#965 – The Expat Files: Navigating Life, Work, and Legal Challenges in Latin America

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now I wonder Hello there all you ex-pat wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started Sometimes I get emails from people that include a thousand questions and even if it's just a half dozen questions in many perhaps 90% of the cases I've gone through this subject in depth in a past show cuz you know, I've got what 970 shows out there now and they're all free and you know what they say you get what you pay for

[00:49] Of course as time goes by I'm always updating what's happening here in Latin America because things are always changing at least for our purposes So by going through past shows and reviewing them homing in on certain subjects And you can do that by checking out the expat file show Descriptions that I write up for every show that at least point out most of the topics covered on that show I know I know wouldn't be so nice to have a search function Well, we've tried that a number of times, but just haven't been able to get it together In other words a lot of false starts, but no cigar. Hmm. Where's AI when you need it, Dan Anyway to the point of people writing to me giving me a mega list of topics. They want me to hit on You know, I could do three things I could refer that person back to the archives the previous shows where I've hit on the subject in great detail number two

[01:35] I could fire off a quickie generalized answer covering the subject to some satisfaction But in no great detail for better or for worse However, the best option by far for people who have lots of questions is to set up a one-on-one Plan B go through your wish list and talk for a full hour or half an hour That way we can get real specific with your particular case In fact, that's the only way to get real specific with your particular case For example, just got this email with a bucket list of questions. This one's from Matt. He says hi, Johnny I have a few questions for you about moving to Latin America number one How do people usually transport their belongings to their new home number two? Where are some of the better areas to live in Nicaragua or Guatemala by the way just with that question I could talk for an hour or two number three. What's the best way of purchasing property?

[02:26] Legitimately number four what kind of income can expats expect to make and should they expect to make their own businesses if they want to Survive number five. Do you have context for lawyers or real estate agents number six? How hard is it to bring pets to Latin America or things that might be construed as illegal like guns and ammo number seven? Do people who want to live on acreage? Need to still live in a gated community to have a better or more ideal living situation number eight Last but not least Johnny. Do you provide Skype meetings or consultations for people? Thanks for your time science Matt Well Matt and you listeners out there as you can see all are very good questions that if I went into detail Would surely take up not one but a couple of shows so in Matt's case

[03:11] I definitely recommend a one-on-one consult cuz then we can hone in on all that stuff Hmm is it hone in or home in look that up hmm It says both are pretty much interchangeable But to home in is to get closer like going home and to hone in is to make something sharper like honing a blade You know it's good to look things up I don't know about you But sometimes you could read a entire book or tan entire books and never have to look up a single word Then again, if you like technical or science books, you might look up a word every page Then again, if you're just a plain lazy lard ass, you probably wouldn't look up anything. You probably wouldn't be reading a book either Hmm too bad. Most of the world fits into that category now. I said not leave Matt high and dry I'll fire off a couple quick answers to each question

[03:59] Question one, how do people usually transport their belongings to their new home? The short answer is smart people usually don't bring much down at all They sell all their stuff up in the States or most all of it and just bring some boxes and suitcases down because although once you Get here things can be a bit more expensive, especially if they're imported and you buy them new on the other hand You have Latino Craigslist sites like olex.com and lots of competing websites, too Where you can get practically anything you left behind very cheap. Now, of course many people like to bring down Personal items of sentimental value and sometimes boxes full of books Well, that's gonna cost you because books are heavy and those shipping companies charged by weight Of course some people that can't bear it apart with their stuff. I know a lot of women like that

[04:44] I can't tell you how many women in my own family up in Chicago that are absolutely in love with their cars and houses Men I found are less attached to their stuff except for a few oddball things that Matt mentioned in this other question Good example guns and ammo. I find sometimes that guys including some friends of mine are Irrationally attached to a certain firearm or two or it could be they're irrationally attached to things like classic cars Harleys baseball cards Pez dispensers and hustler collections all of which most women seem to have absolutely no interest at all In fact most prefer not to see that stuff and relegated to the man cave or out in the garage You guys know that drill. Oh, but don't worry You can have a garage or man cave here in Latin America, too Only this time you and your junk will not be relegated to the basement because there are no basements here in Latin America

