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Home Archives for renting in Panama

Last Updated on September 25, 2013 - by Panama Relocation Tours

Panama Relocation Tours – Day 2

By Richard Detrich, Author of Escape to Paradise

After breakfast at Sheraton Bijao overlooking the pools and ocean, the group boarded our bus to get on the Pan American Highway and head west.  Remember, the Isthmus of Panama runs east – west connecting Colombia with Costa Rica.  As we passed the new Rio Hato airport and under the main runway we talked about some of the beach developments on the Pacific side, like Bijao that attract expats to both high rise beach-side living and condos, and some exclusive projects like Ventura that have large, individual beach side properties.

Panama Relocation Tour Day 2 - Colonial Spanish Church in ParitaWe headed out the Azuero Peninsula toward Chitre, another Panama town that is booming.  Along the way we stopped at the little, historic Spanish colonial town of Parita and were able to get in the beautiful old Spanish colonial church there with a ceiling of hand hewn pegged timber and amazing altar pieces and sculptures from the Spanish period.

Panama Relocation Tour Day 2 Emergency Bathroom StopWith no bathroom facilities in Chitre we made do with what was available. A kind gentleman who was cleaning the local cantina let us use the restrooms.  Like I’ve said before, this is a boots-on-the-ground tour with a chance to see the real Panama!

Now on an “authentic” roll, we had lunch at a “fonda” restaurant where everything is fresh and cooked outside over wood fire.  In the outdoor kitchen chickens are being plucked, corn is being husked and soup simmers in giant pots over open wood fires.  The result is amazing taste and a great culinary experience!

Panama Relocation Tour Day 2 - Miles and Miles of Beach Azuero PeninsulaThe area around Chitre and Las Tablas, the center of Carnival celebrations in Panama, has been increasingly attractive to expats because of the availability of stores and services.  We drove by the giant new hospital under construction, and then on to one of the many beaches near Las Tablas. Although it was a weekend, we had the beach virtually to ourselves.

Panama Relocation Tour Day 2 - Girl Power at the BeachThis is a great group and our “Girl Power” group manages to keep things lively!  From the Azuero we drove back to the Pan American Highway and on to Santiago, another rapidly expanding area of Panama.  We stayed at a funky, Mexican-themed Panamanian hotel and casino where we enjoyed relaxing in the pool and having dinner together.

Panama Relocation Tour Day 2 - Dinner in SantiagoIf you are thinking of maybe moving to Panama, there are “tours” which consist mainly of “conferences” where you sit in the ballroom of a giant hotel in Panama City and here various presenters, some who pay to participate, presenting various “opportunities” for you to invest.  There are other real estate tours where real estate sales people and developments, again some of whom have paid to participate, try to sell you properties.  Panama Relocation Tour is neither: it is an opportunity to see and visit some of the places expats call home, to meet and get the straight scoop from real expats, and to get an overall feel for Panama.  It’s a busy, boots-on-the-ground tour, but in my humble opinion it is a better way to decide if Panama is for you, or if it remains on the list of countries you may be considering.

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Filed Under: Living in Panaa Tagged With: business opportunity in Panama, cost of health care in Panama, cost of living in Panama, economy in Panama, Escape to Paradise, Life in Panama, Live and Invest Overseas, Living costs in Panama, living international, Moving to Panama, panama economy, Panama relocation company, renting in Panama, retire in panama, retirementwave.com, Richard Detrich

Cost of Living in Boquete Panama

Last Updated on March 28, 2013 - by Panama Relocation Tours

Cost of Living in Boquete Panama

Cost of Living In PanamaWhat does it cost to live in Boquete?  That’s the question I get asked most often.  And it’s the most important question you need the answer to before you make the decision to move offshore.

We’ve been tracking our living expenses since moving to Boquete so I thought I’d share them to give you a realistic picture of what it costs to live in Boquete.

There are many areas in Panama where you can live for much less.  If you live near Coronado or Panama City, you’ll pay much more. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cost of Living In Panama, Living in Panama Tagged With: boquete cost of living, cost of health care in Panama, cost of living in Boquete, cost of living in Panama, Escape to Paradise, health care in Panama, Life in Panama, Live and Invest Overseas, Living costs in Panama, living international, move to Boquete, Moving to Panama, Panama Costs of Living, rentals in Boquete, renting in Panama, retire in panama, Richard Detrich

Renting in Panama

Last Updated on October 31, 2020 - by Panama Relocation Tours

Renting in Panama

panama rental davidSo you’ve decided to live in Panama for an extended time to see if it’s right for you. And you’re going to heed the universal advice given to expats moving to a foreign country: rent before you buy. Excellent. So what’s your next step? Find a place to live. How? Here are some pointers.

