Happiness, Relationships, and the Gringo Experience in Latin America

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller explores the complex interplay of culture, relationships, and personal growth for expats in Latin America. He begins by addressing the common belief that expats moving to Latin America become happier due to the region's cultural and social dynamics. While acknowledging the stereotype that Latin Americans are often seen as happier than people in the first world, Johnny cautions that happiness is not guaranteed and that expats may bring their own issues, such as low self-esteem or past relationship trauma, with them. He highlights the cultural differences in romantic relationships, noting that Latin American women often express more warmth, love, and jealousy than their American counterparts. Johnny uses a personal anecdote about a new expat who is quickly planning to move in with his Latina girlfriend to illustrate how expats may be drawn to the emotional intensity and warmth of Latin American relationships, even if it leads to potential misunderstandings or rushed decisions.

Johnny then shifts focus to the cultural differences in how Latinas treat their male partners compared to women in the first world. He shares a story about a green newbie gringo who is smitten by a Latina woman who shows him a lot of attention and affection, which is new to him. Johnny suggests that many expats and gringos come to Latin America after a divorce or a loveless relationship and are captivated by the attention they receive from Latinas. He warns that this attention can be overwhelming and that expats should take their time to understand the culture and not rush into relationships. Johnny also mentions that while some expats may experience happiness in Latin America, others remain grumpy and negative, suggesting that personality traits can influence one's experience.

In a separate segment, Johnny discusses his strategies for avoiding energy-draining interactions with people he finds unappealing, such as 'time vampires' and negative individuals. He then shifts to a critique of American parents who bring their entitled, socially unengaged adolescent children on vacation to Latin America or Europe, arguing that these trips often result in little educational value for the kids, who are more likely to be glued to their phones. He references a psychological survey showing that a significant percentage of Americans overestimate their own and their children's intelligence, highlighting a broader cultural optimism that may not align with reality. Finally, he promotes his upcoming Expat Insider Seminar as a resource for expats seeking to avoid common mistakes and build a network.

Johnny then discusses the transformation of El Salvador from having the highest crime rate in Latin America to becoming the lowest, with the fastest-growing economy in the region. He highlights the so-called 'minor miracle' or 'renaissance' in the country and mentions plans to have boots on the ground to observe it. He also promotes the Expat Plan B seminar for more information. Johnny then shifts focus to the perception of gringos (foreigners) in Latin America, contrasting it with Europe, where gringos are often disliked. He references graffiti in Mexico City that calls gringos the 'new plague,' indicating growing resentment toward expats. Johnny explains how gringos have driven up real estate prices in places like Mexico City, leading to local frustration. He notes that while some areas in Latin America still welcome gringos, others, like tourist hotspots, have seen a decline in local acceptance. Johnny concludes by suggesting that long-term gringos and expats should consider moving to countries like Guatemala to avoid the saturation of expat communities.

Finally, Johnny discusses the impact of expats, particularly gringos, on real estate and social dynamics in Latin America. He highlights how expat influx has driven up property prices, especially in tourist areas, and notes that moving slightly outside central tourist zones can significantly reduce costs. He also mentions the challenges expats face in the dating and nightlife scene, attributing these issues to increased online dating and the rising cost of alcohol and entertainment. Johnny questions whether there are too many expats in Latin America, citing examples like Costa Rica, Belize, and Mexico, and notes that even countries not traditionally on the tourist trail are experiencing gringoization. He references a 2020 Mexican census to emphasize the scale of the expat population. The segment concludes with an email from Sylvia, who shares her experience with high maintenance costs in residential towers in Panama City, and Johnny responds with his own observations on the topic.

Episode Notes

Johnny Mueller unpacks the cultural and emotional nuances of expat life in Latin America, from the intensity of romantic relationships to the growing resentment toward expats in places like Mexico. He also discusses the impact of expats on real estate, the importance of self-esteem, and how to avoid draining interactions. A deep dive into the realities of living and thriving as an expat in the region.

For more episodes, seminar information, resources, and the full archive, visit ExpatPlanB.com.

