Where to retire?

[JamesBon92007]

Ditto what Hank49 said. It's subjective, but I definitely would choose SE Asia. It's so damn cheap and the people are so nice. When I was in Thailand the first time, I was 24 and I almost bought a damn house. It was about $120,000 on Koh Tao, 2 minutes from the beach and just high enough on the hill that you could see over all the trees for a view of the bay.

My parents were looking into building a place in Costa Rica and they basically found it was way too big of a hassle.

Same question as with Belize: how is Costa Rica if you just rent or buy?

 

[scubadada]

Florida, it's in a country you may be familiar with. Rules you may understand, good healthcare.... I owned a timeshare on Grand Cayman, bought it in 1996, good contract, including replacement in case of destruction. Then came hurricane Ivan in 2004. Timeshare was destroyed, Indies Suites for any of you who remember. Turns out it was underinsured and was not to be rebuilt. Cayman owner was supported by the government, what a surprise. Owners settled for the insurance settlement. We did fine, easily got our moneys worth, more recent investor's got completely screwed. We thought the risk on Grand Cayman was minimal, a civilized country, wrong. We bought a townhouse in Hypoluxo in 2011, at the bottom of the housing market. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I'm 3 miles from Boynton Harbor Marina, 15 miles from West Palm and the BHB, 30 miles from Jupiter. I know how things work in the US, no surprises, nobody walking around with automatic weapons "protecting" me. I go diving, I ride my bike, I go to the beach. To each their own.

 

[Hank49]

Belize is a nice place. But if you don't dive, or like going to the jungle to bird watch or whatever, there isn't much to do. Yes, there are bars and restaurants if you're into that. I'm not. I have a big family and stay home.
But the economy has taken a beating lately. Citrus, banana, shrimp, sugar....all having problems. Lot of unemployment. No new jobs being created. The good news is, it's small enough that a few big investments could turn it around.
They have to loosen laws and open up to foreign investment. Belize is capital limited. Yes, it would be great if it could stay pristine and be the "Park of the World". But it has a growing population and a stagnant economy. People have to feed their families.
But renting and living there isn't cheap. Gas is usually about double what it is in the US. Cars are taxed. Food isn't cheap.