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All-New Panama Index Reveals
Your 9 Best Options For Living, Retiring, And Investing In
The World’s #1 Do-Everything Haven…
Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

We’ve just published our annual Panama Index.

In it, we reveal the 9 best places to live, retire, and invest in Panama.

Detailed budgets… current rents… where to go to access the best health care… and how to guarantee yourself top-speed internet…

Just how much Spanish you’ll need to learn… and how concerned you should be (honestly) about becoming a victim of crime...

How often the electricity will go out… and how much it will cost you in the first place…

How to determine whether or not you’ll need to own a car… and how much you should expect to spend to buy the Panama home of your dreams…

From Avenida Balboa and Casco Viejo to Coronado and Pedasí…

From El Valle and Boquete to this country’s still little-known and up-and-coming options for living and retiring well even on a modest budget… in the mountains and with the crashing Pacific Ocean on your doorstep…

   Panama is the world’s top retirement, offshore, and doing business haven…   
 Our team on the ground—with more than 25 years of experience living, investing, and doing business in this country—has worked with contacts across this country—from coast to coast, the highlands to the islands—to compile the most comprehensive resource ever produced on spending time and money in the country that we have named among the world’s top lifestyle and investment havens for more than two decades.

No one knows Panama like we know Panama… and we’ve brought all that experience and judgement to bear as we’ve collected the data and crunched the numbers to produce a one-of-a-kind survey that rates and ranks all of your best Panama options in every category of importance to the would-be retiree, expat, investor, and entrepreneur… from cost of living to the average per-square-meter cost of buying beachfront property or an oceanside condo…

From health care to infrastructure… from road access to the amount of English spoken… from crime and safety to opportunities for making friends, becoming part of the expat community, starting a business, and even taking salsa lessons…

I’m not exaggerating when I say this is the ultimate guide to one of the world’s most irresistible countries…

Hot Off The Virtual Presses
Panama Letter Index Yours Free

And we’d like to send it to you with our compliments. More on this in a moment.

First, let’s remind ourselves just how big the opportunity on the table in Panama is right now…

Who Should Be Looking At Panama?

The world’s best places to think about spending your retirement years…

Indeed, irresistible options for reinventing and relaunching your life at any age.

Top-notch international schools… making this a top choice for raising a family…

New tax incentives and a seriously pro-investor government… plus the world’s best approach to corporate taxation… making this country, as well, our #1 pick for the best place in the world to start a business.

Indeed, why do you think I chose Panama as the headquarters for my Live and Invest Overseas business when I could have based the business anywhere?

In addition, Panama’s is the most proven property investment market in the world… with a track record for recovering quickly from downturns thanks to the secret weapon and massive cash cow that is the Panama Canal (which is one reason we believe Panama will be among the very first countries to recover from the global pandemic crisis)…

Panama is one of the best places in the world to start a business, which is why we made it our LIOS headquarters…

At the same time, Panama remains home to some of the best options on the planet to invest for cash flow… both short- and very long-term.

No one place could possibly offer all that opportunity… could it?

Panama is the world’s top retirement, offshore, and doing business haven…

If I weren’t here, seeing it, watching it, living it for myself, I’d be skeptical, too.

But Panama really is the best place in the world right now to retire, to start a business, to live tax-free, and to invest for immediate cash flow and long-term upside. This is a remarkable little powerhouse of a country with an ambitious agenda. It has rolled out the red carpet—for foreign retirees, for foreign investors, for global entrepreneurs—making it easier and more attractive than ever before in this country’s history… and easier and more attractive than anywhere else on Earth today… to think about spending your time and your money.

In its continued and expanding efforts to welcome the world’s retirees, investors, and business folks, Panama is remaking herself. She is building new roads and paving old ones… building new hospitals, more schools, additional airports… creating tax-free and investor-incentive zones… investing in a metro system for Panama City… as well as new parks and recreation areas…

Again, if I weren’t here, on the ground, watching the infrastructure and other improvements myself day-to-day, I wouldn’t believe the reports. It’s like watching time-lapse photography. When these Panamanians set their minds to something, they do it.

A new highway? New bridge? Other countries in this part of the world promise those things for years before following through. In Panama, you blink and the promised road is a reality… the new airport terminal open for business.

You Deserve The Truth…
And That’s All You’ll Get From Us

Now, no place is perfect, and I’m not suggesting Panama is any exception. There are downsides, struggles, and challenges associated with living, investing, and doing business in this little country so committed to improving itself.

I know from long and firsthand experience.

But those things can be addressed… overcome… if you’re prepared and if you have the right guidance and support.

