Live BETTER For Less in Panama
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An Amazing Adventure Is Waiting For You! Leave All Your Worries Behind... Let Us Take Care Of Everything For You! Our 9th Year of Doing Panama Relocation Tours! We're Your Panama Relocation Experts! Our 6-day, 7-night ALL-INCLUSIVE Panama Relocation Tour™ will introduce you to the inexpensive … Get the Details
Hello and Welcome to Panama Relocation ToursI'm Jackie Lange owner of Panama Relocation Tours ™ in Panama. I've lived in 4 countries, visited 26 countries and moved 22 times so I know a lot about relocating.....even relocating overseas.Here's the story about how I accidentally started … Find Out More
STRESS-FREE ITINERARY WHICH TOTALLY SURPASSED OUR EXPECTATIONSThanks Panama Relocation Tours for putting together a stress-free itinerary which totally surpassed our expectations.For anyone considering an exploratory trip to Panama, Jackie Lange’s Panama Relocation Tour is a must! The 6 day … Find Out More
We did the very first Panama Relocation Tour in 2010 with 8 tour clients. So, now in 2019, we have ten years of experience educating people about relocating to and living in Panama. We exclusively do relocation tours.
Every day during the tour, we’re joined by a 49 year old Panamanian who was born in Panama and who has lived in Panama his whole life. He’s been working with Panama Relocation Tours for 8 years. He will will share his tips about what you need to do to be well respected by Panamanians and what you should not do too.
So, combined we have 59 years of experience living and working in Panama!
The May 31st 2019 tour was our 102nd Panama Relocation Tour.
We’ve had thousands of relocation tour clients from all over the world. About 60% relocate to Panama and we hold their hand throughout the entire process of relocating to Panama after the tour.
We get weekly updates from Panamanian lawyers and other experts so I can pass the information on Panama Relocation Tour clients.
In the 10 years that we’ve been doing Panama Relocation Tours, we’ve been asked every question there is about relocating to and living in Panama. We know all the answers to your questions! And if a question should come up that we don’t know the answer to, we know exactly who to call (or whatsapp) for the answer. We have friends and contacts throughout Panama.
During a Panama Relocation Tour, I will share my first-hand experience about:
* I bought 3 cars and a big bus in Panama & and got insurance
* Rented a house in Panama (and you should too) you’ll learn what to watch out for when renting
* Got a Pensionado Visa then renounced the Pensionado Visa
* Got a Friendly Nations Visa and a work permit
* In 2012, I bought my first house in Panama
* I bought land and had a greenhouse built so I could grow food all year
* I have bought and sold several properties in Panama
* Dentist and doctor appointments
* I own and manage rental properties in Panama
* Experience with being a long distance landlord
* Learned why it is usually better not to take title to a property in your own name
* I’ve lived in 4 countries and visited 26 countries!
* Got electric, water, internet, cable tv and trash collection set up
* Bought houses without using bank financing or very much cash & teach you how too
* I’ve opened bank accounts in Panama
* Got a Will in Panama
* Got bribed by a cop in Panama & paid it.. you’ll learn why you might do this too!
* Bought furniture and had furniture custom made in Panama
* Set up several businesses in Panama
* Paying taxes in Panama
* Got a traffic ticket for making a U-turn (I did not really make a u-turn)
* Wired money in to and out of Panama
* Completely remodeled my kitchen – finding contractors
* Building experience – Built an addition to my house
* I’ve set up several corporations in Panama
* Bought existing corporations to save $
* Purchased health insurance in Panama after investigating options
* Discovered how to save 40% when buying health insurance
* Brought a pet with me to Panama
* Order things from Amazon to get shipped to Panama
* Set up cell phone service in Panama for less than $20 a month
* Learned how to keep my US number and receive calls with no monthly fee
* Had two surgeries and a hospital emergency room visit in Panama
* Hired gardeners, a maid, plumbers, electricians, and other contractors
* Learned what not to do in Panama too!
* Learned it is better NOT to buy some things at a grocery store
* And much much more…
These are things you can only learn from many years of personal experience living in Panama. LIFE is the best teacher! You cannot learn these things in “tourism school”.
There’s more….
