Why You Should NOT Go on a Real Estate Tour in Panama

Every month, I receive emails and calls from developers and real estate salespeople asking me to bring my tour group to their “project.” They offer me a 10% to 25% commission if any of my tour clients buy. I politely decline.

First, I think it is a huge conflict of interest for a tour operator to accept a commission or kickback. 

Tour companies that sell real estate during the tours may not be honest in telling you the truth (good and bad) about various areas in Panama because doing so could hurt their chances of getting a commission.

For example, many areas in the Azuero Peninsula have severe water problems – like no water part of the year!  Some tour operators would be dishonest and not mention that to you and then show you properties in those areas anyway, hoping you would buy property so they can get a commission.  That’s UNETHICAL.  We don’t do business that way!

Unfortunately, that is exactly what some tour companies do! New real estate tour companies pop up every week. Their #1 objective is to get you to buy or invest in real estate so they can earn a commission.

Beware of companies promoting “real estate tours” or “investment tours” in Panama.

Some tour companies will show you one property after another.. conveniently leaving out any “bad stuff” in hopes that you will buy so they can make a commission. 

High Pressure Sales Tactics

Don’t be surprised if they mention that prices are increasing next month, so you better buy now! It’s called high-pressure sales tactics. These tour companies are counting on convincing you to buy one, maybe two properties—hurry before the prices go up!

To make matters worse, the prices they quote for properties are often higher than average.  Then they can tell you if you buy this weekend, we can give you a $20,000 discount.  The reality is the $20,000 discount price is a high retail price.  It’s a game some tour companies play.

Real Estate Tours are Dangerous
for your Pocketbook and Your Retirement.

Secondly, I think it is a H-U-G-E mistake to buy or invest in anything in Panama until you have lived here for at least 12 months.  We encourage everyone on our tours to RENT first.  Do not rush into buying anything. 

There are many reasons for this.

It’s better to wait until you have your permanent visa before you buy real estate so you know you can live in Panama. It does not happen often, but sometimes people are denied a visa.

You do not have to buy real estate to get the Friendly Nations Visa; there are several other less risky ways to get that visa!

Recently, a family rushed to buy a house before applying for a visa. The agent convinced them it was way below market and the deal would not last long. Then, they learned from a neighbor that they paid $50,000 more than the sellers asked. To make matters worse, the husband was denied a visa. When they told the agent that they could not stay in Panama and needed to sell the house, she told them that she would need to list it for $50,000 less than they paid if they wanted to sell it quickly. To make matters worse, they also shipped a 40′ container. But, since the husband cannot get a visa, they discovered they cannot live in Panama.

Another reason not to rush into buying is that you would not know a “good” price for a property until you’ve been here for a while. Because there is no active MLS (multiple listing service), the only way to tell a good price from a high price is to talk to a lot of people to find out what properties have sold for in a specific area. 

You should never rely on real estate price information from one source and certainly not from people who will make a commission or profit if you buy. 

Another reason not to buy is that you don’t know if an area is right for you until you have lived there for a while. It would help if you also experienced both the rainy and dry seasons in the area you are interested in. The two seasons can be dramatically different!

I know a guy who did not heed my advice. He bought a property in a canyon during the rainy season. He loved the afternoon rains and the views. But then the dry season started, and the wind was so strong he thought his roof would fly away. The wind howled all night long, so he could not get any sleep. If he had lived in that area for a year, he would have known the difference between the rainy and dry seasons. Now he’s stuck!

Here’s another example of why it is so important NOT to buy until you have been in Panama for at least a year.  

Steve and Maria came on my tour about 12 years ago.  They liked Los Molinas, a nice gated community about 20 minutes South of Boquete at an elevation of 1800 feet.   It has lovely single-family homes and condos overlooking a beautiful canyon.  They heeded my advice and rented there for six months.  It is good because they both discovered it was too hot for them at that lower elevation.  They are so happy that they did not buy there!  Then they rented a house in Jaramillo Arriba (up high), another suburb of Boquete at a 5,000 foot elevation.  Steve loved the weather there, but Maria thought it was too cold.  So, now they are at their third rental house in Santa Lucia (another suburb of Boquete), about 3,800 feet.  So far, so good.  They both like the neighborhood and the weather.  Santa Lucia is only 2 miles from downtown Boquete, which is a big plus, too.