Keep exploring

Search the full episode archive Browse practical guides Explore the Expat Insider Seminar Ask about a consultation

Topics

Expats and happiness in Latin America, Cultural differences in romantic relationships, The impact of past relationship trauma on expat decisions, The role of self-esteem in expat experiences, Cultural differences in how Latinas treat their male partners, Expat experiences in Latin America, Warning about rushing into relationships with Latinas, Personality traits influencing expat experiences, Avoiding draining interactions, Critique of American parenting and travel habits, Cultural optimism and self-perception, Expat networking and resources

Chapters

00:00:00 Opening
00:00:32 The Happiness Stereotype and Expats' Search for a New Start
00:01:21 The Paradox of Happiness in a Region of Hardship
00:02:58 The Emotional Intensity of Latin American Relationships
00:05:57 The Attention and Affection from Latinas
00:07:08 The Warning About Expats and Latina Culture
00:11:53 Avoiding Draining Interactions
00:13:00 Critique of American Parents and Travel Habits
00:15:13 Cultural Optimism and Self-Perception
00:16:42 Expat Networking and Resources
00:17:59 El Salvador's Transformation and Economic Growth
00:18:35 Gringo Perception in Latin America vs. Europe
00:20:27 Graffiti as a Symbol of Gringo Resentment in Mexico
00:21:22 Gringo Saturation in Mexico and Its Impact
00:23:37 Rents in Tourist Areas and the Impact of Expats on Real Estate Prices
00:23:50 Negative Social Impacts of Expats on Dating and Nightlife
00:25:57 The Scale of the Expat Population in Mexico
00:27:10 Maintenance Costs and the Realities of Living in Residential Towers

Transcript

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 as I wonder Hello there all you expat 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 I get emails from people saying Johnny. I really got to get happy living up here in the States is just driving me nuts I'm depressed. I Get the occasional email like that. In other words people are asking if they come down to Latin America. Well the happiness bug rub off

[00:49] Since it's such a well-known thing that Latin Americans are so much happier than first world people Lots of first world media report on that, you know, which is counterintuitive somehow because you know, they've got a lot less They're always hurting for dough They make three to four hundred bucks a month poverty wages anywhere in the world Most of them take crappy and dangerous public transportation everywhere. They often don't have power or water 24-7 most of the men are serial cheaters with all that going on How could they possibly be so much happier than first world people? Well, you know the story anyway People want to know will the happiness thing rub off if they get the hell out of Dodge get that plan be going and get Down to Latin America, or will you just be slightly less miserable than you were up in Cleveland?

[01:38] Well, you know us gringles and expats are pretty well programmed to be what we are I mean after living 20 30 40 50 years up in the States change of any kind is difficult That's why so many people listening to this show swear. They're gonna come down and get that plan be going but they never do Oh and another thing people with low self-esteem will always find a way to be miserable So them am I insinuating that lots of people with low self-esteem end up in Latin America No, I'm not saying that at all But one thing I have noticed lots of gringles and expats who are very successful in business and in Commerce up in the States They've had their success and lived that American dream and all that they decide After seeing the writing on the wall to get the hell out of Dodge get the plan be going

[02:24] So they come down here to Latin America. They might even start a successful business down here because they're bored But are they really happy or at least happier than they were up in the States? Well, just because they may have been a success in business up in the States doesn't mean they hadn't been kicked in the teeth A million times when it came to mating dating love and romance up there So the irony is I meet all kinds of high self-esteem expats high self-esteem in business and commerce With low self-esteem when it comes to mating dating and hooking up That could cause a lot of problems. I was just having this very same conversation with a newbie expat a day or two ago He was telling me about this beautiful Unbelievably hot and sexy Latina. He'd been going out with for a couple of weeks. He'd met her on a cubit app

[03:13] He's only been down here in Latin America for months himself on top of that his Spanish is practically zero. It sucks I mean the guy had only been going out with her for three weeks or maybe a month and he was already talking about the Logistics of having her move into his apartment and I thought man that could be a big mistake This guy's moving way too fast. Then again with newbie expats. I can see how easy that can happen It's the same old story. I've heard it dozens of times. You've had some bad romantic luck up in the states You've been kicked around a bit in relationships Maybe you've been divorced taken to the cleaners up in Cleveland or Detroit Maybe more than once then you decide to start over clean the slate Yeah, get the hell out of Dodge get that plan be going you dip your toe into the mating dating pool once again though this time here in Latin America and

