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Good day all-

Have moved to Panama from the FL Keys.  Prior to that in the CT & MA area (Old Saybrook CT and Westminster MA).  Been here about a week.  Taking care of Visa.  Ready to look for housing in Coronado. 
Background includes: hospitality, Xerox sales, construction sales, animal care (my own 'Feline Bed & Breakfast) , Chamber of commerce(s), formerly 'Dr. wife' who ran business and assisted with PT, nutrition etc., fashion retail, on numerous boards of directors (United Way, March of Dimes, etc.). Realtor & property manager.  Think that about covers it.  Someday I will decide what I want to be when I grow up.  :-) 

Ready to settle in and unpack - hopefully will find location prior to 10 bins arriving from the states. 
Thanks for any help you can lend.

Wish you all the best.
Keep us in the loop how is it going with your new locación so I would be in Panama myself in a few.
It would be great to have some advise ahead.
Best to you.
Xx

Hi, we are a family of 4 of Belgian origin. After 3 years in South Africa, we have been here in Panama since September 2020. Like you, we love to travel and meet. About me, on-demand interior design & furniture making, the passion for work without borders. ***, greetings to all xxx

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Newbie from the states - here 2 2/1 weeks.   Grateful for numerous  kind people who have helped me along this little journey. 
Best to others also figuring it out one day at a time.

Hi, folks. My wife and I have been to Panama three times, and love it. We're seriously thinking of moving there in the next year or so, probably either to Boquete or to a coastal community somewhere near Panama City.

The Panamanian embassy here in Washington, DC recommends that we hire a lawyer to take care of the process of becoming permanent residents / citizens.

So, three questions:
1) Is this really necessary?
2) If so, how much should it cost?
3) Can anyone recommend a good lawyer of that type?

Lastly, I heard a rumor that Boquete now has fiber-optic internet. Is this true? It's important, because I will continue to work, and require a fast connection.

Thanks for your help! - Storm

Hi!

I'm an American living in London with my British wife and three children 10, 8 and 6. We took a trip to Panama in August and applied for the FN visa just before the law changed.

We are now sorting out our flat in London and preparing to move to Panama permanently. If anyone knows of a furnished house to rent please let me know. We plan to sample life in several areas for a few months each. So far we like the Azuero Peninsula and Anton but are also interested in the more rural coastal towns, the David area (Boca Chica) , Boquete, Puerto Armuelles and Bocas.
We are also a very social family and would love to connect with friendly people.

Ben, Rana and Kids

Contact Eduardo Horna  riochiriqui@gmail.com   (507) 6752 3207 WhatsApp  Maybe he can help you with a rental in Boquete / David area  He's a realtor, translator, tour guide and helpful guy with many things to help you get settled. He's reliable and speaks perfect English.

Yes, you need a lawyer for residency. Look at kraemerlaw (dot) com   He's very good and there is lots of info on his website, including prices.  I don't know about internet in Boquete, but you could ask Eduardo Horna (see my previous comment) or if you are on Facebook, look for Boquete Community Group. They can answer many questions about Boquete.

Storm Cunningham wrote:

Hi, folks. My wife and I have been to Panama three times, and love it. We're seriously thinking of moving there in the next year or so, probably either to Boquete or to a coastal community somewhere near Panama City.

The Panamanian embassy here in Washington, DC recommends that we hire a lawyer to take care of the process of becoming permanent residents / citizens.

So, three questions:
1) Is this really necessary?
2) If so, how much should it cost?
3) Can anyone recommend a good lawyer of that type?

Lastly, I heard a rumor that Boquete now has fiber-optic internet. Is this true? It's important, because I will continue to work, and require a fast connection.

Thanks for your help! - Storm

Hi Everyone,

I am a retired single female who currently lives in the USA-Seattle, Washington. I am in the process of exploring if I should leave the USA for good now.

I do love the idea of living in a mountain top home
in Bouquet Panama.  I am well aware that nothing is perfect anywhere. I also need to actually go there for six months before buying any real estate.

I would greatly appreciate any real life stories from other people who decided to move there from the USA;
esp. any retirement age folks. I turn 59 soon. I would enjoy a nice small expat community; also to learn Spanish  and befriend the non expat locals as well.

Thanks for any helpful information!

Colleen from Seattle

If you are on Facebook, look for Boquete Community Group, Boquete News, and other Boquete related groups. Of course a visit is the most important though to see how it feels to you. Don't buy real estate. It's super hard to sell if you change your mind.
I'm 69 and have lived down the hill in David for 9 years.

Thank you so much for sending me this message!
I did read that it takes a really long time to sell a
Boquete Panama property.

I only liked one place to buy there; I looked at several online-even very expensive homes were not very impressive to me.

Thanks again for your helpful suggestions. Us ladies need to stick together. 😊

Kind Regards,

Colleen from Seattle

If you do end up wanting to buy, it's much better to be here and get leads from local people. And it's important that you are familiar with the specific location. Some areas get more wind, fog, rain, etc. than other places nearby.
There are lots of retirement age single ladies though, who are happy and thriving.

Awesome! Is now a good time to go for a visit or best to wait until Covid drama dies down!  😊

We're doing well with COVID here. If you aren't vaccinated though, you have to quarantine for 3 days on arrival. (current rules, which can change depending on what's going on) Dry season is Dec - April, which might be a good time but it's pretty windy up there. The wettest months are usually Oct and Nov.   Boquete is a tourist destination and tends to get busier Jan-April when it's cold up north. But there really isn't any bad time to visit.