I’ve traveled all over Panama and explored every nook and cranny while also visiting with Panamanians and expats who live in each area who can give me the “inside” scoop which I share with you. Because there is not have a reliable MLS system in Panama, it is necessary for me to gather my own information about rental and real estate prices. I discovered things a real estate agent or property manager would never tell you. I will not give you the sugar-coated version of Panama.
Because we do not sell real estate during the tour, there is no hidden agenda. We only show 1-2 rentals each day during the tour. There are no sales pitches.
We do not get kickbacks or commissions from any of the experts we introduce you to!
I’ve been a real estate investor for 27 years, so I thoroughly understand investing in real estate, even in Panama. I will teach you the ins and outs of buying real estate in Panama – without the hype. You’ll even learn the best way to find “way below market” properties without using a real estate agent.
I started my first online business in 1994 and still own and run online businesses from Panama. I will teach you how to start an online business that you can run from Panama or anywhere in the world.
I sell products on Amazon and will teach you how to do the same…without the need to keep inventory at your home in Panama or ship products from Panama.
I moved to Panama with my husband but he passed away a few years ago so now I live in Panama by myself. So, I have experience living in Panama as a couple and as a single person.
With all this experience, 10 years of exclusively doing relocation tours and many hundreds of 5-star reviews from satisfied customers, PLUS a Panamanian on every tour, you can see why Panama Relocation Tours is the BEST. These are all reasons why our Panama Relocation Tours sell out months in advance too!
If you’re thinking about relocating to Panama, you need reliable and accurate information from someone with many years, and all kinds, of experience living and working in Panama. We have it!
Join us for a 6-full day, 7-night ALL-INCLUSIVE Panama Relocation Tour to get access to my many years of experience of living and working in Panama PLUS the “inside scoop” from a Panamanian! Learn how you can relocate to Panama in the most affordable, easy and stress-free way! SEE DETAILS HERE
Here’s what a few Panama Relocation Tour clients have to say:
Mike and Bertie from the May 2019 Tour wrote:
My wife and I recently went on the May 2019 tour and all I can say is that everything that everyone else keeps saying about the tour is true. Jackie and her team are all first rate and take care of everything. Jackie’s knowledge and connections have really given my wife and I all of the details we needed to make an informed decision about moving to Panama. Speaking with all of the expats during the tour also gave us the realism of what they truly loved and what they did not about their own experiences in Panama. I really feel that this tour should be MANDATORY for anyone even remotely thinking about moving to Panama. The only negative aspect of the tour was all the eating, I think I gained 5 pounds (my own fault of course). We really only good things to say about Jackie, her team (Melisa, Antonio, and Jorge) and the entire experience. It was AWESOME, a 5 out of 5 experience.
Sincerely,
Mike and Bertie
James Kent wrote:
In February of 2017 I took a tour of Panama. I wanted to learn about moving to Panama. It was an ok tour but never left Panama City or answer important questions and concerns of moving to Panama. I left with little knowledge.
Then I took Jackie’s tour in May of this year. I cannot encourage you enough to sign up for this tour if you want move to Panama. Jackies team does it all! Hotel, food, bus travel and personal attention. I decided to settle in Boquete after seeing various towns and met expats who live throughout Panama. Jackie brings in experts on visa, banking, rentals and expats to speak about living there. Jackie knows Panama and all the quirks! My only complaint is not taking this tour in 2017!
Diederik Japin who was on the May Panama Relocation Tour wrote:
It was a fantastic Tour, providing lots of information, not only from Jackie whose energy and knowledge are seemingly endless but also from our fellow Tour participants whose input provided lots of food for thought as to how to approach the move to Panama. Jackie also makes the tour an inspirational and motivational event and you can not but help to come away from it wanting to get started, not only on the moving process but also with opportunities and ideas you had never even considered. And Melissa, whilst we did not meet, your organisational talents from before the tour started until the last day in Panama can only be described as professional, faultless and stress free. We never worried about anything. Jorge, our driver for most of the trip was always on time, in control in the background safely taking us to the many different locations we visited. Antonio, who picked us up from the airport and took us on a City tour…everything just went perfectly according to plan. And Panama, the country? We love it here….and hope to settle here eventually. Stay safe and stay healthy everyone!