And the payoff can be enormous. Here in Panama today, you really can realize the retirement you’ve long dreamed of even if your retirement nest egg is far smaller than you expected it to be. You really can generate the income you need to live the life you want… and keep every dollar you earn. You really can invest for both immediate cash flow and long-term upside, positioning yourself in an economy that has impressively global ups and downs for decades…

In Panama today, you really can live better, retire well, start over, reinvent yourself, and take control of your financial future.

But I wouldn’t suggest trying to accomplish those things all on your own. Speaking from three-and-a-half decades of living and investing overseas experience, I can tell you that this is all far, far easier and your chances of success much, much greater if you have a little help along the way…

Panama Inside-Out—Warts And All

Panama presents extraordinary opportunity right now, but, when you begin to try to make your plan for how to take advantage of it, you realize something.

You realize that there isn’t just one Panama.

Panama is rolling out the welcome mat for retirees and investors the world over…
There’s the Panama of the marketing hype…

There’s the Panama of the internet…

There’s the theory of Panama… the idea of Panama…

Then there’s the real Panama.

Panama is rolling out the welcome mat for retirees and investors the world over…

Beyond the much-touted advantages of this country’s pensionado  program… beyond the excellent infrastructure… the high standard of health care… the affordable cost of living… the enviable geographic position…

Beyond the banking advantages… the doing-business incentives… the tax breaks… the sustained economic prosperity…

Lies a squiggle of a country with two long coastlines.

All the benefits I’ve been suggesting exist, and there are many, many others…

But with so much on the table, the idea of Panama can become overwhelming… and, at times, misleading.

For, just as there is a wealth of information out there on Panama today… so, too, are there lots of mistruths and inaccuracies, misrepresentations and misunderstandings.

Some of this is a result of sugarcoating, misinformation intended to make a buck from the unsuspecting, inexperienced gringo.

More is a function of how quickly this market has been moving in recent years. Once information is published on the internet, it becomes immortal, knocking around in cyberspace for all eternity.

Even if it were true when first published, it can be misleading at best by the time you stumble upon it with the help of Google.

There’s the Panama of the marketing hype…

There’s the Panama of the internet…

There’s the theory of Panama… the idea of Panama…

Then there’s the real Panama.

Panama is rolling out the welcome mat for retirees and investors the world over…

To get the best out of Panama—to determine which opportunities might be right for you—you need to know the full story… you need to understand all the facts, straight and complete and current…

You need to see Panama for what she really is. You need to open your eyes to the good, the bad, and the ugly of living, investing, banking, and doing business here.

Only then can you set yourself up for success.

You Need Help!

As a publisher of information on living and investing overseas for over three-and-a-half decades, I’ve been traveling to Panama for a long time now. And, today, I feel lucky to call this country home.

In the past two-dozen years, I’ve opened offices here (twice). I’ve purchased, rented, and renovated property—apartments and whole buildings… in Panama City and beyond… riverfront and beachfront… island and highland.

In 2008, Panama City became my family’s primary residence… and the home base for my Live and Invest Overseas publishing business. My husband and I raised our son here… while conducting business and continuing to make additional property investments.

And, again, the most important thing I’ve learned, in all my experiences traveling, living, and doing business all over the world as well as here in Panama, is that you can’t do it alone. At least, not if you want to avoid making costly mistakes.

I know people who’ve turned their backs on Panama thanks to misinformation (which usually originated on the web) or because they put their faith in the wrong people. A real estate deal that went awry… living costs that worked out to be more expensive than advertised… a bad experience with a so-called “professional” financial advisor or business consultant…

This is such a shame. I appreciate how much Panama has to offer right now… and I believe in the potential of this country at such an important turning point in its history.

But that doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a good experience here.

Quite the contrary, to take advantage of what’s on offer in Panama today, you need reliable help that you can trust. You need not information… at least not only information.

More than information, you need judgment.

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The World's Best Residency Program—And A Work Permit, Too!

In May 2012, Panama's president issued an Executive Decree that has since become known as the "Friendly Nations" residency permit. Big news, as this new program was heralded as not only easy residency, but a quick and easy route to a work permit, as well. And a work permit is no easy thing for a foreigner to organize anywhere in the world.

The stated objective of the decree was to make it easier for foreigners to work in Panama. The country was experiencing a growing shortage of qualified labor. The government wanted to do something to address the problem. So then President Martinelli conceived what amounts to one of the most user-friendly and straightforward residency programs on offer anywhere in the world, not only today but in the history of residency programs.

What's more, again, this special program also provides for the holy grail: a work permit. To get one under this new program, all you need is an offer letter for employment.

This is all a very fast-moving target, and the Department of Labor continues to modify things to make sure the program works the way it was intended—which is to make it easier for skilled labor to come to work in Panama to address the growing shortage.

No one can say at this point how the rules for this program will be adjusted going forward or how long the permits will be available.