Get a Head Start

You can get started on your research before you leave home by looking online for rental properties. Sites such as encuentra24, Viviun, and craigslist: panama are excellent resources to familiarize yourself with what is available and costs.  You can also locate realtors or property managers to contact directly, and send them details about what size and kind of house you seek, where, and how much you want to pay.

Visiting and posting on Panama Facebook groups in the area you are interested in is a great way to make contact with other expats and get their input. Ask about reputable property managers for the area where you want to live. But don’t expect to have a deal worked out before you get on the plane.  You really need to see the property before you sign a lease.

fuzzy house moldThere are many things one can do long-distance via the internet, but I suggest that renting a house is not one of them. One thing that gets North Americans in trouble is their often near-obsessive need to have all their plans made, decisions settled, and details arranged before they leave home.  If you’re going on an all-inclusive one week vacation to some exotic resort this may be a perfect plan.  But if you are renting a place to live it could spell disaster. Horror stories abound from folks who paid a lot of money for a rental, before they even arrived in Panama, only to discover that what they paid for was not what was promised via email. There are too many variables and unknowns in a foreign country that are impossible to anticipate. Go ahead and make your hotel reservations for your arrival in Panama, and then, hit the ground to find a rental.

The best rental deals, at the best prices, are usually when you are working directly with the owner.   If you are working with a property manager or real estae company, insist on talking to the owner to verify what the correct rent is.

What You Need to Know

Short term rentals of less than six months are very rare and thus hard to find. If you are planning to stay in Panama for a few weeks or less, a hostel or hotel with suites may be your only option. But you can work this to your advantage, by moving around a lot to experience multiple areas of the country. Look at it as a fact-finding mission and make the most of it!

Keep in mind that different cultures do things differently, and you’re not in Kansas anymore! In Panama, when a listing states a house is “unfurnished” that means empty, nada, zilch, no stove, no fridge, nothing. Also, do not assume that you can furnish your home from yard sales, garage sales, and used furniture stores like Goodwill. They do not exist here. You may encounter an occasional “venta de patio” (yard sale) but they are few and far between, and it’s probably a foreigner who is selling. Unless you are willing to buy everything you need for your new home (which is certainly possible, and can be done at a reasonable cost), plan to rent a furnished home.

You can’t assume that the house will have hot water at every faucet, or at all, you need to verify which faucets have hot water.  Just because there are two knobs at the sink, it does not mean that hot water is available.

The utilities that we take for granted back home can be an issue here. Unfortunately, there are areas of Panama where you cannot count on reliable water, electricity, or internet services. The availability and dependability of these services vary greatly around the country, even from one part of town to another, so it is very important to research this before renting.   Some areas in Panama only have municipal water delivered to their house on certain days or certain times of the day.  If you don’t have a reserve water tank, that means that you won’t have water part of the day.  You need to ask if there is municipal water delivered to the house every day and all day long.  Ask if there is a reserve water tank.  In areas with high winds, electric service may be intermittent. You cannot assume that you will have a fast, steady internet service. Check out the utilities before you sign the lease.

Renting in PanamaOnce you have found your new home, don’t hand over any money until you have a written lease contract in your possession. Most owners will ask for a month’s rent as a deposit, and the contract should spell out the terms for the use and return of the deposit. The term of the agreement should be stated (e.g. six months, one year) and include a cancellation clause, usually with 30 days written notice. There is no advantage to paying rent in advance, so why do it? Keep the money in your account until the rent is due.

Your contract will be written in Spanish, which is the official language of Panama. If you cannot read it ask for an English version. If necessary, get it translated yourself by a local translating service. The small expense is well worth it to know exactly what you are signing. The contract should also be witnessed by a third party, and for extra security, you may have it notarized by a Panamanian notary (they are readily available and inexpensive). It may take a little longer to complete these steps before you move into your house, but it may save you hours of headaches in the long run.

One Last Thing…

boquete panama cloudsAll of your research, studying, preparation, and due diligence cannot take the place of being here in person. Before you sign the lease, take the time to visit your chosen home as many times as you can, at different times of the day. If possible, talk to some of the neighbors. Yes, it’s a bother, but how else will you know what it will be like to actually live there? Does the guy next door play rap music until 2 am? Do the dogs bark all day long? If you are the laid back type, no worries, but if you seek peace and quiet, it’s best to avoid surprises.

Be smart about your move to Panama, and enjoy your new home!

 

Spanish Lesson:

Se Vende means For Sale

Se Alquila means For Rent

Bienes Raíces means Real Estate

Casa means House

Recamaras means Bedrooms

Amueblado or Amoblado means Furnished

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Living in Panama Tagged With: cost of living in Panama, move to Panama, rentals in Panama, renting in Panama, retire in panama

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