Richard and Carol Toops shared their experience on a Panama Relocation Tour
Carol Toops and I were members of the February 2019 Panama Relocation Tour and what impressed us initially was the attention to detail and professionalism that the tour was planned with. We have spent considerable time in research and study about relocating as ex-pats and the more we researched the clearer it became that Panama was the obvious choice, and as we had questions both Jackie and Melissa were quick to respond and help.
When we received the first set of instructions and directions I had a sense of relief as almost every question we had was answered in those materials and the ones that weren’t were answered by Jackie in emails. Our planning was actually at a minimum as we began preparing for the trip.
There has been several testimonials regarding the actual tour and how informative and detailed Jackie’s delivery is. The time we spent traveling from location to location was valuable as Jackie shared her vast experience in what and what not to do along with recommendations on how to make the transition seamless. There were visits with others who have been living in Panama for some time explaining in detail the differences and how to organize and plan for the move. We had several dinners with speakers who shared their actual experiences from bringing pets to learning about medical care and would answer any specific question that was asked. Also the food and restaurants created a festive mood and made it really fun.
The comfort and convenience of the transportation was another point that stood out. The tour bus is first class and our driver, Jorge was a sight to behold. Always aware of the conditions that a big vehicle creates he took us places that we probably wouldn’t have been able to visit otherwise. A real pro…
So we experienced a fact finding trip that more than helped us with discovery of the details and confidence of making this move successfully, and met people who have shared that same knowledge. Since we have returned, we have had other questions that we have been able to get answered as Jackie includes everyone who takes the tour in the Facebook group which is another great resource. This isn’t a vacation but a very pleasant working trip designed to make the decision making very easy. Highly recommended.
Julie Wolf shared her experience with the March 2019 Tour:
Jackie’s wealth of knowledge about Panama and moving there is priceless to anyone thinking about an international move. Her tour is flawlessly executed and peppered with info from local expats, great food, a luxurious bus to travel in and lots of FUN! I can’t thank her enough for changing my life. Jackie is a consummate professional with the patience of Job and a charismatic/endearing personality. This is a first class, blue ribbon experience! Julie Wolf March 2019 tour
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If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected] or call 972-496-4500 Come see how you can live BETTER for LESS in Panama. You will know that you are in good hands with Panama Relocation Tours!
Living in Panama will change you. Or maybe the real you, who was suppressed because you’ve been living in a rat race, will finally be able to emerge. You’ll wake up every day to the appreciation of new sights and sounds and beauty all around you. In Boquete, where I live in Panama, you just feel more connected to the earth and to the universe.
There is a sense of accomplishment that “you did it”, you actually moved to a foreign country. You rented a house, got a cell phone, bought groceries and settled in to your new life. You made friends with people in another country and discovered how delightful and welcoming they are. You ordered dinner in Spanish and they actually understood you. Your confidence will go through the roof with each little accomplishment in Panama. There are spiritual benefits too but it is hard to explain so I did a google search to find help putting it in to words. I found this amazing article by Douglas E. Morris which describes it better than I ever could. The article was printed in 2009 in the Foreign Services Journal.
Spiritual Benefits of Living Abroad
by Douglas E Morris
Life overseas has a reputation for being libidinous, debauched and bacchanalian. Certainly, it can be all of those things, and in my many years as an expat I have definitely pursued all those possibilities.
However, life abroad can also be a path to spiritually enlightenment, mainly because being in another culture removes us from the familiar, expands our comfort zone, pushes us toward our growing edge, while offering a mirror in which to gaze upon our true selves.
LIVING IN THE MOMENT
Many spiritual practices, Buddhism in particular, teach a concept called “mindfulness,” living in the moment, being fully present, aware of what is going on around us. When in our home country, however, possibly because everything is so familiar, we can tend towards going on autopilot, and fall into an unconscious state of being.
WAKES YOU UP FROM SLUMBER TO ENTER ZEN TIME
Living overseas wakes us up from this slumber and allows us to move through our days in the ever-present now—Zen time—not worrying about tomorrow, not thinking about the past. When we are in another country we are forced to be mindful, simply because everything is so different we can’t just shut our minds off and coast through the day. When outside of the US, our minds have to be constantly engaged simply to get through the most mundane tasks.