If Panama is on your radar and you're from one of the 50 countries on the list of qualifying nations for this unique opportunity, this is the best chance and now is the best time you're going to have to obtain easy and quick permanent residency in this country... even a work permit. We'll keep you up-to-date on all relevant details and make sure you have all the information you need to act in future issues of the Panama Letter.
Here’s Our Promise:
No Rose-Tinted Glasses

For sure, I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today all alone. Over the years, I’ve made lots of contacts in Panama. Some have turned out to be no use at all (these I politely discontinued doing business with)… while others proved to be goldmines of information and support. I continue to work with and to count on these resources today. Some have become good personal friends.

Now, to help you pursue your own dreams in this country, I’d like to share my experience—and that of my most trusted friends and advisors—with you.

With the help of the network of resources I’ve developed over more than a decade of living and doing business in this country, I’d like to tell you the truth about Panama… without any sugar-coating.

My Panama Letter, a monthly e-zine from the Panama-based staff of Live and Invest Overseas, will make it possible for you to get up to speed and to stay current, in real time, with current opportunities in the real Panama… opportunities that would be impossible to uncover, to vet, or to act on your own.

My Panama Letter doesn’t deal in theory or rhetoric. It isn’t produced by researchers or editors sitting in some far-off office who may have visited Panama once or twice or who even come and go now and then.

My Panama Letter is packed with information from expats living in this country full time and from my personal team of in-country advisors and professionals, including the attorneys, real estate agents, offshore experts, and tax consultants I trust personally. You can be assured that everything you read in Panama Letter is current, accurate, and real.

More important, it’s delivered by people with real judgment… judgment born of real-world experience.

My team behind Panama Letter includes expats who love their adopted homeland, but who aren’t afraid to admit its pitfalls, downsides, and really, really frustrating, ridiculous, enigmatic, even maddening quirks…

Experts whose mission it is to give the full story…

Meet Your Panama Letter Insiders

Kathleen Peddicord—Founding Publisher, Expat, and Contributor to Panama Letter…

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 35 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 24, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Lief Simon—Expat and Real Estate Advisor to Panama Letter…

Over the last 25 years, Lief has personally bought and sold property in 24 countries. Panama has been a core focus. Few people know the Panama real estate market as intimately as Lief does. As the founding editor of Global Real Estate Investor and the staff Real Estate Editor for International Living for 10 years, Lief was one of the first investors to identify (and alert his readers to) the potential of Panama when the Panama City real estate market was just warming up. Nowadays, Lief's focus in Panama is west and south of this country's capital, on the Azuero Peninsula... though he still turns up extraordinary deals in Panama City and beyond regularly When Lief finds a worthwhile real estate opportunity in Panama, you'll hear about it first in Panama Letter.

Mónica Linares—Global Property Advisor Managing Editor, Panama Local, and Panama Letter Regular Contributor…

Mónica, born and raised in Panama, knows her way around this little isthmus. A regular contributor to Panama Letter, she continues to be a resource for anyone wanting to take the plunge into life in her exciting home country.

At the end of 2019, she became the Managing Editor of our Global Property Advisor and is currently learning the ropes of the global real estate investing world. Working from Live and Invest Overseas’ Panama City HQ, she has a special focus and insight on the Panamanian real estate market.

Sophia Titley—Live and Invest Overseas Editorial Director, Expat, and Panama Letter Editor…

Sophia is a long-time expat… In fact, she was born an expat. Staying true to her origins, she continues to pursue a lifestyle that is not limited by international borders. So far, she has lived in 7 countries and traveled to over 50. Of all the places she’s lived, Panama remains a firm favorite, and she knows this country intimately, having explored it from coast to coast, highland to island.

As the Editor of Overseas Living Letter and Panama Letter, Sophia has keen insight into the administrative and bureaucratic hurdles of setting up life in a new country… But equally important, she also has knowledge of the factors that most affect your enjoyment of your new life overseas, including how to meet new people, pursue your hobbies, and lead a fulfilling lifestyle.
Get Up Close With The Real Panama

You probably know at least a little of Panama City. It’s a vibrant, electric place of business, banking, and entertainment… And a very user-friendly hub from which you can easily reach most major cities in Latin America.

I like Panama City for its First-World infrastructure and amenities for doing business. That’s why we’ve chosen to make it our home, right now.

But, as I’ve said, there’s so much more to Panama beyond its capital. We’d like to introduce you to these other sides of Panama (beyond the expat hot-spots of David and Boquete, too).