[04:01] You find out those Latina girls are a completely different breed all together from American girls Soon enough you notice and you can hardly believe it at first They're twice maybe three times as warm and as loving as any American girl you've gone out with before They have a word for it. God in the OSA in Spanish Most guys living up in the states have never experienced that so it really makes an impression Of course some latinas aren't exactly sincere about it But you can pick up on that real easily since latinas can be super jealous Above and beyond what you may have been used to in relationships up in the states The thing is if your latina girlfriend doesn't go into jealousy mode once in a while That's when you may start wondering if she's playing you anyway to get on with a story

[04:49] Concerning that expat I was talking to it the other day the one that is making plans for his girlfriend to move in after Three weeks or a month. He says sure my girlfriend's sort of addicted to social media and her telephone like girls up in the states Aren't they all however? He says Unlike my ex-girlfriend up in the states when I say something my new Latina girlfriend Drops the phone or a spouse what she's doing and comes running on top of that She comes over to my place and heads straight for the kitchen and starts cooking up stuff for me He said things like we'll be sitting on the couch watching a movie late at night She'll just start rubbing my back giving me a back massage He said look I got really white skin. I'm part Irish practically translucent

[05:35] And man, he said even when I get a little bruise or a bump or a cut you could see it a mile away And he said you know my new girlfriend's Morena, which means sort of a dark-skinned or caramel colored Latina He says people who've got that colored skin well bumps bruises and scratches Just don't show up, but let me tell you he said I just wasn't used to the fact that she gets so alarmed If I had a little bump scraper bruise She'd give me a little lecture. Tell me I have to take better care of myself Bring out the band-aids and the skin creams. She's more concerned about me and my health than anyone I've ever met in my life He said he could tell it's a real genuine concern, too Plus he said we'll be sitting in the car or the living room or at a restaurant and she'll just Spontaneously touch my arm or shoulder grab my hand or run her fingers through my hair

[06:23] She'll even straighten out my collar or tell me how handsome I look right out of the blue, and I'm not even handsome Honestly, he said that can be a bit embarrassing because no girlfriend of mine's ever said that to me before the thing is He said with my extremely white skin. He says I embarrass easily Anyway, this green newbie gringo who's just been down here in Latin America I'd say probably three or four months now. It was obvious to me. He's really smitten with this girl You can understand why he never got that kind of feedback before from first-world ladies He's a guy probably of five or six like me who's just not quite used to that kind of treatment Except for maybe his mom could be she wasn't even that attentive to him Anyway, I think you can see what's going on here The question is she sincere or just a good actress turns out most gringles and expats that I meet come down here after a divorce

[07:16] Or two, they've all got their tragic mating dating stories And when they start dating again down here in Latin America They're simply bowled over by the way Latinas treat their men now personally looking at the whole thing from a distance I can see no reason at all while Latinas treat their men with such Carino that's that word again means such a loving caring way since most Latin guys are such carousing Womanizing deadbeats, but hey, that's the culture That's their society and you should know that especially you gringo and expat guys who are single the tip here is and it's a warning too I See way too many gringos and expats hook up with the very first pretty Latina face They see they think man. No woman has ever treated me like that before and they think they've won the lottery

[08:03] No, you have not won the lottery what you're experiencing for the very first time is the Latina culture as Good old ex-pat Eddie likes to say when you hook up with a Latina You are always number one if she has a kid already or you guys have a kid You're still number one the kids number two if she has another kid kid number two You're still number one That as opposed to what I see happening up in the States with my own family with my own sisters They find their Prince Charming they get married. He's number one then they have a kid From then on the kid is number one and daddy's number two. They have another kid Daddy gets shuffled down to number three, etc. Etc. Etc. Oh and when the subject came up another newbie expat

[08:52] I know said regarding his past failed relationships up in the States After three kids He just felt like he was another place setting at the dinner table Just a guy paying most of the bills who didn't even have priority over the remote So is it any wonder when gringos get the hell out of Dodge get their plan be go and move down to Latin America Within a month or two or three so many of them end up in a permanent live-in relationship with the first eligible single Latina They meet God, I can't tell you how many times I've seen that happen It's difficult to say this but so many gringos and expats come down here Guys who have been newly divorced or on the rebound after years and years of being starved for simple love and affection There are just so many stale

[09:39] Loveless relationships up north you can almost understand how so many newbie gringos and expats get completely captivated by the first Latina They date my advice for what it's worth. Take it slow real slow. Don't let those rekindled Adolescent impulses you thought you'd never experience again overtake your logic. However, I realized most of you won't take that advice When I first came down here so many years ago myself, no one gave me that kind of advice No one explained it to me. There was no Internet or expat advice columns to lean on So I got suckered into a few dead-end relationships where I dove in headfirst way too fast and they did not end Well lessons learned right and I didn't survive But I digress as usual. Where were we? Oh, we're talking about that happiness issue