NEW …BUT BASIC EXPERIENCES
Take the basic experience of simply talking to someone. If you are in a country where English is not the “official language”, communication is an intensely focused actively. Your mind cannot wander, you cannot think about what you are going to say next. You can’t listen with half your brain and plan your day with the other. You have to focus intently and patiently to the person talking, so that you can understand the accented English they are speaking, or decipher their native language.
LEARN TO LISTEN MORE
Focused listening can get rather tiring, which is probably why we don’t do it as often as we should at home. In our native tongue, it is easy to pick up the thread of the conversation and ease back into the flow. As a result of this tendency to let our minds wander, many of us have developed exterior manifestations of good listening skills — gazing intently into someone’s eyes, nodding our heads periodically, making appreciative noises, etc.—but in reality we are somewhere else, multi-tasking, making lists, worrying about our busy schedule, and not being fully present, not really listening at all.
LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
So without the help of gurus or swamis, spending months in ashrams, bending ourselves into pretzels on the yoga mat, or sitting for hours in meditation, expats, just by the process of living overseas, learn to live in the present moment.
LEARN PATIENCE
Another spiritual behavior expats tend to acquire without realizing it, is patience. This most basic and fundamental aspect of a spiritual practice is developed everyday as expats navigate the uncharted waters of a different culture. Only by moving slowly, not rushing, having no expectations, all of which requires patience, can expats achieve their desired goals.
BE HUMBLE
Being humble is also at the bedrock of most spiritual practices. Living overseas gives that to you in spades. Everything is different when you are overseas. There are unusual foods, unfamiliar ways to get from one place to another, diverse types of stores, and unusual social mores, values, and cultural expressions. Dealing with it all can be very humbling. All of these new experiences push us out of our comfort zone, knock us off whatever pedestal we created for ourselves, and bring us crashing humbly back down to earth.
BECOME CHILD LIKE AGAIN
In many ways, by living overseas we turn ourselves into children again, having to learn everything anew. Where can you find a phone cord in France, or non-prescription medicine in Italy, or a television license in England? Mundane day-to-day activities become steep mountains to climb, humbling whatever over-inflated sense of self we may have developed.
The most humbling experience of all is suddenly becoming functionally illiterate. As adults in our home country, we are used to being able to communicate clearly and effectively. In another country with a different language, we become effectively deaf and mute. People talk to us but we do not understand them. We open our mouths but no one can decipher what we are saying. Suddenly, in terms of language, we are infants. More than anything, this process of communicating overseas in another language can be frustrating, demeaning, and incredibly humbling.
REMOVE DEFENSES THAT HAVE BUILT UP
However, from this position of vulnerability can come immense strength. Being humbled allows us to remove the defenses that have built up over the years, opening an opportunity to view the world and ourselves from a different perspective, allowing us to develop the confidence to grow, evolve and change.
LETTING GO & ACCEPTING WHATEVER HAPPENS
Living overseas is also about letting go. Being in another country can help us learn to accept what is, and discard unrealistic expectations. Being able to live contentedly in any country is about accepting whatever happens for what it is, and not judging it or getting frustrated with it for what it is not.
RE-EDUCATE YOURSELF
Being confronted with new and different cultural situations can be confusing. Overseas, much of what we “know” is no longer valid, forcing us to re-educate ourselves to behave in a manner that is culturally appropriate. For example, the color white is acceptable to wear to a funeral in Asia. You should only eat with your right hand in the Middle East. It is expected of you to belch copiously during a meal in China. And when sharing a business card with a Japanese don’t just glance at it and stuff it into you pocket, stare at it intently, read off the person’s name and title, and only then put it away in a respectful manner.
ACCEPT THINGS FOR WHAT THEY ARE
These day-to-day experiences overseas, where everything seems as if it is reflected in a fun house mirror, allow us to put into practice the spirituality of being more mindful, patient, and humble. We learn how to let go of our preconceived notions about how things should be done and accept them for what they are.
THE JOY OF BEING ALIVE RE-EMERGES IN FULL FORCE
I believe it was John Cougar Mellencamp who sang “Life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone.” When we were young, life seemed to come with its own soundtrack, grandiose music filling every banal scene with intense emotion making it seem transcendent and unique. Being older, often, means living through the same movie but without the evocative music. However, when overseas, where almost everything is new and different, the soundtrack returns with gusto and the joy of being alive re-emerges in full force, renewing our sense of wonder with the world around us.