Every month in Panama Letter, our editorial team will show you a new area within this beautiful country. They’ll tell you about a particular neighborhood, a certain beach, a little-known town—what it has going for it… how much living here would cost… who this region will suit… who wouldn’t be happy here… and who–on the ground–can help you settle in…

It’s their mission at Panama Letter to introduce you to less-known places…

Places like the little beach town of Las Tablas on Panama’s Azuero Peninsula… a town of 10,000 people without a single traffic light…

Up-To-Date Information
From The Front Line

Little Las Tablas is one of our favorite budget choices in this country.

 When we report on the cost of living in Las Tablas, we always get the same reaction: “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

We admit it. On the surface, it can be difficult to believe the cost of monthly rent in this ocean-side town. But it’s true. It’s possible to rent a two- or three-bedroom, two-bath home a few kilometers from the beach and within five minutes’ walk of the center of town for as little as $300 per month. Your rent could be less than your monthly food bills!

 For such a little country, Panama serves up a tremendous diversity of appealing lifestyle options… 

Yes, a little place like Las Tablas can be affordable, but it’s made even more so when you know where to go to get the best deals. For instance, you could never find the $300-a-month rental by searching on the internet. Such deals are circulated purely by word of mouth among the locals. If these kinds of super-deals make their way to agents, the prices are inflated for the gringo market.

To penetrate the gringo pricing level in a place like Las Tablas and get the real deals, you’ve got to become part of the local community. You’ve got to be connected on the ground. That’s where we come in.

Our editorial team are expats themselves. They’re doing what you’re contemplating doing—rebuilding their lives in one of the most exciting countries on Earth right now.

There’s no two ways about it. To take advantage of the best opportunities on offer in Panama you’ve got to be in Panama—as our team is.

In every issue of Panama Letter, for every region, city, beach town, and community they feature for you, therefore, they are able to provide you with local contacts who will make it possible for you to access the most interesting opportunities and to operate beyond the gringo world (where the costs can be much greater!).

Our team can tell you…

Where to go to enjoy breakfast for as little as $1.75…

Mouthwatering authentic Panamanian meals can be found at extremely affordable prices… how about a delicious, hearty lunch for $4?
Or a full Panamanian dinner of meat and fish with a couple of sides for $6…

How to shop for jumbo shrimp, fresher than you’ll find in the supermarket, for $3.50 a pound…

How to snack on the go for pocket change…

And it’s not just food that’s cheap in Las Tablas and elsewhere in Panama…

A taxi across town some places is no more than $1.50…
The four-hour bus journey from the interior to Panama City can be as little as $9.70 each way…

Things like getting your car serviced can be a super bargain, too, if you know where to go… the mechanic we recommend charges as little as $5 an hour…

The cost of living and of real estate, too, can be bargain-basement in Panama. Not in Panama City, but beyond, yes. A friend on the Azuero coast bought a two-bedroom house on a double lot for just $45,000…

Cities, Beaches, Islands, And Hills—
The Best Of Panama Showcased In
Living Color—Yours Free

Of course, every place our Panama Letter editors bring to you has more going for it than affordability.

Our entire Panama Letter team understands what it takes to build a rich and rewarding life in this country, and they’re every one committed to vetting every destination they consider for coverage accordingly.

In addition to details to do with cost of living and cost of real estate, you also need to know all about things like good medical facilities, leisure and entertainment opportunities, safety issues, who your neighbors would be, and on and on…

And this is where our just-published Panama Index comes in.

Our Panama Letter Index is the most comprehensive resource ever produced Index is the most comprehensive resource ever produced on spending time and money in the country that is everywhere acknowledged as a grandaddy in the world of living and investing overseas.
What is your dream? Whatever it is, there’s a place in Panama for you… let us help you
find it…

in our 2024 Panama Index, our Panama Letter team of on-the-ground experts and expats reveals the 9 best places to live, retire, and invest in Panama… your absolute best choices for reinventing your life in this land of opportunity.

And, for every location featured, we dig deep, providing a complete guide, based on months of data-crunching and years of personal experience. This is no superficial guidebook. This is the Great Big Book Of Panama. Budgets and costs, facts and figures are supported with photos, maps, videos, and interviews.

This is easily the most valuable resource available anywhere for anyone considering living, retiring, investing, or starting a business in Panama.

And we’d like to send it to you free.

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2024 Panama Index Reveals The Very Best Of Panama… Coast To Coast, Highlands To The Islands

What is your dream? Whatever it is, there’s a place in Panama for you…

Let us help you find it.

Our Panama Letter Index looks at the 9 very best places to consider for your new life or your next investment, including…

Top choices in the mountains and on the coast that are still within easy reach of Panama City…

And world-class beach choices that are less developed and more private… less discovered and much more budget-friendly…

Alternative cities to the capital where you’ll find good amenities and the services and infrastructure you’d need to make a comfortable life for yourself… at a far lower cost than in Panama City…

Within Panama City itself, which offers a diversity of neighborhoods—each with its distinct feel and lifestyle…

Many of these places you likely never would have heard of before. They’re not on the radar of most visitors to this country or glorified in the magazine press.

