I see well certainly Costa Rica is safer than Panama IMHO. There are incentives for people to Invest in Panama....check the internet....it helps if you have a reputable lawyer here...quite a few are not !! lol... With I think an investment of > 150-170 K you can apply for citizenship etc...its a bit more complex than that though.. For trading well it all depends on ones unique situation...of course there are general tax laws for making profits....etc How long have you been trading for...? More importantly have you ever lived in a foreign country that is of a different language...? many struggle with this and the frustrations of the different lifestyles etc....some flourish... I would consider Chile, Argentina my other two favourites along with Costa Rica... Certainly check with your accountant who can research where you stand on the trading and an international lawyer for the other surprises that can catch people out on how things are done in that country... if that helps.. Best john
Good Question probably just a personal thing here after experiencing both countries.. put it this way I wouldnt be surprised if the the crime stats were compared... also Columbia borders Panama....the ave wage being low and of course other factors... Drugs run more through the canal , money laundering seems to be an issue.... Like any city there are areas you just dont go to... I must say the driving here is a lot to be desired !! lol.. How long have you been trading by the way ? All the Best John
Just over 4 yrs mate... Thats a good number of years you have...well done.. I will pm my email address...if there is any specific Question you have I can try and find out...no promises though but I will try ! All the Best John
I have just been thinking that it was 2003 when I first went to Panama. Ir was a different place then, although the Panamanian mindset remains unchanged. Punta Paitilla was US700 per metre new and finished right on the bay with 300+ sq metres of apartment and two car parks. Punta Pacifica had hardly started and offered great deals off the plans. Coronado golf course fairway lots were 35 per metre. In the next few years asking prices tripled. I made some great friends in PC and they told me 5 years ago that the unspoken game plan was to overbuild the bay front of PC and then hang the cost of the the infrastucture upgrade on the new owners. I suppose that I have spent maybe 12 months in and out of Panama over the last six years, but the need to visit has dropped right away now. One of the people I met lived in Los Vegas built a dream home on the beach at Buena Ventura, 90 mins out of PC. He stacked it full of electronics and gadgets imported from the States with not thought given to Panamanian service. The casa is on the market right now. The old advice of go somewhere you like and rent for a year is still the best. Just don't drag your old home and lifestyle with you in your head otherwise you will wind up confused, dazed and unhappy. jjf
Very interesting jjf would you believe that prices got up to $4000 per sqmetre here and now have came back quite a bit.. the banks I must say did the right thing here in evaluating property that has virtually saved themselves IMHO...by evaluating property around the $ 1500 on their asset books all the while values kept rising up to those crazy levels.... The workmanship on infrastructure can be a lot to be desired in my opinion also... and yes thats great advice, lower ones expectation to where one has come from living and rent for a year... Best John
Thankyou. Yes, I know what has happened in Panama and I think that I can guess what the future holds in the next few years. jjf