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Home Archives for move to Panama
Two Best Ways to Explore Panama

Last Updated on November 10, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

Two Best Ways to Explore Panama

Explore Dream Discover

When each state finally confirms the US election results, some people will be ready to leave the United States because their candidate did not win.   Most people leave politics at the border when they move to Panama so that will be a refreshing change.

Others are looking for a more affordable place where they can live on just their Social Security or pension check.  You can do that in Panama!

Some are just ready for a new adventure for the next chapter in your life.  Panama is full of new adventures and very interesting people to meet too!

Whatever your reasons are for considering a move overseas, Panama should be high on your list of places to relocate to, here’s why:

♥ It’s easy to get a residency Visa
♥ If you’re a woman over 55 or a man over 60, you’ll get a discount on just about everything you buy
♥ It’s a better quality of life and more affordable than most places in North America
♥ The weather is great all year. No snow… ever!
♥ Spectacular scenery
♥ You can live at the beach, in the mountains, or in the city.  There’s something for everyone
♥ Quality health care and affordable health insurance
♥ Best infrastructure in Latin America – get 100+ Mbps internet too
♥ Plus many other reasons to relocate to Panama.

We recommend that you come to visit Panama before you decide to relocate to Panama.  Currently, the two easiest ways to explore Panama are our Private Tours or a DIY self-guided tour in Panama.  We can help you with both!

Private Tours are only $200 per day for up to 2 people.  Private tours are for specific areas and are totally customized to do and see the things you want to accomplish during your exploratory trip to Panama.

The Online Panama Relocation Guide has all the information you need to know to relocate to Panama. It also includes information about how to do a DIY self-guided tour in Panama.  You’ll learn how to get to the most popular areas, where to stay, where the expat hang-outs are, stores to check out, and who to contact to see rentals.

Listen to the replay below to learn more details about the two best ways to explore Panama now.  (note:  about 45 minutes into the call, I had a 3-minute power outage, so the call dropped.  I called back in as fast as possible).

Come see how you can live BETTER for LESS in Panama!

Many North Americans have already moved to Panama and are living their dream in Panama.   Panama is a small but very diverse country with 1500 miles of coastline, majestic mountains, rainforest, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.   Panama offers an easy, laid-back lifestyle.  Regardless of your budget, there is a perfect place for you in Panama.

Panama Relocation Tours has been helping people relocate to Panama since 2010. We’ve completed 122 relocation tours and helped 1400 people relocate to Panama the easy way. Check out some of our 5-STAR Reviews HERE!   You can see MORE reviews on Facebook, YouTube, and TripAdvisor.  We have the experience you can trust and need when relocating to Panama.

Panama Relocation GuideWe can teach you the easy way to relocate to Panama and provide all the information you need to know to make an informed decision.  We don’t sell real estate.  There won’t be any high-pressured real estate sales pitches.  In fact, we encourage you to just rent for the first 6-12 months to make sure you like Panama, and you like the area you moved to. Many people decide just to rent the whole time they live in Panama.

Here’s how we can help:

In the Online Panama Relocation Guide, you’ll have access to the more reliable immigration lawyers, honest and ethical real estate companies, where to buy health insurance for 40% less, how to get your pets into Panama, affordable international movers, how to buy a car, opening an offshore bank account, and much MUCH more.  We get no kickbacks or commissions from anyone we refer you to.  Instead, we tell them to pass the savings on to you.

Join the Online Panama Relocation Guide team today. You will get access to our exclusive private forum where you’ll get the support you need for a smooth and easy transition to living in Panama.   Before, during, and even after you move to Panama, we’re here for you!

https://panamarelocationtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-11-07-110.mp3
Next year, we will start offering our all-inclusive 6-day 7-night Panama Relocation Tours again.  Then you’ll have three ways to explore Panama.

Filed Under: Panama Conference Call Tagged With: How to move to Panama, living in panama, move to Panama, retire in panama

Finding a Rental in Panama

Last Updated on November 13, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

Finding a Rental in Panama

highlands of panama zenThe process of finding a rental in Panama is different than what you are familiar with.  There is not one website like Zillow where you can see a lot of available rentals.  You can’t just walk into one real estate office and ask to see all the rentals in your price range.  Instead, you’ll need to take a much more proactive approach to find a rental in Panama.  Listen to the replay of a conference call discussing how to find a rental.  You’ll learn what NOT to do too!

https://panamarelocationtours.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-10-31-109.mp3

See the top 10 takeaways from the call below.  Listen to the replay for many other tips and tricks for finding a rental in Panama.