[10:30] How well does it work for gringos? Does that happiness thing rub off on us, too? Is it in the water? Is it in the air? Well, it definitely could rub off especially if you mingle with a local population You'll see so much joy and happiness It's got to rub off But if you hang out on the gringle tourist trail do nothing but pal around with gringle friends coffee clutch Strictly with Americans and first world people live in a gringle populated subdivision, etc. Etc. Just because you're happy Go lucky cleaning lady comes by twice a week. It most likely ain't gonna happen though Some gringo expats I know who by rights should have a permanent shit eating grin on their faces For all the cool and great things that have happened to them while down here in Latin America still

[11:16] Some of them remain grumpy and agitated and criticized everything just a personality trait I guess just like they would have done had they remained in Cleveland or Milwaukee. Some people are just perpetually negative and miserable That's why and I might sound like a jerk when I say this But when I'm doing my little power walk, I try to do that once a day for an hour I'll walk by a certain group of outdoor cafes if I happen to spot a certain One or two expat gringos. I know who are generally negative grumpy or just suck the energy out of you If I see one of those guys as i'm walking up I'll sneak right or left down a side street So I don't have to see them face to face and get into some useless small talk Hey, if you know certain people are going to suck the energy out of you

[12:04] If you can stealthily avoid them, why not? Come on. Don't tell me you've never done that I've done that a few times in malls and grocery stores, too You see someone, you know coming your way who's kind of a bore or a time vampire Just a negative person in general. Yeah pull an invasive maneuver who needs a gray cloud on a sunny day speaking of disagreeable people The other day I was sitting down at one of those outdoor cafe restaurants with a gringo and his kid clarification here A gringo and his spoiled entitled adolescent kid You know sometimes I just don't know why gringos and expats come down with their adolescent kids when it's obvious Since the kids absolutely glued to social media on his phone. He just doesn't want to be here

[12:51] He'd much rather be at his local starbucks or mcdonald's at his favorite mall staring at screens With the rest of his brain dead tiktok buddies question Do parents actually think they're giving their adolescent kids some kind of education by bringing them down here to latin america on vacation? What's a 12 or 15 year old american kid get out of it from what I can see practically nothing It's even worse in europe americans bring their shiftless teenage kids with them all the time I just don't get it. They haul them to the parthana where they take a few selfies and get back on tiktok Then it's off to santa reene Mcanose island or the roman coliseum for a few more selfies and back on tiktok What a terrific waste of money from what I can see all they do is spend their time on their cell phones and whine about this

[13:39] That and the other thing worse yet If you go to a mcdonald's on the tourist trail in latin america or any mcdonald's in europe They're just filled with idiot young american adolescent kids with very little live conversation going on because they're all on instagram or tiktok Now I know some of you are thinking it's a good educational experience to let your kids travel, right? Well, i've seen enough of adolescent and young adults travelers to tell you It's the young backpackers that get a hell of a lot out of international traveling Not those entitled adolescent kids whose parents haul them along for the ride However, if you're young and broke you can learn a lot backpacking through europe and latin america nothing wrong with that It's a great experience But when teenagers travel with their parents, it's obvious They just would rather be doing anything else with an attitude like that and not doing much more than whine

[14:30] And constantly swiping away on their cell phones. They get almost nothing out of the experience I know I know there'll be parents out there who beg to differ because your adolescent kids are different They're little geniuses and they'll absorb so much culture, won't they? And therein lies the problem every parent thinks their kids is genius Or at least way above average by the way speaking of geniuses and the fact that everyone thinks they're above average You might remember back in 2018. There was a very well publicized survey in psychology today Where tens of thousands of people on the street were randomly asked about how they rated their own intelligence Well, 65 percent of those americans believed they're above average in intelligence such optimists, huh?

