy regarding the vaccine, however we did our own research and made the informed decision that it was right for us to vaccinate. We got the Pfizer vaccine, and we both agree that we feel much safer having gotten it.

When we arrived in Florida it was Memorial Day weekend, and every place was hopping. The first thing that we noticed was that mask wearing was nearly non-existent. With the majority of the Florida population vaccinated the mask mandate is optional. It was not hard to get used to NOT wearing a mask everywhere. We still exercised caution until we got our second shot. I got some great pictures over the long weekend.

It was that first weekend that we celebrated my dad’s wife Renee’s and Jen’s birthdays. We went to a Carmelo’s Italian Restorante in Punta Gorda (Renee’s favorite) and had an awesome celebration with the whole family.

You may imagine that that first full week was perhaps the busiest of all with closing on the condo and getting it equipped. The truth is that it was perhaps the easiest of the 5 weeks we spent on the ground.

The second full week we flew to Michigan, rented a car and couch surfed around the state visiting friends and family. Our first couple of days we spent at my mom’s house in Cedar Springs. She and Rich were gracious hosts, and it was a thrill to have the opportunity to see their new house. Mom planned a BBQ for Hope and family which was so nice. The rest of our stay we visited and relaxed.

Hope, Jeremiah, Victoria, Nellie, and Jameson

By the beginning of the third day, we were on the road to Jen’s brother’s house on the east side of the state in Clarkston. Bill and Deb also did a great job of showing us a good time. They planned a cook-out and invited all of Jen’s local family. That gave us the opportunity to see and visit with our nephews, Cullen, Donovan, Connor, and Connor’s wife Olivia. After dinner they staged an impromptu book signing that was so cool. I remain honored by the love and support that family has shown for my book.

Check out future newsletters for some great individual fan photos that I got while on the trip. If you are not getting my newsletter on Monday mornings, and would like it, sign up here. You will see the archive page of past newsletters. Scroll to the bottom for the sign-up. I have been working hard to improve the newsletter since returning to Panama. While traveling we ran into some technical challenges that caused me to miss a few weeks, but we are back on track now.

After a couple of days with Bill and Deb we ventured to our old stomping grounds and visited with our good friends Linda, Ron, Ray, and Diane. We had a nice dinner with the four of them at Black Rock in Kalamazoo.

We had a wonderful meal and spent some much-needed time catching up. Later in weekend Diane and Ray hosted us for a great dinner and boat ride at their place. Mom and Rich came down and we all relaxed and had a great day. On Sunday we returned to Florida.

I addition to boring you all to death with the details of our month, I wanted also to provide valuable information. Post COVID, rental cars are in noticeably short supply across the United States. If you find yourself in need of a rental, be prepared for the price. Our rental car in Michigan for a week with limited mileage was nearly $500. When in Florida we were able to use my dad’s car. Our initial estimate to rent a car for the whole stay in the states was nearly $3,000. That was cost prohibitive for us. When I complained about the exorbitant rental car costs at the rental counter, the clerk would only say that they were unable to get new cars because of manufacturers shortages. She told me that they sold a lot of cars during the pandemic.

For me, the pinnacle of our visit to the states was the wonderful Father’s Day celebration. Our kids started arriving in Florida on Wednesday, and by Friday night all 3 girls and all 4 grandkids were there for the celebration. Jen and I vacated the condo and let them have run of the place.

Friday, we took everyone to the Shell Factory in North Fort Myers. We did not know exactly what to expect, but I think it was a great time for all the kids. First, we went to the animal preserve where all the kids were able to get up close and personal with many of the animals. After that we had a great lunch, played mini golf, ziplined, and toured the gift shop.

Mister Tree says welcome to The Shell Factory

Quiet please…we don’t want to wake up the dinosaur.

Jameson feeds the birds while Nellie and Lucy look on.

Victoria, Jameson, Nellie, and Lucy pose in front of the Dinosaur exhibit.

Jameson, Nellie, and Lucy are hatching from dinosaur eggs.

Between all the other events we had plenty of time in the pool at the condo. We also had a great pizza party, went to Gatorz, and checked out the Peace River Wildlife Refuge. On Saturday the kids went to Gilchrist Park with a photographer to have a family picture taken for dad and I. They managed to have the pictures developed and framed to give us at our Father’s Day luncheon.