Very helpful info! I am fully vaccinated! I just read your 2015 interview. I love the rock-n-roll hobby! I also love gardening. I have a huge city garden all around my little house. People stop their cars to take photos.

Sense of humor, kindness and a laid back attitude is important to me too.

Thank you for all your messages. You made my day! 😊

Colleen from Seattle

Hi all.

Basically I am interested in Panama, living there. I know very little about the place though, so any insight helps.

We moved to Panama 3 mos. ago and remoIdeling an existing house.
My wife Berta and I are retired from the U.S.

First Question:
Is it still advisable to not use spray insulation under our metal roof?  Looking for insulation and sound deadening.

I reviewed this message yesterday :
panamachick
6/1/2015 11:23 EST

hi,
we had to insulate our roof. my husband does not recommend the foam spray, because he says after a few years it disintegrates into powder in this harsh climate. we used foil and fiberglass insulation. we know panamians are adverse to this because of the way they have been programed, but even though it is not popular here we used it and are happy with it. do alot of research on reliable sites, not adversement sites. good luck.Since
----------------------------------
Since this message was from 2015, we are wondering if the advice is still valid or has technology improved?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.   Regards, Dave Royer

Hello Celia,
Welcome to Panama!  I, too, left Washington D.C. I left in 2018 and it is still the crime Capital of the Country!  My name is Bill and I live in Boquete.

Hello, Colleen from Seattle!  This is Bill in Boquete.  You would be most welcome in Boquete!  I am part of an Expat group here and it consists of single men, women, couples, widows, and widowers.  There is much to do and much to be a part of.  One of my widow friends belongs to 5 different "girls" groups.  They play cards, go out to lunch and have a great time!  There are a number of charities and groups you can join - whatever you are interested in?  Plan to visit!  Fly into Panama City, another 1-hour flight to David, and, finally, a 45-minute drive to Boquete. 
One thing to point out - just about every place in Panama is HOT!  All the cities, towns, etc. along the coastlines are at sea level and average 90 degrees.  When you take that 45-minute drive to Boquete, without realizing it, you are ascending 4,000  into the mountains.  The temp will drop from 90 in David to 75 in Boquete!  Boquete is (average) 75-78 by day and 60-65 at night. 
Don't fear being single in Boquete.  You'll be in good company!

Good afternoon, I'm Phillip and currently in the process of retiring to Bocas Del Toro. My wife and I have completed the construction of our first of four shipping container units. We're truly excited about our transition to Bocas as we've been working on it for the past 4 years. Thanks for adding me ot the group. I look forward to learning and sharing experiences.

My husband Alvaro and I retired here after 35 years in Chicago. As a gay couple, we're finding life in Panama City more to our liking than many retired straight expats, who wind up in Boquete or Bocas.

Life in Panama can be challenging. There is a lot of bureaucracy to get through. Driving courtesy is non-existent. Two-way streets are way too narrow to be two-way streets. Traffic is awful.

Learning Spanish is really a good idea. I speak it and, while the Panamanian accent can be a bit challenging to understand sometimes, speaking only English would be a huge hindrance.

With that said, there's a lot to be said about living here. The city is very multicultural: Panamanians can be of indigenous, European, African, Asian or "all-of-the-above" ancestry,  and there are a lot of people from all over the world living here.

There are a lot of good restaurants and a vibrant food scene.

There are at least three different cooking schools within walking distance to my apartment. I've taken various breadmaking classes at one of them and learned a lot.

It's technologically advanced, with no trouble getting hi-speed internet or the latest hi-tech gadgets.

While the Panama Metro is not as extensive as it should be, many more lines are planned, so maybe in a few years, the traffic won't be quite so bad.

Nearly all of the brands you're used to at home can be found in the supermarkets or specialty shops, albeit not always in great quantities.

Panama is a major air transportation hub, so getting from here to nearly anywhere in the Americas is pretty easy. There are fewer choices to Europe or Asia, but there are some options.

Culturally, it's been hard to say, since the pandemic has put a damper on a lot of things. There's live theater, dance, art galleries and various museums. It's definitely not on par with a major American, European or Asian city as far as culture, but it's not devoid of it either.

We are a 50 year old couple from  Toronto, Canada and  are seriously looking into moving to Panama as Semi-Retired Business Owners.
We will  be interested in buying and Maintaining a Residence in Panama and also buy some investment properties.
We will need your help (Referrals) in Immigrating and Buying Real Estate as well as setting up a business here in Panama.

We are actually visiting Panama City from 21st to 29th Dec. 2021. and arriving in Panama City for 3 days the rest of 5 nights We want to spend in others parts travelling around. So all suggestions and guidance will be highly appreciated.

It is highly recommended that you live in the area you plan to buy in for at least 6 months to become familiar with the area, make local contacts, understand the market, make sure it's a good fit, etc. It's easy to buy but very difficult to sell if you change your mind.

Hi all, from turkey 🇹🇷

I am interested in Panama, I am a professional nurse, I am thinking of moving to Panama , but I only speak Kurdish and Turkish, what job opportunities can I have in Panama?  I know very little about the place though, so any insight helps.

Foreigners can’t work in the medical professions in Panama. I think if you aren’t fluent in Spanish your chances of finding a job here are very slim. Can you work remotely? Start your own business? (But your language limitations would make this also really difficult).

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
/forum/viewtopic.php?id=969381

Thanks!