[15:21] But statistically impossible How could 65 percent of people be above average when average is right in the middle of the scale? Which is at 50 percent by the way, isn't it sad to know every other person you pass on the street is below average Hmm turns out further surveys show americans are even more optimistic about the intelligence of their kids In a recent survey of tens of thousands of americans 93 percent of them said their own kids are more intelligent than their in other words 93 percent of americans believe even mediocre dumb and average parents will have smarter kids I say just look around you at tick tock rap reggaeton music videos reality shows like

[16:06] the retired ascians and the failed reading skills of high school graduates still 93 percent of american parents surveyed believe their kids are smarter than they are With all that all-american self-delusion going on it begs the question. How is your plan b coming? Speaking of plan b is remember i've got my upcoming expat insider seminar for march 2024 begins friday march 8th through friday march 15th If you're thinking about having a plan b but are a little gun shy you need an expat network The easiest and best way to get yourself a thriving network of expats is to come to my expat insider seminar It's a fast track way. You'll get a two to five year head start on your plan b

[16:54] That's not me saying that either. I never even thought of that before until One of my seminar alumnus who ended up moving down to latin america came up with that statement And I thought hey, you know, that's certainly true I sure wish when I first came down here to latin america a couple of decades ago now There'd have been some kind of podcast or seminar for me to take advantage of but there was no such thing No internet, so no expat podcasts or expat books to read no audios There wasn't even a rag called international living yet So when I came down I was totally on my own Made all the stupid green gringo mistakes in the world, too But I lived through it. I got over it learned a lot of hard lessons, too That's why a big part of my expat insider seminar is showing you what not to do

[17:44] So anyway mark your calendar for friday march 8th through march 15th 2024 we'll be going to two countries guatemala and el solvador Everybody wants to experience the altiplano in guatemala and they want to see well Just what the hell's going on in el solvador after all in just two years It went from the highest crime rate in all of latin america to the lowest and remember There are 20 countries in latin america. It's also got the fastest growing economy in all of latin america, too There's sort of a minor miracle or renaissance going on in el solvador and we'll have boots on the ground there to see it So for all the info and sign up details just go to expat plan b.com and click on the seminar link That's expat plan b.com

[18:30] All right moving on you long-time listeners have heard me say this before latin america happens to be one of the few places left in the world where people still admire and respect gringos Every place else in the world. They don't much like us at all They tolerate us because we spend a lot of dough when we go on our vacations But they don't really much like us Just take a trip to europe and you'll see what I mean now, of course They really dislike gringos and expats in france, but the french don't like much of anyone In fact one time I was in paris and a local parisian told me that the parisians themselves are so Ethnocentric they even dislike other french people from different provinces Sure in france. They really don't like us, but in the rest of europe, they don't like us much either

[19:17] That's why it's such a nice feeling to be in latin america where it feels so different However, it seems in many gringo tourist areas like costa rica cancun Gabo san lucas and a lot of other gringo expat tourist destinations We appear to have overstayed our welcome and latinos don't warm up to us as much as they used to In fact, you might remember about a year ago now on this show We reported on the fact that in mexico city districto federal that federal district they call it So many expat gringos have moved into certain areas of the city That the locals are getting really pissed off because they can't afford the real estate anymore. Gringos are driving up the prices Unfortunately that happens every time gringos pile in we screw up the cost of living for the locals

[20:03] And we don't even notice it because it seems compared to the states very cheap to us Even if we little by little drive the prices up Which brings me to this recent email from longtime listener bob in ohaka mejico He says johnny I wanted to send you this picture of the sign of the times in ohaka city where graffiti artists are spraying walls that say things like Quote gringos are the new plague Unquote. Yep. That's right. Gringos have the new plague Not good. Well, you know when you see signs posters in a graffiti like that How are you supposed to feel good about living with people who have those thoughts? Not a very neighborly sentiment, is it? Well, what can I say? But that we did it to ourselves We did it first in costa rica gringos and expats have jacked up the cost of living

[20:52] So the locals don't much like us either You had to know what's going to happen in mexico. That's the number one stop for gringos and expats, right? Mexico It's got the highest number of expat gringos in the world The latest reports say there are a million plus gringos in mexico Of course, you know, i've always recommended against it for various reasons, but that doesn't seem to have deterred many people It's an easy shot from the border In fact some of the gringos I know in mexico are calling it the gringo saturation point By the way one gringo friend of mine living in mexico city said he believes there's been a huge influx in the last two three years simply due to cheap airbnb Crazy thing is last time I was in mexico city. Well in mexico in general i'd say about 30 percent or more