Kara, Lucy, Jennifer, Hope, Jameson, Victoria, and Nellie

On Father’s Day my sister arranged our luncheon at Laishley’s Crab House. We all had a nice time with great food, followed by a trip to the beach at Ponce De Leon Park where we grabbed some more awesome pictures. This time was super special for my dad and I as we rarely have this whole crew together in one place. In addition to the picture of the kids and grandkids, I got a subscription to Story Worth. They are sending me a writing prompt every Monday. I will be writing on the weekly prompts and returning the work to Story Worth where they will put the whole thing in a book at the end of the year. I guess I am writing my 2nd book. I am still trying to decide if any of it will end up in future blogs or newsletters. Let me know what you think! If a Story Worth subscription is something that interests you for yourself, or a gift, see tomorrow’s newsletter for a link to a valuable coupon.

When all the kids left and the dust settled, Dad and Renee took Jen and I to the Elk’s Club for Chicken and karaoke. We enjoyed the setting on the Peace River while listening to some of the most talented people I have ever heard sing karaoke. These people were so good that I almost forfeited my chance to sing. At the end of the day, I did sing as the sun was setting over the Peace River. Thank-you dad and Renee for hanging around and treating us to a great time while I waited to sing.

Dad, Renee, Jen, and I Beautiful evening on the Peace River

When it came time to go home to Panama, we were both excited to sleep in our own bed. I was asked what the first thing I wanted to do when I got home after 39 days away was. I had a hard time coming up with a response. There were so many things I missed. I think mostly I just wanted a $5 haircut from my favorite barber and to start planning our next big adventure. Finally, I think we are going to make it to the archeological site near Penonome’. Stay tuned.

If you have been enjoying the blog, but are not subscribed, please hit the subscribe button and we will let you know each time a new post is published (about 10 times per year). We will not spam you or share your information. It is really cool when people hit the like button, share and/or comment. We love you guys and hope to see you soon here in paradise.

Blessings,

Greg and Jen

Our Move To Panama

Forgive us for our lack of frequent posts over the past few months. Our back story is well known by our Facebook friends, however we recognize that our blog followers may not know what has happened since returning to the States in April. Let us fill in some of the blanks…

Immediately upon our return to Michigan we began to interview Realtors for the marketing of our home there. We selected an agent and put our home on the market. In less than a week we had it under contract so we began the tedious process of selling nearly everything we owned to prepare for our move. It is amazing how much stuff one collects over the years. Mitzi Casey, our Panama agent, found us a rental that met all our needs and we signed a lease. With all these things in motion we learned after 6 weeks that our buyers financing failed. We were at the point of no return, so we moved forward with plans for our move. Our big fear was maintaining our home in Michigan from Panama. We contracted for lawn care, housekeeping, and security and moved to Panama at the end of June.

A move overseas has many moving parts. We elected to bring only what we could carry ourselves by air. Many people who we’ve met here, have moved using shipping containers, which is very expensive. We found it liberating to get rid of everything and start fresh. That being said, we did lease a place that was furnished. We also sold both cars and bought a car in Panama. We have possession of the vehicle, however the final transfer of title is not yet complete. We will post later about the vehicle purchase process. It is difficult, but doesn’t have to be. We bought a nice, used vehicle from an individual.

Once we arrived in Panama, we had to complete our Visa process. This required about a half day with our attorney at Immigration. We had to surrender our temporary Visa cards, and have new cards issued. This is our permanent residency card which is issued for an indefinite time. The process is now complete. We have applied for our Cedula which is the ID carried by all people in Panama. The Cedula is recognized for doing business. It is easier to conduct bank business, make large purchases, and other things. Our drivers licenses will have to be renewed before the end of next month, because upon their original issue they were only good as long as our temporary Visas. We can do that right near where we live.

A lot of our research indicates that we can live on a very low budget in Panama. What we are finding is that with our Pensionado Visa we get great discounts and our costs for healthcare, insurances, and taxes are significantly less than in the States. We will be living on the Pacific Ocean in a great condo for around the same price as our home in Michigan.The difference is our home insurance is more than 1/3 the price, and we will not pay taxes for the next 10 years. After that the taxes are very low. In future posts we hope to start laying out direct comparisons for cost of living in Panama compared to the States.

We have spent the last several days getting settled into our condo in San Carlos. Our view of the ocean and marina over the golf course is incredible and our new place checked off all of our needs. It is a rental so we will have to settle for some things that we would do differently. We still stand by our decision to rent for a year until we are sure that we have chosen the right neighborhood. Inquiring minds want to see our place, so we are sharing some pictures.

That will bring most of you up to speed. We are still waiting on a buyer for our home in Michigan. We are amazed by the interest, and know that God has a plan for everything. We will be making frequent trips back until it sells. We know so many people who maintain two residences, and we have a new respect for all they do.

As we get settled here in Panama, keep following while we continue to develop new relationships, and learn Spanish. We know that some of you follow to see what we are up to and some follow to learn about the Immigration process. We want to continue to mix everything into this and illustrate our experience and best practices. We love to have you all viewing. As always we hope that you will like, share, and comment. If you are a subscriber, please start adding content. We know that there are multiple perspectives to what we are experiencing.