THE MOST MIND-EXPANDING AND SOUL-ENRICHING EXPERIENCE
Managed properly, approached thoughtfully, explored meaningfully, living overseas is probably the most mind-expanding and soul-enriching experience found outside of transcendental meditation, tantric sex, or chemically induced hallucinations. Though it does not guarantee development of an open mind and adventurous spirit, simply by virtue of being in new and interesting places on a more frequent basis, the potential for both is infinitely increased.
LIFE IS BETTER OVERSEAS
Bottom line, if you are seeking more enlightenment in your life, don’t forsake all possessions, wrap yourself in rags, go live in a cave and subsist on berries. You have another option! Just head across the frontier. Life is better overseas.
The author, Douglas E. Morris is also the author of Open Road’s Best of Italy.
During the “What’s Your Biggest Concern About Relocating to Panama” Conference Call, one of the biggest concerns was the language barrier.
In some areas in Panama, you can get by without leaning much Spanish. In other areas of Panama, you will need to know more Spanish. The good news is that you already know a lot more Spanish than you think! Here are a few examples:
A word that ends with OR in English is exactly the same in Spanish – just pronounced a little different with the accent on the last syllable in Spanish
Color = Color
Conductor = Conductor
Words that end with an AL are exactly the same in English and Spanish. In Spanish, you stress the last syllable when you say the word.
Principal = Principal
Hospital = Hospital
Words that end with BLE are identical in English and Spanish but you stress the next to the last syllable
Visable = Visable
Terrible = Terrible
Words that end with an IC, you just add an O in Spanish
Public = Publico
Plastic = Plastico
Words that ends with an IST, you just add an A in Spanish
Dentist – Dentista
Artist – Artista
See how easy that is! With about 17 little tricks like this, you will know more than 4,000 Spanish words in just a FEW HOURS!
I learned these little TRICKS from Gary A Scott’s Online Spanish Course. It’s currently on sale for only $79. You can learn at your own pace from the comfort of your home.
The LIVE class was taught in Boquete Panama a few years ago. I was surprised that almost everyone in the class was reading, writing and speaking in Spanish by the end of the first day.
During our live class and with the online class, Gary utilizes a special kind of music that you listen to which helps you learn faster and to retain what you learn quickly. This technique of learning is called Super Learning and was developed in Bulgaria in the 1960s by Dr. George Lozanov.
Do you need to know Spanish before you move to Panama? Absolutely not! But just knowing a little Spanish will certainly help.
These 17 tricks will expand your Spanish vocabulary quickly and help you be more confident when speaking Spanish. Combine these tricks with a BIG SMILE and Panamanians will bend over backwards to help you learn Spanish. They want to learn English too. So, together you can help each other communicate.
This is what others have to say about Gary Scott’s Online Spanish Course:
“I took this incredible class a few weeks ago, and I would like to tell anyone that is interested, that it is an amazing three days of learning with lots of laughs included. You leave everyday wanting to learn more and are so excited to do so.
“Other Spanish classes and tutoring made us feel like it would take forever to get to the point where we could put it into practice, but this method gave us a more fluent use for everyday life almost immediately AND the confidence to use it. It is a fantastic way to show people how much they know and give confidence to learn and use Spanish creating a momentum.
“They made learning Spanish easy and fun in a very relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. I would definitely recommend this course. Even if you know some Spanish, this helps make it easier because of the less stress that no verb conjugations gives you. This gives you more confidence in yourself to try and speak it more.”
“It didn’t really seem possible that we would be speaking and understanding Spanish in only 3 days but the course made it happen in a very supportive learning environment. I would highly recommend this course for anyone wishing to learn “practical Spanish”. The teaching methods, use of relaxation, the use of native Spanish speakers for pronunciation and the teachers themselves who were approachable and helpful and always positive made this a very valuable class.”
“This course improved my self confidence in my ability to learn and retain a language. It was presented with genuine enthusiasm, great energy and the style of learning is very effective. Gracias! It was a great experience.”