Denise and Bill moved to Playa Blanca, near Coronado.  But after a few months of $350 electric bills, they realized they needed to move to a different area.  The heat and humidity of living near the beach were not what they expected.  Now they live in an area where they don’t need an air conditioner, so their electric bill is 90% less and included in their rent, so there’s no extra payment. They are so thankful that they did not buy right away!

Most people move two or three times in Panama before they find their “happy place: that has the perfect balance of the weather they love and the amenities they need.

Jim and Nancy rented a condo with a beautiful ocean view.  Luckily, they signed a short-term lease, as I advised during Panama Relocation Tours.  After living in the condo for a month, they discovered two things that made them so glad they did not buy.  First, there was minimal ocean breeze, so it was always hot and muggy unless they spent $350 a month running the air conditioner.  But to make matters even worse, they discovered that more than half of the condos were AirBnb.com rentals.  They never knew who would live next to them, and most tenants who came for a few nights were interested in partying all night long.  It was like living in a hotel with a party every night!

A guy bought a condo in an up-and-coming area in Chame strictly for investment purposes. He was told he would have an 80% occupancy rate using their management company. After a year of a 20% occupancy rate, he asked me if I knew a different management company that could provide more tenants. The problem is that most people who purchased there are not owner-occupants. Most units are rentals, and there is more inventory than demand. He “bought” the sales pitch (lie) of 80% occupancy hook-line-and-sinker and is now stuck with no return on his investment.

It’s sad! He was counting on that income to supplement his retirement.

Panama Relocation Tours does NOT sell or rent real estate!

When you rent or buy real estate from the agents we recommend, we get no commissions or kickbacks like the other tour companies.

In Panama, you can drive just 20 minutes and experience completely different weather, including the temperature, the amount of rain, sunshine, wind, cloud cover, views, and other factors. 

It’s easy to buy, but it could take years to sell. So, before you make a buying decision, you need to make absolutely sure you love the area where you have chosen to relocate and that you like living in Panama. Rent first!

If you go on a real estate tour, you will only see hand-selected parts of Panama, where the tour operator is paid a commission.  Sure, you will see some of Panama, but you won’t learn everything you need about relocating or retiring in Panama as we teach you during an all-inclusive Panama Relocation Tour. 

And I assure you that during a “real estate tour” you will get the sugar-coated version of life in Panama, not the REALITY version of what life is really like in Panama like we provide during a Panama Relocation Tour.

During a Panama Relocation Tour, we show you a few rentals daily.  If you’re considering moving to Panama, you’ll want to see what the housing is like at various prices.  But there are absolutely no real estate sales pitches during our tours!

Our job during the Panama Relocation Tour is to educate you about how to relocate to Panama easily, tell you all the things that will keep you out of trouble, and help you avoid costly mistakes (like buying real estate too soon). 

Once you know exactly what to expect about relocating to Panama, the fear of moving to Panama is removed.  Plus, you can access our team even after the tour to ask questions or get help with whatever you need.  

During a Panama Relocation Tour, you won’t get the sugar-coated version of what life is like in Panama.  We won’t leave out the bad stuff (and there is bad stuff).  And we don’t sell real estate.

You can’t make an informed decision about retiring or relocating to Panama unless you learn about the good and the bad and the darn frustrating aspects of living in a foreign country.

A BETTER WAY TO EXPLORE PANAMA.. WITH NO SALES PITCHES!

You can discover Panama up close and personal during a 7-night 6-day all inclusive Panama Relocation Tour. You pay one flat fee that includes everything. You’ll see the real Panama.