For now Buenos,

Greg and Jen

We are about to experience Carnival full blast.

We have been hearing for several days that Carnival in Panama is quite an event. As I was writing our last post, Carnival began to sound like a winter storm in Michigan. The stores run out of supplies, there is no gas and traffic is at a standstill. Carnival starts officially today and ends on Tuesday night. That’s a 4 day party across the entire country. Many people here call it a drunk-fest and “no place for children”. You all can probably imagine the kind of Mardi Gras type stuff that will be going on. We understand that yesterday they turned all the lanes of the Trans American Highway to head out of the city for a period of time so that all the people could get to their weekend homes. The condo we are renting is owned by an American, but most in this building are owned by Panamanian people from Panama City who come here for vacation and weekends. It seems that the building is full now and the party here will be mild compared to elsewhere in the country. We are comparing it to our home on an inland lake in Michigan where a large percentage the properties are owned by non-residents. We only see them on the weekends and 4th of July. This week is like the 4th of July; they call it high season here. The fireworks started on Thursday night. We think it must have been some kind of kickoff celebration. Needless to say, we will be staying put here until Wednesday morning. We went out yesterday morning to pick up a few last minute supplies and driving here was like demolition derby/gridlock.

The main reason we went out yesterday was to go to our 1st meeting with our Spanish tutor, Jasmine. We were interested in learning more Spanish and Jasmine came highly recommended. Jasmine was all business, and our 1 hour session was packed full of important Spanish that we are to learn before next time. We are already finding it helpful, and are attempting to converse with one another as much in Spanish as possible. The Spanish here has a bit of its own Panama flare and most people here know a little English which gets mixed into conversation. The more we get away from the tourist area the less English speaking people we find. While we were out, we also filled the car with gas and picked up our passports from the courier. We found them stamped with our multiple entry designation. This will make customs easier, because we will be allowed to go through the line with residents. We can also enter and leave the country on a 1 way ticket. Tourists must have a return ticket when entering the country or they will not be allowed through customs at the airport or any check point at the border. Once a person gives up the tourist designation they are required to get a Panamanian drivers license. That process starts at the American Embassy in Panama City and ends at the local version of the Department of Motor Vehicles. We both have appointments at the American Embassy 1 week from Wednesday in the early morning so that we will hopefully complete the requirement and have our drivers licenses by the end of the day. The last stop of our excursion was to grab a few last minute supplies. We were literally scared to try to pull into the grocery store. The street out in front and the parking lot were gridlock. We ended up at the corner grocery by our condo. We have compared it to a 7-11, but by no stretch of the imagination is it a typical American curb store. We found it to have an ample supply of anything a person may need and fairly priced. We thought that the vegetables were even better there than the grocery store in town. We wanted to stop for lunch, however that stop was as equally frightening as the grocery store situation.

We have shared our research on the Fonda and even visited one earlier in the week. We learned that the translation for Fonda is food. These eating establishments intrigue us and we love to try them. There is one at the end of the street by our condo and it is our new favorite place to go. We can walk there and it is tasty, cheap and friendly. Our first experience with it was Wednesday. The offerings were Pollo Fritas (fried chicken) and Pollo Salsa (broiled chicken with Salsa). There was also some kind of boiled meat that we did not try, and Sopa (soup). The soup offering was Sopa de Costella (rib soup). We did not try it but others around were eating it and it looked good. All meals come with rice, beans, salad, and plaintain. Jen had the fried and I had the salsa chicken, we both had bottled water and our bill was $9.60.

After we took care of our groceries we walked down for lunch yesterday and had a similar experience. Jen again had the fried chicken and I had the Cinta Guisada (steak stewed). The steak was tender and delicious like swiss steak. We brought our own drinks and our bill was $7.50. Don’t let anyone tell you it is expensive to eat out here. You must be open to new experiences, and ready for adventure. We will try this place for breakfast soon, and let you all know how it goes.

We have been guilty of not taking many pictures. We wanted to share a couple of more photos on the roof. It is absolutely beautiful up there, and where we will be spending the majority of the next 4 days.

Our next Session with the Spanish tutor is Wednesday. Thursday we are planning to head to the Azarro Peninsula about 2-1/2 hours to the West and South. This will be our 1st official adventure excursion.

The most important thing we have learned is: me gustaria el cuenta por favor (may I have the check please). That is the simple Spanish lesson for today.

que tengas un buen sabado!

