Best tropical/warm weather place to live
 

Looking for a new place to live. Change of scenery and warmer weather.

Main criteria:

- Modern infrastructure
- Low crime
- Close to the beach

I don't need to work there as all my work is online.

Right now I am exploring places in the Caribbean, mainly

- Mayan Riviera, Playa Del Carmen
- Cayman Islands
- St Maarten/St Martin

Any ideas on any of those places?

Any other options?

I guess all of you people live in Idaho?

Check out Aventura, FL

Playa Del Carmen is fantastic for a vacation spot, but I don't know what it would be like to live there.

What about the south keys, fla?

Canary Islands :pimp

I would recommend FL buuuut hurricanes are a mess. Still, it's a great place to be. If only the people didn't suck.

Hawaii :)

absolutely !:thumbsup:thumbsup

Yep been here for 6 weeks - loving it

Where r u joker?

There are some really nice places on the coast of Australia, the south of Japan is really nice too.

dude, COSTA RICA!

Sent u an icq :winkwink:

Canary Islands is another consideration.

What do you guys like about the Canaries?

I was also thinking south of Spain, around Costa del Sol.

Any other recommendations?

bump.....

Mexico. Cancun and Playa Del Carmen are both nice. You have the big city things but no rush, and not major crime. Playa del carmen is a bit more pricey than Cancun, but over all nice.


The Keys in Florida are nice, but there is one way on and off the islands, and in the event of a hurrican, NOT GOOD. They are also quite pricey, and modern living and places like Costco are not so close.

Are there any english speaking expats living there? Any schools that follow an American or Canadian curriculum?

Depends on other background "features" MrLuvr and whether you are looking for residency or just want to live for a while and whether the govt who issued your passport is going to expect taxation to be paid back home etc.

Don't have experience of your first choice, but St Maarten has something to offer (and personally like the place a lot). Caymen is fine, but now a "has been" - and both these islands are now fairly expensive.

Both Panama and Costa Rica offer the features you mentioned, tho both are predomindently Spanish-speaking - if this is an issue. But, both are, least right now, relatively cheap and with laws which are fine for webmasters and will not expect taxation on income earned outside the country.

There are also other Caribbean islands where you will not be restricted on the time you spend there (some may cost the value of a corp to qualify), but no taxation imposed and you can come and go as you please.

It's kinda relevant on what basis you want to live there - ie for 30-90 days or so at a time, or for a few years.

Might be the wrong climate for you, but have you looked at Bonarie? It's basically Aruba, 50 years ago. More of a rock though, Very dry... but has some great features, like some of the best diving in the world. Plus it's under Dutch law... so should be good for webmasters.

Florida and SoCal :)

Thanks for your detailed response. I have a Canadian passport. So, from what I know, as long as I don't have any ties in Canada, i.e a house that I can stay in or a family, I don't have to pay taxes in Canada if I am living abroad.

I would like to do this on a permanent basis. So, I am really looking for a place that can become "home" as such. I would like it to be fairly modern. Of course, I don't expect or want a Walmart around the corner either.

Any othere suggestions from others? Anybody living in St Maarten right now?

Got ya! In that case, you have a lot of options available.

On the Caribbean islands there are a fair number of Canadian expats already - suprising, but more than US folks when you think that the US is nearer.

St Maartin has plenty "facilities" and a lump of culture. Tho it's a free port, there is taxation locally, but that can be reduced to little by a corp formation. The downside is hurricanes - these may be a novelty at first, but get boring when you have to seal up your home time after time.

Looking to the future, it's probably fair to say both Panama and Costa Rica are definately offering more opportunity than the islands - especially if you are considering purchasing a home. (Real estate is and has been showing very high appreciation over the last, roughly.. 8 years now). There is no taxation or form-filling for net income, healthcare and education facilities are excellent, but the downside to that area may be the language.

There are a couple of folks from sponsor programs who are resident on St Maartin, - tho never noticed them posting here often, but will try and bump your thread if they appear :thumbsup

Dominican republic - Cabarette - the capital of windsurfing

Obviously not a lot of peeps here have ever visited Australia.

;-)

For me - Thailand - no question.

I go 4 times a year and will move there soon as i can.

You dont really live in that shit hole do you?

So.... you don't like DR too much?? :1orglaugh:thumbsup

All 18 million of us?

Be careful if you do go for St Maarten/St Martin (Dutch/French respectively) - the taxes (capital gains etc) are huge on the French side - wheras there isnt a cap gains tax on the Dutch side. The internet structure is good from what I remember - they have good DSL and some cafes with wireless around. Its been a long time since I partied there but it was always good for that part of life :)
Real estate is pretty well priced compared to most other islands although you obviously are going to pay a lot more for beach stuff - which is mostly condos anyway.

Thanks for all the responses. I think I am trying to narrow my choices between the Caribbean, example St Maarten or somewhere in Southern Europe.. i.e. Spain - Costa Del Sol or Canaries.

Because I want to make this a home, I want it to be somewhere that I am attracted to and would enjoy living.

Panama/Costa Rica - I don't know about those two. To be honest, I haven't really had much of an attraction to either. I think both of those are less modern than a place like St Maarten. I would like a place with more of a European influence.

Anybody here actually living in St Maarten or the Canaries that can give more input?

Thanks!