[05:34] So in short sell everything you possibly can and buy all the stuff you need when you get down here If you want to go used and cheap Just check out oil x.com or you can buy a new and it'll cost you pretty much the same as in the state Sometimes a little bit more. Oh, and if by chance there's something you cannot get down here in Latin America Wherever you happen to live you can go online and order it from any of the internet companies like eBay Amazon Alibaba Whatever and since they offer free shipping anywhere in the states if you have a Miami Courier service like everyone here in Latin America does gringles and expats anyway all you have to do is pay the shipping cost which is anywhere from three to maybe eight bucks a pound and If the item you buy from Amazon or wherever is under 200 bucks, you'll pay no import duties However, if it's over 200 bucks, there are ways to get around that too

[06:21] But you have to listen to one of my earlier shows where I mention all that and how to work the angles So Matt as you can see, it's not an easy question to answer quickly But at least you have the highlights Then Matt asks with question number two Where are some of the better areas to live in Nicaragua Guatemala? Well Matt if you heard any of my past shows on Nicaragua I say it's not a good idea to have a plan B there at least not in the near future For a lot of reasons enough said about that Of course having a plan B in Guatemala is a completely different story My preference is always to live in the Altiplano Those are considered the high plains about four to seven thousand feet above sea level So then where in Guatemala is the Altiplano located? Well, it's a strip that runs sorta right down the center of the country north to south

[07:07] From about the northern border of El Salvador to the southern border of Mexico So then why do I always prefer the Altiplano? Well, you've got three to four growing seasons plus and this is huge It's always spring-like weather So you do not need air conditioning like you need everywhere else in Latin America unless you're in the highlands And that'll save you a ton on your electric bill plus the climate's so nice It rarely drops below 55 degrees and only at night So you don't need any kind of central heating or space heaters though Some people install fireplaces to be cozy at night But you mostly see those in the homes of the wealthy and upper classes It's about status like having a jacuzzi or a pool a living maid or a bodyguard So Matt again, you've got a complicated question there that could take a long time to answer completely

[07:55] Alright, then we have Matt's third question. What's the best way to purchasing property legitimately answer by having a good Latino lawyer He's the only one then that's gonna be able to check out if it's registered properly in the municipality If there are any back taxes or liens on it, etc, etc Because you know here in Latin America, there's no such thing as title insurance, you know that little policy you buy for a couple hundred bucks Up in the states to make sure the property you're looking at to buy has a clear title Well, you know down here since there is no such thing as title insurance a lot of stupid gringos have been scanned simply because they went to a realtor or so-called realtor or bought straight from a seller and Didn't go the extra step and hire a lawyer to suss out the paperwork Another thing you want your lawyer not theirs to be there when you assign the paperwork and transfer the title

[08:43] So then what will a lawyer set you back in a real estate transaction? Probably anywhere from two to five hundred bucks, but it's well worth it though many gringos Especially newly arrived fresh green gringos and gringo cheapskates often skipped that step because in the states It's not done that way green gringos and expats are often told by their Latino realtor Don't worry We can do the deal in the real estate office or in our Lawyers office and when you hear that word lawyer you think oh, well, it's all on the up and up There's gonna be a lawyer there. But remember it's not your lawyer. You got to bring your own Even so many green gringos and expats fall for it. Why because up in the states closings are often done in the realtor's office with the lawyer from the real estate firm and it's always a okay because of that title policy Guaranteeing the properties free and clear and all the taxes and utility bills have been paid up to date bottom line

[09:35] You must have your own lawyer working for you checking the paperwork at the municipality, etc Oh, and here's another big mistake many green gringos may they use the same attorney as the so-called real estate broker or sell it In fact, sometimes gringos are so clueless. They make that suggestion to the realtor themselves That's an easy way to get scammed Especially since most gringos and expats don't speak enough Spanish to be able to read the paperwork I've been to quite a few real estate closings and I've seen how it works The lawyer or real estate broker will say to the gringo just sign here here and here and in truth Unless he's using his own lawyer or speaks Spanish fluently. You'll have to trust those people 100% So don't get sucked in when the real estate broker says to you. Hey, you don't need to bring in a lawyer

[10:23] We can use mine save a little money that way then they might even say don't worry about the cost because he's my lawyer Don't worry famous last words. Don't worry. I think that's the most used English phrase in Costa Rica Don't worry and for gringos and expats one of the most dangerous phrases, too My advice is if you're doing a deal in Latin America and someone in the room utters that magic phrase Don't worry after you've questioned something about the contract or the deal I'd say it's time to do this the opposite Start worrying. All right, Matt's next question was Johnny What kind of income can expats make and should they be expected to make their own businesses if they want to survive? Well, there's another question. It'll take 10 or 20 minutes at least to answer in short You'll probably never make more than five hundred bucks a month working for someone else in Latin America