Greg and Jen

We are Settling Into Our Condo at Coronado Bay

Since arriving in Panama we have been crazy busy. Saturday we were picked up by the car rental driver who took us to our condo in Coronado. The process was painless. We completed the rental documents and paid for our car then the condo rental agent showed us where to park and took us to our condo. We have spectacular views out every room, and the balcony is awesome. The housekeeper was finishing up and we chose to get out of her way. We went for a nice lunch and bought a few groceries. We found the grocery store convenient and adequate. Many American brands were available next to the local brands at a premium price. We chose as many local brands as possible. When we returned to the condo we were able to unpack and take care of the groceries. The day passed much too quickly and we didn’t get much time to explore the area. We were able to cook our own dinner and relax for the evening.

Sunday we drove back to Panama City. Driving here is generally a challenge for the most experienced driver. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous to take our first drive. It went off without a hitch. We learned of a great app for navigating Panama called Waze. We downloaded it onto Jen’s phone and it took us right back to the hotel for the night. We had to be at Sevicio Nationale de Imigracion in the city at 7:30 Monday morning to complete the Visa process. We finished up the day Sunday in the hotel with a pizza and enjoyed the Super Bowl on Fox Sports Vivo which broadcast in Spanish (no subtitles). This is another great argument for learning more Spanish.

We were told to expect to spent the entire day at Immigration. I cannot say enough about how awesome our attorney has been. She has been there every step of the way and made the process run smoothly. She had us out of Immigration by 10 AM. The application process is complete, however, they retain our passports for 2 days for the multiple entry visa. The attorney will courier them to us on Wednesday. Now it is a waiting game while immigration decides to approve or deny our application. We have appointments at the American Embassy in 2 weeks to get our Panamanian drivers licenses. As a tourist you can drive on your American drivers license for 90 days. With the Visa process we are no longer considered tourist so it is important to also get our drivers license. The attorney is walking us through that process as well.

This was the prize for all the time we spent at Immigration.

With the Visa application process complete we were free to return to Coronado. Although it was stressful getting out of the city, the drive wasn’t bad. We were back in Coronado in time for lunch and a little exploring around the complex. We walked out to the ocean (the tide was low), then down the beach to the west a ways. We decided to walk east on the beach this morning. Upon our return to the building we relaxed by the pool and met some great people. Our lack of Spanish skills doesn’t seem to matter as much here at the condo. We swam and soaked up some sun for most of the afternoon. The sun is strong here and a little goes a long way. We are so happy to be able to cook our own meals and we finished up the day by having a great dinner. We went to sleep last night with all the windows open and enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves.

Today we plan to explore the immediate area a little more. This area is pretty expensive. The beach, tourists and expats drive the prices higher. Ultimately, this is not probably going to be where we would live. We still want to immerse ourselves into the culture more. It is an honor that all of you are following with us. Please send e-mail or make comments if you have questions that we can answer. As always, like and share so everyone can find us.

Buenos Dias,

Greg and Jen

We have found a temporary home in Panama

Yesterday was the day of our vacation which we had set aside to look for accommodations during our 2 month stay this winter. February and March are high season here and it is a bit more expensive to rent for 2 months. They like long term rentals of at least a year. There are ways to find short term, but the prices are a bit higher. Jen and I have been communicating with Beth McGuyton at Try Panama for several months. Beth had our budget and knew our plans. Beth is a real estate professional and found us the perfect condo in budget. We were both relieved to know that we have a great place to live here, while we explore the great country of Panama. She found us a place that met all the “must haves” on our list. We will be on the beach in Coronado about 1 1/2 hours (33 miles) from Panama City. The traffic out of the city is terrible. The infrastructure here is excellent, however there are not enough roads to accommodate all the cars. We are anxious to explore the city while we are here next winter, but have decided to use a guide or public transportation. We will have a rental car for our exploration, but driving in Panama City is best left to the professionals.

Our guide yesterday was Marc Vargas. Marc is one of the professionals, whom I mentioned earlier. Our trip yesterday was mostly business, so we saw only small parts of the city on our way to Coronado. Marc used his knowledge of traffic and travel in Panama to safely deliver us to Coronado. The entire trip Marc was telling us about the Panama Canal, and giving us helpful information for our winter adventure. Marc introduced us to a couple of people here, and took us to a great open air seafood restaurant. We found Marc to be very knowledgeable and capable. We believe that Marc will consider us friends, and continue to be at our service when, and if, we decide to put down roots here in Panama.

It is a blast down here, and we are having a great time sharing our adventure. Please like, share, and join the conversation.

Tag: condo

Our Move To Panama

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We are about to experience Carnival full blast.

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We are Settling Into Our Condo at Coronado Bay

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We have found a temporary home in Panama

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