Where’s the cheapest place to retire? And “What’s the best market to invest in?” Readers always ask. In this month’s issue, we deliver the nuanced answers. Because no one-size-fits-all retirement destination exists, nor does everybody’s portfolio require the same fix.
As Suzan Haskins says, “Cheap isn’t always better.” Just because you can live in a place for less than $1,000 a month…that’s not reason enough to settle there.
You’ll only be happy somewhere you enjoy. Great savings, alone, will not provide benefit enough to overcome your frustrations in a place that’s too hot or too loud or too far away from home.
See below for all the articles in your April 2012 issue. If you’d prefer to read your issue in PDF format, click here.
Where’s the cheapest place to retire? And “What’s the best market to invest in?” Readers always ask. In this month’s issue, we deliver the nuanced answers. Because no one-size-fits-all retirement destination exists, nor does everybody’s portfolio require the same fix.
Throughout this month, the Shanghai International Flower Festival puts exotic flowers and herbs on display. You can see a kaleidoscope of color—rare orchids, chrysanthemums, lotus flowers, plum blossoms—you name it, it’ll be there in full bloom.
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Look in any direction from Santa Lucía Hill in downtown Santiago and you’ll immediately see why the Spanish built their fortress here—the views are phenomenal. Nowadays the skyline is crowded with new skyscrapers and towering church steeples, but the snow-capped Andes are where they’ve always been—reflected in the glass and metal towers that rise above the city’s 16th-century colonial buildings.
In pockets all across the planet, you’ll find amazing opportunities to make money from real estate. I’m talking about beautiful places tucked into lush jungle-clad hills, on white sandy coves, in bustling cities, and in small colonial towns. These are markets on the upswing. The mainstream hasn’t heard of them yet. And in them today you’ll get excellent bang for your buck as well as great profit potential.
A typical day for us starts with the braying of our pet donkeys Molly and Malone. Getting up to feed them and our goats is never a chore. We left Massachusetts for Ireland to live in exactly this kind of quiet, rural oasis.
The lush, green valley of Vilcabamba was where the royalty of the Inca Empire came for their rest and relaxation. You can still find reminders of their ancient civilization. And people are still coming here to find tranquility and live well. In the past three years, this magical place has experienced a tsunami of new arrivals.
Within a few hours of Ecuador’s capital, Quito, you can tour the jungles of the Amazon, relax on expansive, sandy beaches, or hike up snow-capped volcanoes. No wonder it’s a popular jumping-off point for adventures, or a great base from which to seek out the perfect retirement spot.
Making the decision to transplant ourselves to Italy was easy. Making the move itself was painless. Making ourselves at home was smooth and immediate. Making a living…well, that’s another beast. I’m not going to lie to you—working in Italy can be difficult. But it’s more than worth it.
I didn’t set out to be a travel writer. And the way I fell into it was haphazard. So when the editors of IL asked me to reveal how I funded my year roaming through Latin America by writing, I didn’t think I could do it.