[11:13] But if you have your own business and you're the boss sky's the limit However, I always recommend if you do have your own business try for an internet business because with an internet business You don't have to get involved with the laws of hiring and firing and maintaining employees Including labor contracts vacations overtime health insurance you get the idea So in the end that means one of the worst businesses to get into here in Latin America and probably throughout the world now Is the restaurant business? I don't care how well you make your lasagna or pasta fazool The restaurant business will suck the life idea unless of course, you're so good at it. You're such a brilliant restaurateur Well, then by all means go for it But if you're not gifted at it and you're just doing it as a lark forget about it

[11:59] Matt's next question Johnny. Do you have contacts for lawyers and real estate agents? Yes, and yes, and that Matt is one of the real advantages to coming down to my expat insider seminar You'll make exactly the right kind of connections next question How hard is it to bring pets over or things that could be construed as illegal like guns and ammo short answer bringing a pet? Over is not so difficult at all. However, I'd never recommend bringing guns and ammo down Why because you definitely need a lawyer and there are a million hoops to jump through and in many cases if not most She'll end up paying about a hundred percent duty So you might as well buy them down here and you can you know But you will need to have residency to be able to buy that stuff legally However, if you've become very good friends with your lawyer Well, they've been known to buy guns and ammo for gringos and expats who aren't residents

[12:47] But do have a Latin corporation a society that an anima which is another subject that will take way too long to explain Alright, then Matt's next question He asks do people who want to live on acreage need to still live in a gated community for a better living situation Hmm, you know Matt, obviously the answer would be very specific to your personal needs You know, that's a question Taylor made for a one-on-one phone console So once again Matt and for all you listeners out there who are working on your plan B Glad to help but with specifics we're a better off doing a one-on-one phone call Of course, it's no problem. You know, if you send me one or two questions to answer on the show But with a big list like that you can see it's almost impossible Speaking of kick-starting your plan B

[13:33] Well, all I can say is with all the chaos and social and financial breakdown That's happening up by you right now If you aren't at least somewhere along in your plan B that is contemplating to get the hell out of dodge Either you aren't paying attention You've been drinking the Kool-Aid or Kool-Aid flavored tequila or you've been vexed too many times and Alzheimer's is kicking in Now I know for a lot of you guys and gals stuck up in the States You feel kind of stalled out with your plan B with all that chaos going on The good news is in just about two months my August 2020 expat insider seminar launches So you've got two weeks till July 1st to get in on the early bird discounts after July 1st We're back to the regular price, which is 500 bucks more. So do come on board This could be your very last chance to supercharge your plan B. Check it out

[14:22] Just go to expat plan B calm Oh, and I've got a couple of attendees signed on who are looking for roommates, you know, that's a way to save 750 bucks off the single price So right now I'm looking for a male and a female who'd like to room up that is shared double occupancy With a roommate same sex, of course, and you know here in Latin America, they don't have 65 genders Nor a long list of newly invented non offensive crazy-ass pronouns either Wow, what a novelty all they've got here in Latin America is male female gay lesbian and trans Wait a minute Johnny. How unfair and insulting time to make some signs get some sorrows and gates Donations round up some snowflakes and social justice warriors and hit the streets. Wait a minute Johnny you racist

[15:12] You didn't include BLM Oops, forgive me must have been that last batch of vaccines been a couple days in my head still spinning in my arms Doing the hurt. All right, speaking of gender bending LGBTQ WTF SJW's and all the other upstart mnemonics in the alphabet Comes this email from Steve. This is Johnny. I'm in closing an article here about gay marriage in Latin America I would never thought the gay marriages thing would have spread to the macho Latin American culture How'd that happen? And how's it working? Do you think it's the US influence in Costa Rica? That's causing this Signed expat insider seminar alumnus Steve. All right, Steve. Thanks for that. Let's get into this article It says Costa Rica just became the first Central American country to legalize gay marriage

[15:57] Then it says with this Costa Rica joins the following list of South American countries that have legalized same-sex marriage Argentina Brazil Colombia Ecuador and Uruguay You know when you think about it Steve's got a very good point there because Latin America is super macho And it used to be when I first came down to Latin America some 30 years ago now Gays did have it pretty rough and as for lesbians, well, they were totally in the closet You almost never saw a lesbian couple, but just like in the States in larger cities here in Latin America They've always had gay and lesbian bars and clubs and certain well-known street corners where transvestites would strut their stuff But back then the typical out of the closet gay scene was not happening But now even though Latin America is extremely macho