[21:40] Of all the people you see in upscale cafes and starbucks and stuff are gringos and expats yep, gringos and expats love their first world franchise hangouts like starbucks And as far as mexico, well, you'll only find upscale mexicanos Hanging out in starbucks because the local folks can't afford it The telltale sign is all the upscale cars in the parking lot You know recently I was in port of ayarte and there are spots that every single night of the week Are just loaded with gringos. In fact when they have live music They've got latino rock bands playing strictly english music hits Of course, that means your gringo advantage is fading away. No more special treatment for foreigners Now you might be thinking that's a good thing

[22:26] But the fact is it's simply no longer a novelty to have a few gringos in the restaurant bar or club Not when 30 of the crowd are gringos So there's just no reason to give special treatment to us gringos and expats. No more this right this way gringo We've got a table for you right up in the front. Nope. That's not going to happen anymore No more automatic cutting the queue in the immigration line That means especially in mexico No more getting around the cops when they pull you over by saying no hablo espanol Because they all know enough english now to scam you for a bribe So then what about all of us long-term gringos and expats people who've been down here 5 10 20 30 plus years Well, I can tell you when i'm sitting around with a bunch of gringos

[23:14] Nobody likes it when they feel their hidden paradise is about to turn into the next costa rica or cancun That's a depressing thought The thing is that's just not going to happen if you move to a country like guadamala anyway though Every country's got a couple tourist towns in guadamala. That would be antigua and lake atidlan Lots of tourists coming in and out day trippers and stuff And even though the rents in the real estate are more expensive because of the influx of gringos If you locate yourself a kilometer to outside of the central park area prices drop dramatically Though I have to repeat what i've been hearing from many of my gringle friends who live in tourist areas Be it costa rica mexico panama guadamala They're telling me about more negatives in the dating and mating game, too

[24:03] They're telling me that since more and more people are hooking up online on dating apps They're saying that the nightlife situation for mating and dating is getting worse and worse, too For whatever that's worth. I don't know because I don't hang around at bars and discos Though people have been telling me lately that since the covidia thing the price of beer and booze and just going to a bar Disco is getting very expensive. The cost of booze has been shooting up Now I don't know what it costs to go out for a night with the guys or the girls to a bar or disco up in The states I imagine these days it could be a shocker So the question is are there really too many gringos and expats in latin america? Well, there are too many in costa rica Too many in belize Way too many in most parts of mexico And you know, even latin american countries that are considered off the gringo tourist trail

[24:52] They have a couple of well-known tourist spots. You can't avoid it though in no way Does that mean those countries are gringoized? For example, you've got honduras The only real gringoized tourist spot there is roatan the island of roatan great place to visit I wouldn't want to live there too many gringos coincidentally surprise surprise It's about twice as expensive as honduras on the mainland Now, how do you think that happened? And of course we mentioned guatemala You've got antigua and the lake atetlan district the only two touristy areas in the country anywhere else in the country Might happen to be you could walk around the big city all day and not see a single gringo Same thing with el salvador all the gringos hang out in the surfing towns, which are right by bitcoin beach

[25:37] Whereas let's say in the capital san salvador They've got some beautiful shopping areas business districts and residential neighborhoods And nary a gringo at all Oh, by the way, just did a little search here according to the 2020 mexican census There are one million two hundred and twelve thousand Registered foreigners living there with at least a million of them gringos and expats from the usa And they're saying there are at least another half a million gringos and expats living in mexico who aren't necessarily registered That means no mexican residency bank accounts, etc Which brings us to this email from sylvia. She says johnny I'm 56 divorced new permanent expat in panama city and I want to live in a residential tower

[26:24] mostly for safety and security reasons Including having a nice parking space that's covered and protected She says i've seen at least 12 different residential towers and there's great irony when they show you around First they'll show you the pool which no one uses and i'll never use either Then they take you to the gym that no one uses which i'll never use either Then they take you up to the roof where there's a common space You could sit out there and have drinks or whatever the realtor then admits. No one uses it and i'll never use it either johnny, they show you all the star attractions that impress new tenants or owners Things you'll never or rarely use that only jack up your monthly maintenance costs johnny, what are these builders thinking?

[27:10] Signed sylvia ps in panama city i'm seeing maintenance costs on two bedroom units between 100 and 150 bucks a month All right sylvia. Thanks for that. I'm seeing the same thing as you sylvia except i've noticed if there's no pool The maintenance cost is almost always under 100 bucks Oh, and by the way here in latin america if you're renting your monthly rent includes the maintenance costs, which is good news 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. Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com