Moving to her country...

[EbonyPrince]

This keeps popping up, and I have even thought about it in the past.  A lot of guys move to their novias country or maintain dual residency in both countries.  One benefit is that the woman gets to remain close to her family, because in all likelyhood she really has no desire to move anyway.  Also if the man works a lot, he wouldn't have the complete time to fairly devote to her in her new country.  The cost of living is pretty cheap in comparison outside the traveling, but you are probably racking up airline miles anyway.

I would like to know how many guys are doing this currently?  I would also like to hear feedback, bad or good, of everyone's opinion on going this route.

On my first trip, a lot of women asked me about moving to their country.  I have also been presented with this in talks with other Americans that travel or live in Colombia.  I would like to know more positives and negatives of doing this.

So once again everyone's feedback is appreciated.

[william3rd]

I have started teh process for Thailand. However, I have a 14 year old here and she has a 14 year ols and a 12 year old in Thailand. We built the house, have savings in the bank in her country and she will come over on a visa in about 4 months. We are going to do back and forths. I fly there for six weeks a year and she comes here for 6 months a year. Best of both worlds I am hoping until  I can reside over there permanently.

Got a nice bounce on my money over there as the american peso continues to fall, much to the chagrin of SS retirees over there.

[no comment]

EP,
It seems to me that your earning potential would be a lot less in Colombia than your native land. I suspect that those who work in a foreign land with success work in international commerce.
It took some time for me to learn how things work here in my home state and rise up the earnings ladder. To work in Colombia would require learning how they operate in the business world. The economic hierarchies are different. It could be done but it would take some time. A foreigner in Colombia is probably more of an outsider than a foreigner in the US.
I'm interested in reading more of your experiences with women asking you about moving to their country. It seems unrealistic to me. My own inclination is to work here in the US and have a woman live there. That may be equally unrealistic.

[william3rd]

Earning potentials are lower but so are expenses.  It is for RETIREMENT.
Any business in country is HER business.

BTW- to leave a gf in a foreign land is about the same as having a mistress. She has nothing to look forward to and you will be "out of sight, out of mind."

Good luck. . . .

[daytrader]

I'm looking at doing the back and forth in Costa Rica - CR has some simple requirements for becoming a resident there, which I may or may not go thru the process on....there are simple ways to stay in CR 90% of the time at least for now without the hassle of placing $50,000 in a CR bank.....she is thrilled I prefer to live in CR most of the time.  She also has a US Visa so we can have the best of both worlds for the forseeable future...

As long as there is high speed internet I can print dinero where ever I happen to be, so the employment/business rat race does not apply.  Life of Riley. 

DayTrader

[catazza]

Most peoples decision will ultimatly boil down to the necessity of their economic situation.

The best position financially you can put yourself in is to earn your income in a 1st world country and live in a 3rd world country. Take advantage of the currency differences to leave you with more disposable income at the end of the month, that you can use to build up a diverse investment, business and property portfolio. Depending on your own goals, of course..

Several ways of doing it:
* Buy a few properties in America/Canada/Europe and hand them over to a rental agency to manage them on your behalf.

* If you don't have much capital, but do own 1 home in the west, you might be able to sell it and buy a few rental properties where your wife lives, and rent them out yourself, which would give you a livable income in local terms. (but do your sums - should be weighed against just renting out your 1 western home... both in terms of rental yield and capital gain. A 5% value increase on a house costing $300,000 is still more than a 10% gain on two houses costing $50,000 each. Plus there is the security issue to consider (eg, can someone just come along and take away your property because they bribed someone somewhere, etc)

* Work 9-5 remotely full-time for an American/western company

* Start your own business


Also I think it very much comes down to yours and her personality. If you are someone who adapts easily, makes the best of any situation, etc, you would have less trouble relocating. If you are someone who dislikes change, is always complaining, etc, you will probably have a tougher time. A positive attitude will probably be the best indicator of which of you can get into your new surroundings most easily. Languages barriers aside, of course. If you are a major "Type A" personality, adjusting to a slower pace of life will be difficult.. if you are already a bit more relaxed, then not so much.

In short... there is no right or wrong answer. It depends on you, her, and your joint situation.

I also 2nd what william3rd said, BTW- to leave a gf in a foreign land is about the same as having a mistress. She has nothing to look forward to and you will be "out of sight, out of mind."... If anything, living apart for 1/2 the year is the one situation that you should totally avoid... and if you can't for whatever reason, consider that marrying her will turn out to be a mistake eventually.

[william3rd]

We are planning to open an internet cafe since that is a burgeoning area in her city. Under Thai law- it is HER business, MY money. The key is to be in positive cash flow for living there. I can open a bar or nightclub catering to tourists and that is about it.

To work for a business requires a work permit or other lawful visa to stay there. They have their own illegal alien problem from Cambodia. . . .

[EbonyPrince]

A lot of good information guys.  I really appreciate it.

To elaborate on some of my thoughts, I prefer the idea of living here in the states about 8 months out of the year, and I wouldn't mind living in another foreign city for the rest of the year.  I am way ahead of you guys regarding the mistress analogy.  That was a choice I was considering, but I would never want to disrespect my woman that way.  I don't know if it is fair.  Maybe with the right women it would be, I do not know.  To each his own.  I recognize that not everyone thinks as I do, so I am not in anyway knocking that.  My preference is that she would go wherever I went.  This would allow her to still maintain a close life and relationship with her family and friends.

I work in Information Technology, and the company I currently work for is somewhat of a global company.  I was actually thinking about pursuing an MBA in International Business.  Currently our development teams are spread all out across the US.  A lot of the team work out of their own homes, so that is a possibility that I can consider.  I would definately make my money here in the states and maintain my current residence.  I am also planning to diversify a portion of my portfolio to expand into real estate as you mentioned Montrealer, which is really to better plan for retirement.  I have been disappointed in the stock market, and have realized that diversification is the best policy to minimize loss and risk.  Anyway I would probably travel a lot between both countries.  This isn't un-normal since we live in a global economy, and I embrace that fact.

This is not something that will happen overnight, but I am looking for the best of both worlds for me and any potential foreign bride.  I am constantly planning, and I am just trying to formulate ideas and a plan.  It would also be nice to keep expanding my horizons and soak up another environment on a regular basis.

Thanks guys I appreciate all the thoughts and ideas.  I would definately stick with what I know, unless there was some strong business potential in some other type of business.  I am a research freak, and I don't know if I could get the necessary amount of research to start a business in another foreign country.

[Kiltboy1]

I am doing the same thing as WM3
My wife and I have decided she is going to come here until my daughter goes to college, and that will be in 6 years. We are going to save a lot of money and then return to Ecuador and we will have a business there and be set for good. I am also in the process of buying some oceanfront land at a resort area on the Coast of Ecuador, and will build a house there a little at a time and by the time we return to live there, it will be competed.

KB