1. You’ll need to take a much more proactive approach to find a rental.  Check Facebook groups in the area you want to move to.  Check craigslist Panama and other websites like Encuentra for rentals.  Rent a car and drive around looking for rental signs or hire a driver to take you.

2. The best rentals are usually found by word-of-mouth and rented directly from the owner.   Don’t be afraid to ask people you meet if they know if any rentals.

3. Never ever rent something without seeing it first.  It’s good to see the neighborhood during the day time and at night before signing a lease.   Listen for barking dogs, roosters, noisy neighbors.

4.  Don’t assume that it has hot water at every faucet.  Verify.

guarare panama ocean view5. Most rentals come completely furnished including dishes, pots, pans, tv, coffee pot, sheets, towels, and furniture.

6.  Verify that the house has a reserve water tank.

7.  Make sure there is a written lease.  Write down everything they told you would come with the house (like electricity, water, gardener, etc) then very that those things are listed in the lease.

8.  For condo/apartment complexes, ask if there is a generator and what it powers in your unit (hopefully the elevator too). East versus the west side of the building can make a big difference too!

9. Beware that some landlords charge twice as much during high season.  You can avoid this if you rent before or after high season.

10.  Insist that you be able to talk to the owner to verify what the correct rent is so you can avoid a net listing.

Panama Relocation GuideOur Online Panama Relocation Guide contains all the information you need to know to relocate to Panama.  It also has a list of reliable property managers/real estate agents who can help you find a rental.   It’s a good idea to contact the agents about a month before you come to Panama so they can have some rentals lined up for you to see.

 

 

Filed Under: Panama Conference Call Tagged With: move to Panama, Panama rentals, rentals in Panama, retire in panama, tips for finding a rental in Panama

Homeschooling in Panama

Last Updated on November 3, 2020 - by Jackie Lange

Homeschooling in Panama

Many more families with children are relocating to Panama.  One of their biggest concerns is getting a good education for their children.  Public schools are only taught in Spanish.  International or bilingual schools are readily available but they can be expensive.  So, many parents decide to homeschool their children in Panama.

I asked Ellen Bailey, who home schools her son, to write an article about homeschooling in Panama.

homeschooling in panamaAs parents, one of our biggest responsibilities is the education of our children and when contemplating a move to another country, choosing how to educate them becomes paramount. Should they be enrolled in the public school system or would a private one be a better fit? Perhaps you have tried homeschooling or even used a combination of homeschool and public school, often referred to as “hybrid homeschooling,” and this has worked well for you. Although homeschooling is not prevalent here in Panama, this is a popular choice especially among expatriates, or expats, and the one that my husband and I decided to implement for our son.

I have often been asked how we made the decision to homeschool our now 16-year-old son when we moved to Panama in 2015. After conducting extensive research on public and private schools, we decided that homeschooling would be our best choice for many reasons. Although there are some wonderful private schools in Panama, the area we first lived in made it logistically hard for him to attend. He had spent all of his early education, from 2 years old to 5th grade in public and private institutions, which initially caused this mom A LOT of anxiety when deciding to explore this homeschooling concept that was foreign to me.

It is imperative that you do your due diligence, and research which style of homeschooling is best for your child since there is a multitude of choices including the school at home/textbook-oriented, classical homeschooling, online or virtual school, eclectic or relaxed homeschooling, unit studies, Waldorf, Montessori, Moore Formula, Charlotte Mason or even unschooling.

After much research, we decided to try a program called Enlightium Academy, a private Christian school that serves homeschool, co-op, and online students. This is a fee-based program that he completed entirely online and worked out pretty well for our first year as it provided more structure that I felt was necessary for him to have. However, when we first moved here, we were doing the “border hops” that required us to leave the country every 3-6 months for at least 3 days at a time and because we always chose to go to Costa Rica, internet service was not always available. This meant that he would be behind a few days, which caused a bit of undue stress.