You’ll travel in an extra comfortable bus throughout Panama. We have at least two or three tour guides on every tour to ensure you get the personal attention you need. We also invite other expats to join us for lunch and dinner so you can learn why they picked the area where they live.

While we are traveling from one location to another, we’ll be conducting a rolling seminar to teach you what you need to know to relocate. What else is included? All ground transportation, all hotels, all meals, and a Copa flight back to Panama City.

Plus, you’ll learn everything you need to know to have a smooth, hassle-free move to Panama. After the tour, you’ll also get free access to the Online Complete Panama Relocation Guide (a $595 value). And you’ll get our ongoing support in our private Facebook group.

After your tour, you’ll be invited to our monthly PRT Meet-Ups to help you meet others who have moved to Panama so you can make friends quickly

You’ll get to actually see Gorgona, Coronado, San Carlos, Santa Clara, Chitre, Las Tablas, Santiago, Las Lajas Beach, David, Boquete, Volcan, Bambito and Cerro Punta. Plus we will travel through a lot of other towns. You get to really see Panama. We usually visit a hospital too!

You’ll meet expats in each area. They will discuss what their life is like in Panama. I don’t screen what they will say except, “no sales pitches, please”. No sugar coating. You’ll hear the truth: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. You’ll learn the pros and cons of living in each area.

That’s not all…. you’ll also meet with Panamanians to hear what they think about expats living in their country and how you can make friends and “fit in” quickly.

Since 2010, we’ve been offering Panama Relocation Tours.

We’re known throughout Panama as the “Panama Relocation Experts“!  

Since 2010, we’ve helped thousands of people make a hassle-free move to Panama.

Read what some have to say about Panama Relocation Tours and Jackie Lange, it’s founder:

It’s Not a Tour, It’s an Adventure! said Bob and Sally Lewis from my January 2015 tour.
They added … Besides all the great info you are going to get, you see so much of the country, will make some wonderful friends, that you will want to sell your house as soon as you get back home, like my wife Sally and I are going to do!! Jackie does incredible things to personalize the tour, like having a freshly baked Birthday Cake at dinner on my wife’s Birthday!! You don’t spend money on this tour, you INVEST it!!

You’ll learn about budgets in each area of Panama. Some areas are more expensive than others. Some areas are incredible bargains. Each area has it’s pros and cons, which we will discuss during the tour.

Jacqui rents a one-bedroom house for $280 a month in Las Tablas. She is 5 minutes to the Pacific Ocean. Las Tablas has just about anything you’d need, but Chitre is only 30 minutes away, and it has even more shopping options. Chitre also has movie theaters and bowling alleys.

Doug is renting a 2 bedroom 2 bath with spectacular views in Boquete for $600. He has a 1/2 acre lot with coffee plants, bananas, avocados and oranges.

Colin and Sue are renting a 2-bedroom 2-bath in Cerro Punta for $400. The views are incredible (see photo below). You will get to see the many of these rental properties. No slideshows. You get to walk through the house and the yard and talk to the expat tenants. There are pros and cons to living in each area. You’ll learn exactly what they are so you can make an informed decision about where to relocate to in Panama (if you decide Panama is right for you).

YES, you will get to see real estate during the Panama Relocation Tour! But we only show rentals! You’ll see condos for rent near Coronado. We will see rentals in the Azuero, Volcan and Boquete. As we drive through or past various neighborhoods, we will tell you what homes rent for so you’ll have a general idea of prices in Panama.  The information we provide is based on talking to a LOT of expats in that area.

We never get a commission if you rent or buy real estate!

You’ll see the beaches, the towns, and the mountains. We’ll also visit a farmer’s market to see the variety of fruits and vegetables available.

Panama Relocation Tours stays at a first-class, all-inclusive resort next to the Pacific Ocean for one night. When we get to Boquete, we stay at a funky hotel everyone says is their favorite place.  From Boquete, we make day trips to David and Volcan.