That’s part of what makes these places so special and an important part of the reason you should know about them. They remain blissfully undiscovered and therefore temptingly cheap. For such a small country, Panama offers an enormous range of diversity. You couldn’t possibly discover it all on one whirlwind trip… or even several. It could take you years of travel on your own to get to know all the faces of all Panama.

We understand that you likely don’t have years to invest in that kind of research. So our mission with Panama Letter is to help you to narrow your search… to target the locales that make the most sense for you…

Starting with the 9 top options detailed in our Panama Letter Index.

Go In With Your Eyes Wide Open

Like anywhere in the world, Panama has its pitfalls. With its high standard of infrastructure and capital that feels like a U.S. city, you can easily forget that you’re in Central America… at first. But spend a little time here, and you’ll remember! For all its advantages and benefits, Panama remains part of the developing world.

This is the Land of Fiestas and Mañanas. As I write, we’re all sitting, smoldering, in our downtown Panama City office. The air conditioning system went on the fritz last week. The air conditioner repair guy was due two days ago. No sign of him yet…

Panamanians know how to party and
Carnavales in Panama rivals Carnival in Rio…

Generally speaking, people in this part of the world show up late for appointments, meetings, even dinner parties. And good luck getting anything done in the months of November (Patriot’s Month, when the country remembers—and takes off for—three separate days of independence) and February (when Carnaval celebrations can seem to extend for weeks)…

Things don’t work here in Panama as you might think they should… sometimes it’ll seem that they don’t work at all.

I couldn’t be more committed to this country or more impressed by what she has to offer. But I’m no fool either. I see Panama’s downsides as well as her advantages. I know about the frustrations and the limitations of living and doing business here. I face them every day.

I’ve got my eyes wide open. And still I choose to be in Panama. And I speak for my entire Panama Letter team. We’re not dummies. We know the real Panama. And we’re here to stay.

Panama is the #1 place on earth right now to launch an Internet business…

In the virtual pages of Panama Letter each month, we’ll help prepare you for the downsides and the hassles of life here. Forewarned is forearmed. It’s easier to let the frustrations roll off your back if you know to expect them. In fact, once you’re prepared for them, the cultural differences are easier to accept. After a while, you may stop noticing (even start embracing) these little quirks.

"Your Panama Letter has all the pertinent information on Panama that I have been looking for, and, as you say, it is all straightforward, honest. and not sugar-coated. Perfect. Thanks again for creating the Panama Letter, Kathleen."

Richard Lannon, Panama Letter Subscriber

Smartest Real Estate Buys On The Planet
I’m sure this doesn’t come as news to you: Panama City is no longer the super-cheap destination she was 10 years ago. It didn’t take long for foreign investors and retirees to catch on to her charms… and for city real estate prices to rise accordingly.

Rise they did… up, up, up, up… with some dips along the way.

Over the past two decades, Panama has shown herself to be remarkably resilient. Property markets here have fallen but never crumbled. Right now this country, along with the rest of the world, is navigating the global pandemic. Prices in general are more negotiable than they’ve been in some time, but some sellers are in denial. They continue to ask pre-pandemic prices.

Which means you’ve got to keep your wits about you. How much should you pay for an apartment in the banking district… in Paitilla… in San Francisco… in El Cangrejo… in Casco Viejo?

Pricing in this town today is a very moving target. We’ll help you follow the bouncing ball, neighborhood by neighborhood.

The country beyond the capital is a different market altogether. In fact, it’s many different markets, some of which make solid sense right now for the would-be investor. Which ones? Why? How much should you pay for beachfront, ocean-view, riverfront, farmland… raw land for development… a lot in a private community? We’ll tell you, local market by local market.

Pricing in this town today is a very moving target. We’ll help you follow the bouncing ball, neighborhood by neighborhood.

The country beyond the capital is a different market altogether. In fact, it’s many different markets, some of which make solid sense right now for the would-be investor. Which ones? Why? How much should you pay for beachfront, ocean-view, riverfront, farmland… raw land for development… a lot in a private community? We’ll tell you, local market by local market.

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Stay On Top Of All Things Panama

I say again: Panama is one of the fastest-moving markets on the planet today. While much of the world is mired in recession and worse, Panama is pushing ahead… pushing, expanding, growing…

Opportunity abounds.

You’ll receive our full reports on the top options for living, retiring, investing, and doing business in Panama in each monthly Panama Letter issue. From new property developments to legislative changes affecting foreign residency or visa options… from updates on tax law to restaurant openings and further surprises from the government, our Panama Letter team will make sure you’re in touch with Panama in real time.