After that first year, we decided to try a program called Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool and it has been a fantastic choice! The curriculum includes 180 days of homeschool lessons and assignments and covers reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, math, history/social studies/geography, science, foreign language, Bible, computer, music, art, PE/Health, and logic, all with the flexibility that we need, using only free materials found online! It gives us the ability to choose which courses we want him to take and even use some “Parent submitted” courses such as Consumer Math and Coding. When trying to choose a homeschooling curriculum, you must also take into consideration if your child is planning to continue their education at a college, university or even trade school and if the program is accredited and will be accepted at the postsecondary institution of their choice.

Moving to Panama with childrenAnother popular question that I have heard is how long does a “typical” school day take? This depends on a myriad of factors but perhaps the most important ones are the personality and learning style of your child. It seems like we initially tried it all: morning, afternoon, evening, at the kitchen table, outside on the balcony overlooking the Pacific (HOT!), mom at his side the majority of the time, mom sitting in the same room but not by him and finally, mom nowhere near him because apparently I’m not very bright – teenagers, gotta love ‘em! A day could be as short as a couple of hours or take almost 4.

What has been important for me to remember is that even if he finishes in 2-3 hours, the learning does not stop there, especially since we live in this beautiful foreign country. A lot of his learning, especially with his foreign language, Spanish, is reinforced out in the community, with his friends, and even at an after school program for the Indigenous people, where he spent many hours playing soccer, learning their culture, eating with them, and even sitting in on some of the music and computer classes. It was those early days when we first moved to Panama that he became fluent in Spanish and cultivated his love for this country. He takes Spanish in school so he will know not only how to correctly speak, but also had to read and write fluently. For his PE classes, he plays Pickleball, 3 times a week as well as soccer, baseball, American football, and basketball.

Many times I am asked if homeschooling is legal in Panama and what the “rules” are. This is the best explanation I have come across:

“Homeschooling is not legal but there are a number of families who are currently homeschooling.
Schooling is mandatory and not attending school is penalized.

The Constitution allocates Title III on Individual and Social Rights and Duties, Chapter 5 to Education. In it, Article 91 provides that the State organizes and directs the public service of national education and guarantees parents the right to participate in the educational process of their children. While Art. 94 guarantees freedom of education and recognizes the right to create private teaching centers, although always subject to what is established by law.”

In other words, like most things here in Panama, and other places in the World, there is always a “workaround.” As stated earlier, homeschooling is not as popular here like it is in other parts of the world although many expats and increasingly more locals, especially in Panama City, are deciding to do this because the education system is honestly not up to par, ranking 3rd from the bottom in the world in 2009. However, with the election of the new head of Education in Panama in 2018, and the fact that the government recognizes the need to improve schools, there has been a push for funds for more technology in the classroom.

parade boquete panamaBecause we had never homeschooled before, I was concerned if he would be able to meet new friends, become active in sports, band, clubs, etc. I must admit that he has made as many if not more friends here as he had in the U.S. I absolutely have to give the majority of the credit to him because he literally jumped in with both feet! The second day we moved here, he was invited to come to play with the kids at the school program next door which allowed him not only to learn Spanish but also to meet many friends. His best friends live down the street and treat him like a member of their family. He has served as an interpreter for our good friend, a Kuna Indian, who has an artesian shop in the downtown area where he has been able to help people from all over the world. He found a pickleball group to play with, albeit most are adults and even joined a community band where he carried the flag our first Christmas here and then marched as a member of the band the next year. All of these things he did mostly on his own which is very different from any organized sport or club he was a member of in the U.S. There were no notes sent home or letters encouraging us to sign him up for whatever activity was being offered. He actually had to go out into the community, find these different groups, and even work to be able to buy his own drum, uniform, racquet, etc.

panama flagI realize how daunting relocating to another country can be especially when moving with children! However, it is possible for them to not only survive but also THRIVE! Remember that children are very resilient and are more capable of making this change than we adults are. When it comes to education, homeschooling will allow you to make the decisions on what subjects, curriculum, and teaching/ learning styles you want for them. Whatever part of the country you decide to move to, you will always be able to find other families that are doing the same thing. Join as many social media groups as you can for the area you will be settling in. There are always those who have “come before” and are more than willing to lend a hand!

To you, mom and dad, I say relax, breathe, and just do it!

 

 

Filed Under: Living in Panama, moving with kids Tagged With: home schooling in Panama, homeschool in panama, move to Panama, move to Panama with kids, panama home schooling

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