International Livings seminar, Worth it?

mugtech wrote:

IL is now claiming that the best place for economic refugees is Panama. $1,000 income for pensioners visa plus 20% off for medical costs, 25% off for restaurants, airfare, electric and phone plus 50% off for entertainment.  In addition the people are very polite and respectful, with retirees getting to go to the head of lines, have their own special windows in the banks etc

I guess you won't be reserving your seat to see Said give his powerpoint presentation:

http://internationalliving.com/events/f … ence-2015/

P.S.
The organization that the home office doesn't want us to mentionby name, still has Ecuador No. 1
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/201 … for-expats

mugtech wrote:

I agree that Ecuador is a better place to live, but evidently IL has more real estate in Panama.

They always do. Big project from former publisher and editor at IL, and her husband.

http://www.losislotes.com/los-islotes-c … te-photos/

Posted the page with the construction updates. Pretty impressive? And to think they've only been selling that project for at least the last 7-8 years. Maybe more. It is quite impressive on paper, and what is being promised, but doubt it will ever be built.

IL is in the information business, not the real estate business.

eddstaton wrote:

IL is in the information business, not the real estate business.

Inside information from an employee.

I've worked for IL over 3 years.

eddstaton wrote:

I've worked for IL over 3 years.

After a 2 year hiatus from commenting, welcome back Said. May expat-blog.com continue to be a source of information and inspiration in your many writing endeavors.

BobH wrote:

stick1947 wrote:

Take all info with a grain of salt.

I was just reminded by this of the old song from the 40s that had a chorus that went:

"You've got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative..."

That seems to be IL's theme song.

The concluding line in that refrain was:  "Don't mess with Mr. In-Between."

According to my sources, that would nowadays refer to any given Gringo with a business card.

cccmedia in Quito

The song Bob referenced, "Accentuate the Positive" -- aka "Ack-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" -- was published in 1944.

Update on IL.  Conferences still not worth it

I know zip about Equador but I concur your own research is the only way to go . Read read read online and then go visit for a month.
I go on the cheap, meet locals, stay in local digs ( Airbnb, VRBO, booking.com) , talk to the hosts and cabbies ect...then decide what creature comforts I believe I need and figure my costs from this vantage point.
This last trip to Belize I took my elderly mother and she did NOT like local spots...she only liked the resorts (ones that you could find almost anywhere) and she may even buy a condo with all the bells and whistles. This will cost her ( as a Canadian) half of what her condo outside Vancouver is worth. Still pricy from where I sit. 
I intend to explore Equador, ( Salinas, Ouinto and Cuenca particularly) and a few days in Vilcabamba and Loja later this year or next. So far I have explored northern Italy, Sardinia, most of Portugal, a bit of southern Spain, a few places in India and Belize  to look for a retirement base. The COL and possible side income for retirement are now outrageous in Kauai where I have lived the last 10 years. I would be perfectly happy in Portugal other than its proximity from western Canada ( family) and the euro hurts just a bit even if its a bargain there lol.

cccmedia wrote:

BobH wrote:

stick1947 wrote:

Take all info with a grain of salt.

I was just reminded by this of the old song from the 40s that had a chorus that went:

"You've got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative..."

That seems to be IL's theme song.

The concluding line in that refrain was:  "Don't mess with Mr. In-Between."

According to my sources, that would nowadays refer to any given Gringo with a business card.

cccmedia in Quito

The song Bob referenced, "Accentuate the Positive" -- aka "Ack-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" -- was published in 1944.

Well, not ... every ... Gringo ... but allow me a very rare defense of the scalleywags. What do you expect them to do ... accentuate the negatives? Every time I post on an Ecuador forum bringing a fact-based sense of reality to the table, 15 morons jump up and begin a constant assault. Care to guess how many people have the experience, self-confidence and fortitude to withstand that type of ignorance? So, who can blame the sunshine blowers ... it's the path of least resistance. PT Barnum was a genius.

Hey... HGQ....

I hear you.....
I have been ecuador twice now a month each time and have a host family in Ambato...
Am considering living there for 3 months at a time for a while.....
But I cannot convince my  partner(italien) who believes the Ecuador mafioso is rampant..... would appreciate any insights u might have?
Thanks
Gayle.

GayleVentures wrote:

Hey... HGQ....

I hear you.....
I have been ecuador twice now a month each time and have a host family in Ambato...
Am considering living there for 3 months at a time for a while.....
But I cannot convince my  partner(italien) who believes the Ecuador mafioso is rampant..... would appreciate any insights u might have?
Thanks
Gayle.

Gayle, crime DOES exist in Ecuador. For all types of violent personal and routine property crime, Ecuador actually does not fare well statistically. One particular crime statistic, rape, is notably high per capita. Where Ecuador does rate well is in having one of the lowest homicide rates in Latin America, though I do question how a high "missing persons rate", plus poor police investigations and negligent statistics recording may impact on the latter. Additionally, the propensity of crime depends a great deal on where you reside in Ecuador. Guayaquil and the Province of Esmeraldas have the highest per capita rates. By contrast, a place like Salinas, Ecuador is barely a blip on the crime radar screen.

At the end of the day, it's about your own personal comfort zone and how vigilant you might be, in your daily routines. Certainly, contrasting life in Ecuador to most large and even mid-sized USA cities, Ecuador is less crime ridden and less violent. The one exception might be petty theft. As for mafioso types ... they exist ... everywhere. Ecuador is certainly not a center for the type of lawlessness that currently exists in many parts of Mexico or once, but no longer, used to exist in the days of Pablo in Colombia. Choose a place to live carefully. Do your research, as you are doing now. Ask a lot of questions and avoid "crime hot spots". If you partner is concerned about mafioso types, stay away from the Northern Province regions that border, or near border, Colombia. It is a region rampant with such criminal element. However, Salinas, Otavalo, Vilcabamba and Loja, are just an example of some, but not all, locations in Ecuador which are relatively safe. Even the big bad capital city of Quito, if you keep to the better neighborhoods, is pretty safe short of the occasional petty theft. Be vigilant and practice commonsense ... your partner shouldn't have to worry much about the mafioso lifestyle.

This just in, Portugal is now the #1 spot for expats with Panama slipping to second while Ecuador is now #6.  Wonder if IL or the principles got some real estate in Portugal.

mugtech wrote:

This just in, Portugal is now the #1 spot for expats with Panama slipping to second while Ecuador is now #6.  Wonder if IL or the principles got some real estate in Portugal.

Possibly. But Portugal has always been on the list for years. Good weather, good food, member of the
European Union, a good base for european travel, cost of living not so high compared to other member states. I was stationed in Spain and had traveled many times to Portugal. Very good food and wine!

robal

I was a subscriber to IL for years. I have traveled to countries they recommended to no avail. Somehow there was always a reason not live in a particular country - if not to the hot and humid weather, it would be crime and sanitation. So you should create your own perspective - a bigger one that satisfies your needs. That really depends on every
individual. I will keep traveling against the grain of IL to see the undiscovered one.
Hmnnn...Transylvania, Moldova and of course Ukraine...

That´s the idea of being an expat, right? TRAVEL and ADVENTURE!

robal