[16:44] Gays are pretty much accepted with most of them out of the closet and the only time it seems they ever get hassled is Way out in the boonies where they've got cowboys and Ranchero bars on every corner I understand those places gays still have a pretty hard time, which is why most of them end up moving to the big city So there is a lot of irony and hypocrisy here. And of course some lag time For example 120 something gay guy. I know surprise surprise. He's a hairdresser He told me he's really close with his mother and his sisters But his father hasn't spoken to him in five years ever since he brought his first gay boyfriend to Sunday dinner I know up in the States people are much more liberal and accepting I mean really have you ever heard of someone in your neighborhood giving his own kid the cold shoulder for five years? Just because he's gay. I don't think so

[17:30] So anyway, this gay buddy of mine and other gays have told me it's really no problem Being gay in a medium or large city in Latin America No problem at all though. He does admit for what it's worth He and his buddies and most of the people in the Latino gay crowd party way too much and do way too many drugs Of course, we're talking about 20 somethings here single guys Though I guess that's probably true for all 20 something single guys worldwide gay or straight Now as far as same-sex marriages, there is a five to ten year lag time here in Latin America compared to the u.s Consider that five years ago in 2015 the US Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriages were legal in all states At that time five years ago. There were 14 states that were holdouts Now when that happened five years ago a friend of mine from Chicago hit on a niche that's been making him big money ever since

[18:21] All of a sudden gays everywhere wanted to get married and not just in a courthouse by a justice of peace They wanted a religious ceremony So my buddy went online paid his 200 bucks and is now an ordained Unitarian minister specializing in same-sex marriages And since most traditional religions won't allow same-sex marriages in the church My buddy's become kind of the go-to pastor for such things He tells me most don't want a courthouse marriage. They want a big religious service with all the pomp and ceremony He said he charges a lot and the tips are tremendous Why because as he explained to me gay couples as a rule especially when they're over 40 have very high levels of disposable income Why because the vast majority of gay couples don't have kids and don't have the expenses associated with them

[19:07] Food closed private school saving for college, etc In fact, he said some couples have even flown him out of the country All expenses paid to places like the virgin islands Bahamas even Hawaii But I digress as usual Where were we? Oh, yeah in matt's email. He asked about working and doing business in latin. America Of course, you've heard me say many times having an online business is the way to go Well, you know if you search any of the websites that have job listings on them You'll see the big employment sites are saying that blockchain and crypto technologies are the most in demand skills For 2020 and beyond and to get one of those jobs It's not necessary at all to have a college degree The fact is the vast majority of crypto millionaires and billionaires never learned any of that stuff at university

[19:57] All of them and I mean all of them learned that stuff on their own and believe it or not you can too So then what's step one? How do you get started? Well, you know our very own captain mango who's been living down here in guadamala for at least six or seven years now He's got a bitcoin and cryptocurrency slash blockchain hands-on training program He's the guy to train you in all the basics to get you up and running And then if you have an interest and want to pursue it further and actually have the desire to work online in that space Remember if you've got any kind of skills or aptitude in crypto or blockchain technology, you could get a job in a second There's so many job openings in that space So after you get the basics down you get your advanced training on youtube youtube really is the world's best university

[20:43] By the way right now i'm looking at four different job placement websites with thousands of online job openings in the crypto space Listen to some of these jobs and the job titles they're offering, you know Some of these didn't even exist two or three years ago Remember all these are online jobs you can do from anywhere in the world Let me read a few of these job postings smart contract tech pays 75 g's a year By the way, i'm getting this right off the website called cryptocurrency jobs.co How about this one kyc officer that's know your customer officer pays 75 g's a year Wow looks like they've got 26 pages of job offers here All right. Now i'm moving over to another website called crypto jobs list.com and right now at this minute they're listing 1045 blockchain and crypto jobs jobs available to you right now online if you have the interest and aptitude for that stuff

[21:36] Man, I can't believe how many crypto related jobs they have here None of them requiring a college degree at all. Oh and some are full-time and some Say they only need someone on the project for a couple of weeks or months Who knows you might have a real flair for this stuff and the only way to find out is to get started But then again to get started is so confusing. There are just hundreds of sites out there lots of conflicting information That's why if you want to get off to a good start You can't do much better than to hook up with captain mango It'll get you straight with the basics And if you have an aptitude for it and you're up to making dough in that space You'll find out in a hurry how good you are at it That would be above and beyond investing in the single cryptocurrency coins Like bitcoin ethereum and all the other so-called shit coins

[22:22] Of course, that's what everyone who doesn't know much about crypto really wants to do They want to get started with buying storing and trading crypto coins like bitcoin But beyond the coins themselves, there are brand new jobs and careers to be had But for now just to get comfortably started in the crypto space dealing with the coins themselves I highly recommend captain mango's crypto beginners course If you're interested send me an email the expat files at gmail.com and i'll send you his information pronto Again, I don't make any money at all off this I just like to get interested parties together and on the right track and really when you think about it Crypto is the future paper and other kinds of funny money will be replaced by crypto and other digital currencies I'm sure you see that coming So then why hasn't it happened already? What's holding the rest of the world back believe it or not?

