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In Search of the Elusive Rental Casa in Las Tablas, Panama

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When you're in a part of the world that doesn't have an organized real estate or rental market, finding a place to live is hard. You can't just waltz into an agency and say, "I'm looking for a two-bedroom house to rent in a nice neighborhood with a fenced yard for my dogs." I'm here in Las Tablas, Panama, to find a furnished house that my husband and I and our small dogs can rent short-term while we look for a more permanent place to stay. Las Tablas is a small town, and there's just not that …

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Where’s the Best Quality of Life in 2012?

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Numbeo has just released its annual Quality of Life information for 2012. Factors that comprise overall "quality of life" rankings include purchasing power (including rent), ratio of house prices to incomes, safety, health, pollution, traffic and consumer price index. On a country-by-country basis, here's the Top Ten lineup. The number in parenthesis represents the quality of life score. You can see the entire list of 51 countries here. Switzerland (194.11) Germany (184.42) Norway …

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Going with the Flow in Panama

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My loose plan, before I arrived in Panama, was to spend a few days exploring Penonome to see if it might be a place we'd like to live. I flew into the country on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday I hopped a bus for Las Tablas. Why Las Tablas? Because I discovered there wasn't a hotel room to be had in Penonome. The moment I arrived in Panama I started receiving lessons in flexibility. I got myself and my remaining three bags (remember, I stashed one with the hotel in Panama City) into a cab, …

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On the Ground in Panama

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On Tuesday I flew from Orlando to Panama. The plan is that I will locate a short-term furnished rental, then my husband and the dogs will join me. It's a little complicated because in April we fly back to Florida for our son's wedding. If I find a rental quickly, we're fine. If it takes a while, my husband will probably opt to stay in the US until after the nuptials. I have to admit, I've gotten off to a bit of a rocky start here. First was a problem which I anticipated but didn't feel …

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Advice for Expats from the Online Taxman

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Guest Post by Vincenzo Villamena There are many rewards, as well as challenges, for Americans who choose to live outside of the U.S. Amongst all the cultural and language barriers, there is still one fact that remains regardless of where you are living in the world –- you need to file your U.S. tax returns! There are a handful of exceptions to this rule based on your gross income, filing status and age, but they are few and far between. One common misconception is that you don’t have to …

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The Biggest Secret to Successful Expatriation

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When you decide to become an expatriate, to live in another country, you're choosing to exercise options most of your family and friends don't even know exist. So what happens when the expat move is the only option you see that makes sense? That's how I've felt for a long time. Yes, I wanted to live abroad. It's something I've wanted to do all my lfe. At the same time, I've felt angry because I felt as though life had conspired to make that my only viable option. So here we are, counting down …

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