Only a two-hour flight from the U.S. and home to 1,015 miles of Caribbean coastline, exquisite white-sand beaches, swaying palms, and friendly locals, the Dominican Republic has long been a popular vacation destination. Every year four million people visit its shores to stay in all-inclusive hotels or as part of a cruise itinerary.

When you look at buying property overseas, don’t think of your attorney as a high-ticket item you don’t need. Sure, hiring an attorney adds to your buying costs. But it can also save you tens of thousands of dollars. A good attorney will walk you through the sale contract, explaining all the terms and conditions.

Six years ago, I received a birthday present worth over $70,000. No, I’m not friends with Oprah. The gift came in the form of a book about restoring farms and village houses and it was a nod to the massive restoration project my husband and I were about to undertake.

Look at the right places beyond our borders today, and you’ll find you have more good choices than ever for a comfortable – even a pampered – retirement. In any one of our top 19 havens for 2012, a lifestyle well beyond your reach in the States could be yours for pennies on the dollar. In this, our annual Global Retirement Index, we bring you the top choices available on the planet today.

One of the key strengths that saw Ecuador surge to the top of the 2012 Retirement Index is its rock-bottom cost of living. However, prices vary from one part of the country to another. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular locations within Ecuador…and the budgets that come with them. First up is Ecuador resident and IL’s writer Suzan Haskins…

Ecuador stormed to the top of our list in the cost of living stakes. We’ve heard from couples who are living well on $800—and less. Everything from home rentals and health insurance cover to eating out and motoring costs come in significantly lower than in the U.S. There are also regional differences – small towns like Cotacachi are significantly cheaper than the bigger cities.

Panama has put together the most appealing program of special benefits for foreign residents and retirees you’ll find anywhere in the world today. Its pensionado, or pensioner visa program, is extremely generous. If you become a pensionado, you’ll also be entitled to a one-time exemption of duties on the importation of household goods (up to $10,000) and an exemption every two years of duties...

Whether your dream retreat is a graceful colonial home with lavish gardens, a simple beachfront bungalow where you can prop up your feet and watch the tide roll in, an expansive hacienda with enough acreage for horses to roam, or a cliff-side villa with sunset views and cool, steady breezes, you’ll find it in Mexico.

While small pockets of Irish people still speak the native Gaelic as their first language, English is spoken by everyone in all parts of the country. While the accent can be difficult to grasp at first, most visitors will find themselves accustomed to it within days. Because language is the single biggest factor in ease of integration, Ireland naturally scores highly here.

France came in joint second place in this category, thanks in large part to its rich, fascinating culture. But you don’t need number-crunchers to tell you its bon vivant lifestyle is special. Step off a plane and you’ll experience it first-hand. It’s impossible to enumerate the joy of lingering for hours over dinner and a bottle of red wine in a Parisian brasserie…