Living The Resilient Life In Panama

Coley and his wife weren't worried about money, making ends meet, or how they'd pay for retirement. Coley was making a great living, the young couple and their two small children were enjoying a fully appointed life in Washington, D.C., and retirement was decades away.

Panama is also one of the best places in the world to embrace the back to basics self-sufficient life…
Looking ahead, their lives seemed to promise lots more of the same—more earnings and an even more comfortable lifestyle as they continued to work hard and make their way up the D.C. ladder. They had achieved, at early ages, the life that many Americans dream about.Only it wasn’t working for them. From their position in the U.S. capital, they had an insider’s view of what was going on and, from their perspective, what was going wrong. This was seven years ago, and, after a lot of research and months of soul-searching, Coley and his wife, in their mid-30s, scooped up their two little ones and opted out. “We wanted to get out while we were still young enough to remake our lives and our children’s futures in a way that made more sense to us.”

Coley and his young family hopped a flight from the American capital to the Panamanian one, where, months before, they’d purchased a house on the beach. They had to pull the trigger on their plan, because their house back in the States had sold. Yet, they discovered, their new home on the coast outside Panama City wasn’t finished yet. Arriving in Panama, the little family checked into the Intercontinental Hotel.

“We were at the Intercontinental for weeks,” Coley explained Thursday night when we met for dinner. “I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. What had I done? What was I doing? We were living in a hotel in a Third World city with two toddlers, for crying out loud. Burning through our savings. No one could promise when our house would be ready for us to move in. I thought I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.”

Today, a decade later, Coley is confident that moving his family to Panama was the smartest thing he could have done at the time and that, if he hadn’t done it then, he’d do it today for sure.

“I look at what’s going on back in the States,” he says, “and I know we made the right choice. I see very bad times ahead for my country. I think my family and I can do better for ourselves in this life we’re creating for ourselves.”

In the seven years since they took their leap of faith, Coley and his wife have welcomed a new member into their family (their third child was born in Panama City about a year ago), they’ve started businesses, including a school in the area where they’re living because no international school existed anywhere nearby and, as Coley explains, “we got tired of homeschooling the kids,” and now they’re preparing to launch a sustainable community, to create a place where like-minded folks can work together to build the lives and the futures they want.

“I’m back in the States regularly,” Coley explained over dinner last week. “I travel to D.C. every month to work with my consulting clients. When we meet, all they want to talk about is my life here in Panama.

“‘What’s Panama really like?’… ‘Do you have any regrets?’ they want to know. ‘Man, I wish I could do it,’ they say. ‘Boy, Coley, you’ve figured this out. Do you think I could do it, too? Do you think my family and I could make that kind of a move, too?’

“There’s so much unhappiness and uncertainty in the United States right now, especially in D.C. I think people in that part of the country are at the epicenter of a growing recognition that things are out of control. What I realized years ago was that nobody was going to get things back under control anytime soon. Our only choice, each of us, is to take control of our own lives. I say this to friends and clients back in D.C. today, and they agree. They see this truth as well as I do. But they’re scared, intimidated. I understand. I was scared, too, when the realization first set in for me.

“All I can say is that this move to a simpler life here in Panama that we found the courage to make? It was the best move and the best decision of our lives.”
Why You Don’t Want To Miss A
Single Issue Of Panama Letter

Every month, in the virtual pages of Panama Letter, you’ll read…

In-depth, insider coverage of top expat living options… detailing the pluses and the minuses of each destination featured…

Full cost-of-living analysis for each featured destination, including detailed budgets…

Interviews with expats already living and doing business in the featured destinations…
Current top recommended real estate options, for both purchase and rental…
Business opportunities…
Top banking options…
Updates on Panama’s status as an offshore haven…
Up-to-date information on issues affecting expats (from residency requirements and health care to investment laws and travel)…
Details of upcoming events of interest to expats, hotel and restaurant reviews, a traditional Panamanian dish, and more…
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Practical And Actionable Information
Every Month To Your Email Inbox

The pages of Panama Letter are packed with practical information, everything you need to launch your new life or your new business… all the know-how, experience, and judgment you could possibly require to realize all your Panama dreams and objectives.

