Why Panama?

The snow is falling....AGAIN. My mother used to call February the longest short month of the year. And there is no relief in sight. Most people don't realize the March is actually our snowiest month in Minnesota. That is because often it is too cold to snow in January and February. That's right. I said TOO COLD to snow.

So as usual I escape to the internet and into my future. I know that Lyle with Tropical Pathways http://www.tropicalpathways.com/ has told me that Panama offers an exceedingly attractive opportunity for retirement and investment in the Caribbean, but I wondered...what exactly does that mean? So I did some research. Here is what I found:

AARP Magazine did a story in their May/June issue of 2007 rating Boquet, Panama the fourth best retirement destination in the world http://www.aarp.org/

International Living Magazine rated Panama #1

But why?

Panama offers a US style infrastructure with first world amenities. It has a cosmopolitan capital city, gorgeous beaches, great surfing, kayaking, diving, deep sea fishing, birding, river rafting and rain forest experiences.

But also Panama offers tax incentives, more amenities, lower costs and lower crime rates than many other traditional retirement locations.

Additionally Panama has a stable government, no tax on foreign income for residents and US standard health care facilities with US trained doctors.

English is widely spoken and the US Dollar is the national currency. Plus, residents can buy and own property with the same rights and protections as Citizens. It has one of Central America's highest per capita gdp, and The Investment Stability Law of 1998 protects foreign investors for 10 years.

All of this (and let's face it - the snow) got me antsy to visit. Lyle is offering an investment education tour in April. I can't wait to go!