... in response to Going Ex-pat, posted by papi on Oct 26, 2005Reread this sage advice twice a day at least twenty times for a month THEN make your decision.
"Unless you have a very large bankroll or continued income from the US i.e. a pension, it will be very difficult to replace the income you are making in the States."
"Finally, unless you speak excellent Spanish or have a devoted girlfriend, it will be a pain in the ass to get anything done."
Asides from a long-time resident in Colombia and married to a Colombiana.
1. Try it BEFORE you buy it. (Remember living outside the USA is a lot like camping out. What you are use to in the USA will not be here.) Come down for a MIINIMUM of six months. Also remember the best place to buy used furniture/appliances is to look in the classifieds for gringos returning to the states. Me? Been here so long I'll die hear-happy.
2. Safety is, IMHO, not too much problem, especially in the larger cities. There is an element of risk no matter where you live. Take Miami. Try a trip to Liberty City or Overtown for a real thrill. Just being alive involves risk. What the hell, 1,000 years ago you could have walked down to the lake to pick berries and a bear jumps out and eats you.
In spite of the pesos strength(IMHO it was too high to begin with)Colombia is still damn cheap, especially places like Santa Marta. The government, i.e. Banco de la Rpública, the central bank, will continue to support the dollar to make exports more profitable.