Of course, we spend time in Boquete, too. You’ll get to go to a Panamanian Artisan Market, learn about the pros and cons of the 21 different microclimates in Boquete, see rentals, and have some free time to check out grocery stores, pharmacies, department stores, or just relax at one of the many restaurants.

You’ll see some amazing sunsets over the ocean or the mountains. And you’ll probably see more stars in Panama than you have ever seen before.

We’ll visit grocery stores. You get to walk the aisles to see if your favorite products are available. You can compare prices of imported vs. local products. Yes we have Butterball Turkey in Panama. You won’t hear this at the international conferences but the truth is that some grocery stores are terrible. Luckily there is almost always a great grocery store close by through.

We’ll visit department stores so you can see the great bargains which are available in Panama. You’ll also see electronic stores and furniture stores so you can compare prices and help you decide what to bring to Panama and what to just buy here.

You’ll even have time to visit with a doctor during your “free time” during the tour. We think you’ll be surprised at how the doctors in Panama really put the “care” back into health care! .

Get the real scoop on health insurance options. Discover why you could pay 40% more if you use some insurance brokers.  You’ll get information about Panama health insurance and international health insurance so you’ll be covered anywhere in the world. And, you’ll learn how you can even use Medicare in Panama!

Learn how to bring your pet in to Panama. There’s a process but it is well worth it to bring your furry family members. My cat moved to Panama with me. She traveled In-Cabin. Pets love living in Panama too!

We’ll eat at upscale restaurants but also have lunch at some $5 a meal restaurants with excellent food. This is the REAL Panama which you won’t find on real estate buying tours.  

You’ll learn the easiest way to buy a car in Panama and why it is better if you do not ship a car to Panama.

Experience the real Panama! You never know what you might see when you are traveling through Panama. During one tour there was a truck with an elephant in the back. It was headed to a circus. Sometimes a parade breaks out. You will certainly see trucks full of bananas or plantains. Or sacks of 100 oranges for $4

You will meet with a Panama attorney to learn about your visa options. This is NOT the kind of attorney who does the seminar circuits and charges twice as much because she has to pay a commission to the real estate tour operators. Oh no! You’ll meet an attorney who has one focus only… to make sure you get your visa quickly and at the best price in Panama and that you don’t make any mistakes when renting or buying a property in Panama.

Some real estate tour operators get a commission from immigration lawyers, insurance brokers, developers, real estate agents, and everyone else.

We don’t get any commission from anyone!

Discover the real Panama! You’ll see beautiful flowers and lush green trees everywhere we go. But honestly, you’ll also see some areas with trash alongside the road. You’ll see people riding horses next to the highway and probably see some roosters too. And there will be dogs walking around like they own the town. This is the real Panama!

You’ll get to touch, feel, smell, hear, and experience the real Panama up close and personal.

During the 7-night, 6-day all-inclusive Panama Relocation Tour, you’ll travel 1200 kilometers (745 miles) to discover which part of Panama could be your new home. Leave the driving to my professional driver, who knows every square inch of Panama.

We’ll look at some real estate in each areas but, unlike those real estate tours, we stress that you should NOT buy anything until you’ve been living in Panama at least 6 months… 12 months is even better. We don’t try to sell you anything. But we know you want to see what houses and condos look like in various price points so we visit some properties.

You’ll learn the 4 most important questions you need to ask before you rent any property.

Whew! It sounds like a lot already but I actually cover even more. You’ll learn how to fund your freedom overseas without getting a job. And much more…..

The 7-night, 6-day all inclusive Panama Relocation Tour is the best way to get a “feel” for Panama, learn how to relocate, explore a variety of area, and discover if Panama is right for you. You’ll feel safe with our professional bi-lingual driver, English speaking tour guides, and being with a group of people who are also considering relocating to Panama.

Moving to Panama is a big decision. It is important for you to have all the information you need before you decide to relocate. (and certainly before you buy anything) It’s also important to learn the good as well as the not so good before you pull the trigger and decide to move. I honestly think the only way you can discover Panama is to travel around the country. You can’t sit in a conference room in Panama City to learn what life is like living in Panama. You need to see the various areas for yourself. You need to talk to people who live there. And you need to explore the housing options and prices.  And you certainly don’t want to just see one real estate project after another with high pressure sales tactics around every corner.