Every destination report in Panama Letter includes:

Complete details of the cost of living (including tips of where to shop for the most affordable items)…

A sample monthly budget for living in a particular locale (including the cost of gas, electricity, high-speed internet, having part-time household help, owning and maintaining a car)…

Coverage of the neighborhoods and best places to live (and where to avoid)…
Your best medical care options…
The healthcare in Panama City is of a top notch international standard

An overview of the current real estate market, both for sales and rentals, including current listings (and how much you should really expect to spend in each case)…

The best places to eat, drink, and be entertained…

Opportunities for settling in, making friends, and becoming part of the community…

What you need to know if you want to relocate to Panama with children… or pets…

Full contact details for everyone you should know in every location featured, from architects and attorneys to bankers and dry cleaners… from shippers and painters to handymen and auto mechanics…

Plus, you’ll get all the need-to-know information that’s relevant no matter where in the country you choose to settle. Things like…

The property purchase process in this country…

Your best options for local and international health insurance…
How to bring your dog (or cat)…
What you’ll need to open a bank account…
How to get the best deal on the rental that’s right for you…
The healthcare in Panama City is of a top notch international standard

Top international schooling options…

An insider’s guide to local customs and etiquette (to help prevent you from making social blunders)…

Your options for staying in the country, so you can figure what visa is right for you…

New business opportunities in real time…

How to buy a car (and when not to)…

How to get a Panama driver’s license…

How to shop for insurance in Panama beyond health insurance (including coverage for your car and your home)…

Tips for fast-tracking your residency process…

How to figure your property taxes (they’re negligible)… and how to know if the property you’re buying is tax-exempt…

How to choose the right cell phone plan for you…

Every issue of Panama Letter also features a fun language lesson… and a recipe for a different Panamanian specialty, from ropa vieja to sancocho (which the Panamanians swear by as a sure-fired cure for a hangover).

Our goal is to arm you with everything you need to settle in and settle down for the adventure of your life.

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Try My Panama Letter Today…
And Receive 9 New Subscriber Bonuses Worth $152.78!

To get you up to speed with Panama as quickly as possible, I’d like to send you our Panama Letter Index. It truly is the ultimate Panama resource.

And I’d like to send it to you with my compliments… simply for giving my Panama Letter a try.

In addition, I’d also like to send you 9 other important Panama resources… again, all with my compliments as part of this special invitation.

The entire library of Panama resources—including our annual, just-published Panama Letter Index—are yours free when you try my Panama Letter.

Your package of free gifts include:

Panama Letter Index (a $49.00 value)—In this annual survey, we rate and rank your top 9 options for living and investing in the country that we have named the world’s do-everything haven…

Panama 101: 101 Things You’ll Wish Someone Had Told You About Panama (a $9.99 value)—This is the guide I’d love to have had when I first came to Panama some 25 years ago. It would certainly have saved me embarrassment, hassle, delay, and headaches… not to mention a whole lot of cash. In these pages, you’ll learn vital lessons, including the absolute maximum you should ever pay for a taxi ride across Panama City… what not to wear if you want to be taken seriously by your new compatriots… where to go to shop for books in English… a guide to festivals and seasons… and helpful Panamanian-isms…
Panama Residency Visas 101, containing fully up-to-date information on all 14 of this country’s top foreign residency options (a $9.99 value)—This is your step-by-step guide with answers to all your residency- and visa-related questions…
Little Black Book for Panama(impossible to assign a value because this is our private Rolodex, not available for sale anywhere)—This is a guide to our best in-country contacts, which is supplemented every month with the new contacts we’ll introduce you to in your issues of Panama Letter
Special Focus Report on the Panama City Beaches (a $14.95 value)—To continue your Grand Tour of Panama, this report features the most turnkey, expat-friendly beaches in the Arco Seco region of Panama…
Special Focus Report on Casco Viejo (a $14.95 value)—Casco is Panama City’s most romantic quarter. This report provides all the essential information for establishing yourself in this trendy and very expat-friendly neighborhood, one of our favorite in all Panama City…
Special Focus Report on Boquete (a $14.95 value)—Panama’s original expat haven that offers a year-round spring-like climate, thousands of English-speaking expats, and a high level of services and amenities…
Special Focus Report on the beachside town of Pedasí (a $9.95 value)—Located at the southeastern tip of the Azuero Peninsula, Pedasí is a colorful, hip, fun, tranquil, and safe village, where expats from all over the globe have come together to form a close-knit surf community like none we’ve seen anywhere else in Panama. This is a place where kids and adults ride bikes through the streets at all hours of the day, thumbing a ride to the beach is common, and friends gather two nights a week for drinks and live music at the town hangout. This quiet gem of a beach town could be just the place for you…
44 Things You Must Know Before You Relocate, Retire, or Invest Offshore (a $29 value)—This is the nuts-and-bolts support you need to plan your adventures in Panama with confidence…

That’s 9 special reports with a total value of $152.78.

Now here’s the crazy part…

These 9 special Panama reports that we’re standing by to send to you with our compliments together are worth more than the cost of one year of your Panama Letter subscription!

Panama Letter’s retail price is $120 for one year, $239 for two years.