[23:10] It's the baby boomers turns out millennials gen xers and wires are all in on crypto They might not have a lot because they don't have a lot of dough But they're all in whereas I just saw a statistic today that says only six percent of baby boomers have cryptocurrency As opposed to 40 percent of gen xers wires and millennials Sure, they might only have 50 to 100 bucks worth in a digital wallet somewhere That's because most are not high earners not yet. So as for you listeners, here's your chance to get on board with crypto Oh, and by the way, if you want a list of those crypto websites for jobs Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com speaking of jobs and having a business Who would ever want to have a business in the us? I'm talking about a brick and mortar business with employees Man, if I had a brick and mortar business in the states, my hemorrhoids would have hemorrhoids

[23:59] I mean look everyone's so damn sensitive at pc Every person hires a potential lawsuit Seems like every other word out of a white person's mouth can be construed as racist sexist or culturally insensitive In fact a relative of mine who's a teacher at chicago public school says every teacher has the self censure They're walking on eggshells. In fact, he used this example If a teacher said something like hey johnny stop picking your nose. That's another black mark against you Well them's racially charged words bro. Matter of fact, bro is racially charged too And of course up in the states are plenty of lawyers ready and willing to take you down if you utter words that are Considered racially charged or just insensitive You know, I fully expect those midnight cable tv ads for ambulance chasers to morph into a brand new

[24:47] Despicable breed of legal scumbag Yep, I can hear the ads and see the highway billboards now that 1-800 sue your boss Look all the time you've talked to your boss. He must have said something sexist or racist Just call us 1-800 sue your boss and we'll take that mofo to court. Wait a minute. Did I say midnight ambulance chasers? Midnight now there's a potentially explosive word that can really get you in trouble And now in that vein a boots on the ground story Many years ago in costa rica, I was playing in a very cool band with two excellent black musicians Oddly enough both of their names were tony. So they decided to give themselves appropriate stage names One of them decided his name should be shadow and the other you guessed it midnight

[25:34] Well, i'll tell you in today's world. I know I know i'm preaching to the choir here Just remember here in latin america. We've got none of those battles going on. We've got no thought or linguistic police Better yet people rarely sue each other here on top of that There's no legal contingency system like up in the states For example, you can knock on a lawyer's door and say I want you to sue kentucky fried I fell down in the parking lot. Well down here. You know what? The lawyer's gonna say fine I want 200 bucks down 50 bucks an hour But wait a minute you say to the lawyer thinking with a gringo mindset You say let's sue him on a contingency basis. You can have 30 or 50 percent of whatever you collect Well, that won't fly. It's not allowed. Lawyers can't work on contingencies pay as you go There's no split for the percentage of the spoils

[26:20] So lawyer gets his dough or your dough whether he wins the case or not You wouldn't believe how much that puts the brakes on lawsuits here. In other words frivolous lawsuits are almost non-existent Except once again where gringos have flooded in like you guessed it Costa Rica and parts of mexico because latin lawyers in gringified areas have discovered that gringos have pretty deep pockets Well as compared to latinos. Anyway, if a local sues you for five or ten grand Even if it's a completely frivolous lawsuit the gringos lawyer nine out of ten times will advise him to settle out of court You know if a gringos lawyer makes a deal for a grand instead of dragging the thing through court Most gringos will happily take that deal Remember up in the states a lawyer charges two three even 500 bucks an hour

[27:07] So just your lawyer's fee going to court could wipe out your savings Whereas here in latin america if a lawyer makes even 50 bucks an hour He's in the top one or two percent. Oh and another thing I like about lawyers here in latin america except again in gringified areas Lawyers here charge a flat fee Whereas lawyers up in the states it's by the hour even five minute segments And when you phone up the secretary you're on the clock. That's not true with lawyers down here You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america If you need some help with your own plan b we can schedule a one-on-one phone or skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week long expat insider seminar in central america Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan b

[27:54] Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com