ANOTHER WAY TO DISCOVER WHAT PANAMA HAS TO OFFER…

If you have any questions about the Panama Relocation Tours, please email us.

Here’s what some of Panama Relocation Tours previous tour clients have to say…

Check out the 100s of 5-star reviews we have at

TripAdvisor
Facebook
YouTube
Our Website

THIS TOUR WAS WELL DONE AND WELL ORGANIZED

I usually don’t write reviews; however, I find that reviewing the Panama Relocation Tour was imperative if it would help others who may be contemplating a move there. Firstly, I would like to applaud the great folks of Panama Relocation Tours who arrange such a great service to those of us who are seeking to change a major part of our existence….where we might live overseas!

This tour is well done and very organized. They left nothing half-done, and from the time of my arrival to the time of my departure, all components of the trip ran like a well oiled machine! The tour takes you all across the country, in an effort to accommodate the pet peeves of various personalities-you know, the “some like it hot, and some like it cool” folks!

While the owner Jackie Lange was not able to conduct our tour due to family reasons, I want to offer kudos to our tour hosts Ellen and Elaine, who were phenomenal. However, I still hope to meet “the famous” Jackie in Panama one day, and pick her brain about her experiences. She has the right folks working with her that kept the drum beating, without clients feeling that they had missed out on a full complete substantive tour. I feel my tour most definitely, was of the same caliber and high standard of the ones I watched others rave about.

When the world gets back to some normalcy, I urge and even implore anyone who may be thinking of moving to Panama to take this tour!

P.S. I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to Dustin & Melissa, who were fantastic in the initial administrative portion of the tour-great job! A big fist bump to Jorge the driver, who can drive a bus like no other. We always arrived safely at our destination, for him always being a kind face, and assisting with whatever he could to make the experience a more rewarding one.

Jackie Dacus

WOW! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE

Buenas! I took the Panama Relocation Tour from 9/27 – 10/4 and wow, what an experience. Jackie and her team are professional, pleasant, very thoughtful, and incredibly knowledgeable. I’ve been researching Panama and had a good bit of information from different sources, including the PRT website, emails, conference calls and YouTube channel, as well as various expat groups on Facebook and the internet. With all of this I still wanted to talk with a few people to ask questions and hear their experiences of Panama, and see the Country for myself. The Panama Relocation Tour provided all of that and more. Jackie provides detailed information both verbally and in writing, answers every single question or refers you to a resource if she doesn’t know, and shares her contacts within Panama for legal advice, banking, real estate, etc. And with all of this there is no selling at all. None. I never felt any pressure to use the specific people that Jackie mentions, or buy at the businesses that she pointed out.

Another valuable aspect of the tour was the sense of community that I felt with the other participants. I started the tour on Friday 9/27 not knowing a soul, and finished on Friday, 10/4 having had a conversation, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (or 3 – ha!) with nearly everyone on the tour. It was a fairly large group so that was pretty cool. This sense of community extended to the expats that have already moved to Panama. We had lunch or dinner with several expats and I had a chance to chat one-on-one and exchange information with a few of them. Everyone we met was super helpful and open to answering our questions.

Ultimately, the most important thing that I wanted from the tour was an experience of Panama in person. The tour did not disappoint. We visited areas from the swanky, to boho, to majestic, to regular neighborhoods. Beaches, rivers, mountains with incredible trees, green rolling hills and cozy-looking valleys. So much beauty in or around every area. There was balance, so we also visited supermarkets, malls, pharmacies and even a weekly farmer’s market to see what normal prices and selections are like. We experienced various microclimates from the summery heat of Panama City to the delicious coolness of Boquete.