However, during this limited-time invitation, you can become a subscriber to my Panama Letter for one year for only $69. That’s far less than the cost of the special free reports if you were to purchase them on their own… and a discount of nearly 42% off the regular one-year subscription price!

But here’s an even better deal…

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Subscribe Today For Two Years—Get All 11 Reports (Worth $246.69) And Save 54% Off The Subscription Cost!

But wait, as they say, there’s more…

For this special offer, we’re bundling together every resource we can imagine you might need as you consider and prepare for a new life in this beautiful little country.

In addition, therefore, to the complete set of 9 reports above, including our annual Panama Letter index, when you take advantage of this limited-time invitation and subscribe to my Panama Letter for two years, we’ll also send you two other important bonus reports:

Additional Two-Year Bonus Report #1: Top 5 Health Insurance Options For The Expat In Panama(a $19.95 value) introduces you to Panama’s health care systems, both public and private. This country boasts some of the best health care facilities in region. In fact, Panama is increasingly recognized as a leading medical tourism destination. And the top-notch medical facilities aren’t limited to the capital city.

Certainly, you’ll find the best services in Panama City, but some smaller towns also offer good public and private hospital and clinic options. This report shows you where, beyond the capital, you can find them… plus it also details your top in-country health insurance options (including policies that could provide all the coverage you need for as little as $50 per month)…

Additional Two-Year Bonus Report #2: El Corazón De Panama: The Azuero Peninsula—Part II: Western Azuero (a $24.95 value)— This is your guide to where the smart money is headed in this country… the “other” Azuero, the only developed western-facing coast in the country, sitting smack dab in Panama’s path of progress.

Subscribe today for two years of the support, insider information, judgment, experience, and real-life know-how you’ll gain with the help of Panama Letter, and you’ll pay only $109. That’s less than the regular one-year subscription rate… a savings of nearly 54% off the regular two-year subscription rate… and almost $147 less than the cost of the 11 special bonus reports if you were to purchase them on their own!

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Subscribe Today For Two Years—Get All 11 Reports (Worth $246.69) And Save 54% Off The Subscription Cost!

To regroup, this limited-time invitation includes 11 special gifts in all when you subscribe to my Panama Letter for two years:

Panama Letter Index—a $49.00 value…
Panama 101: 101 Things You’ll Wish Someone Had Told You About Panama—a $9.99 value…
Panama Residency Visas 101—a $9.99 value…
Little Black Book For Panama—an invaluable resource…
Special Focus Report: Beaches Of The Arco Seco—Punta Chame To Rio Hato—a $14.95 value…
Special Focus Report: Boquete—a $14.95 value…
Special Focus Report: Casco Viejo—a $14.95 value…
Special Focus Report: Pedasí—a $14.95 value…
44 Things You Must Know Before You Relocate, Retire, or Invest Offshore—a $29 value…
Top 5 Health Insurance Options For Expats In Panama—a $19.95 value…
El Corazón De Panama: The Azuero Peninsula—Part II: Western Azuero—a $24.95 value…

My Panama Letter is your real-life, real-time, real-deal guide to the real Panama. The subscription cost, considered within the context of the resources and the research that will be brought to bear to fulfill this service, is, I fear we will discover, not enough.

However, right now, for a limited time, it’s the price on the table.

Go here now to take us up on it (before we change our minds).

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Sincerely,

Kathleen Peddicord
Founding Publisher, Panama Letter

P.S. Our hot-off-the-virtual press Panama Letter Index is the ultimate Panama resource… revealing your 9 top options right now for living and investing in the world’s #1 do-everything haven.

No other Panama resource is as current, complete, or comprehensive.

Seriously, nothing else available anywhere compares.

Our Panama Letter Index is a one-of-a-kind survey rating and ranking the best of Panama.

And we’d like to send it to you with our compliments right now… when you simply take a look at my Panama Letter service.

It’s yours to keep no matter what… along with the 9 other Panama special reports we’ll send to you immediately… when you sign on to give my Panama Letter a try.

Do that here now… while this limited-time special invitation remains available.

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Subscribe Now—100% Risk Free

Panama Letter is the most complete and current resource to living, investing, retiring, and doing business in Panama available anywhere. I guarantee it. If you are disappointed in any way with the information, insights, recommendations, and discoveries shared in your Panama Letter subscription, simply say so. If you do, we’ll promptly reimburse you for any issues remaining in your subscription. No questions asked.

The Panama Letter Index and all Special Reports are yours to keep, no matter what.

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Reach us with questions and comments at CustomerService@liveandinvestoverseas.com 
or by phone, toll-free from the United States, at 1-888-627-8834.
Copyright © 2008-2023 Live and Invest Overseas, Founding Publisher Kathleen Peddicord
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