I would definitely recommend the Panama Relocation Tour. Jackie and team deliver accurate, current information in a well-organized manner. I now have the information that I need to make a decision on moving to Panama. But don’t take my word for it – go see for yourself! Ciao!

Vee Fergie

 WATCH VIDEO of John and Donna from the December 2019 Tour

THE SIGN OF A GREAT TOUR IS NOT JUST WHAT YOU GET ON THE TOUR, BUT THE SUPPORT AFTER

There are a lot of seminars and tours you can take on living in Panama, but my wife, Barbara, and I feel that Jackie Lange’s ‘Panama Relocation Tour’ is by far the best bet for your money. The main reason we feel this way is not just the tour. For the year following our tour we continued to bombard Jackie with a series of questions and inquiries. Jackie always responded with the answers we needed, even when we were asking almost the same question over and over. Her contacts that she provides during the tour are also great resources, ready and willing to help.

Barbara and I are now living in Boquete, Panama and settling into the expat life in our new home. I don’t know if we would have made it this soon, or if the transition had been as smooth without Jackie’s ongoing help and support. The sign of a great tour is not just what you get on the tour, but the support after. Jackie’s ongoing email updates are also continuing to help us make ongoing decisions in Panama, like what to do next about healthcare. Thank you Jackie for all your help.Merl & Barbara Will-Wallace.

5-STAR RELOCATION TOUR

First off, Jackie and her daughter have a well-oiled system that manages all the arrangements so you may relax and enjoy the trip,  start to finish.  Accommodations are great, the tour bus is very comfortable, the food is awesome, and on top of that, you have Jackie giving you all the information you need to make a move to Panama.  And even if Jackie is not able to answer a question for you, she surely knows someone that can.  Her knowledge about Panama and finances is extraordinary!!  To this day, I am still in contact with her on a regular basis asking questions and she is always getting back to me right away with the answers I need.  Even if you decide Panama is not for you, the tour is an eye-opener about Panama, lots of fun, and you get to meet people from all over the world.  Highly recommended!!
Laura Kasparian

LEARNED MORE ON THIS TOUR THAN PREVIOUS 3 TRIPS TO PANAMA

I’ve been to Panama three times prior to this tour, but I saw and learned more on the Panama Relocation Tour than my previous trips combined!  Jackie and Melissa (stateside) run a well organized, on-time tour, and Jackie provides real insight into the good and bad points about individual areas.  Not only does she run a hugely informative tour, but Jackie goes much further—she takes great care of her people (past and present tour attendees), and she is a superb role model for how a good expat should behave and live in Panama.  She’s the best!Richard B.

I WAS CONVINCED THIS WAS THE TOUR FOR ME

About a year ago I found an article about retiring in Panama, I sent the article to my sister because she was based there many years ago and always had good things to say about the country. I just figured she would want to read about retiring there since she loved it so but then I went back and read the article again. The benefits offered under this Pensionado Visa was something I couldn’t overlook. I started searching to find out more about Panama when I came across Panama Relocation Tours. I started reading the testimonies and looking at videos and was convinced this tour was for me. I told my sister about it and she was on board. After almost year wait, I finally got my turn to experience what a lot of people were talking and writing positively about. I was on the #117 tour which occurred in January and what an awesome experience it was for me as I never been to Panama. I can say this “on my own I would have been clueless of all that’s involved in making Panama my new home”. The tour met my expectations and more because now I have the tools and awareness to make solid decisions.

Jackie the tour host and her assistant were the best! They were able to answer all the questions asked and made me feel comfortable through the whole tour. I would recommend this tour to anyone thinking about moving to Panama it was a wise investment for me that will pay off. Jackie and Ellen will give you their undivided attention and share their knowledge of the country they call home.

The booklet that is given out on the first day of the tour is now my guide that will assist in making my transition smooth. Jackie also shares valuable tips and information that you will only get if you take the tour. I’m so appreciative that I was able to tour this beautiful country with such wonderful hosts.

Thanks Jackie!!

Toni Lee

Come See How You Can LIVE BETTER for LESS in Panama!