Relocating Abroad

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

1 hour ago, justhookit said:

So, I know a couple of people that have done House Hunters International in Costa Rica. I’ll put it this way, I pop in every few months on the Below Deck thread to remind them it is 100% fake.

In the case of HHI - in Costa Rica at least - they recruit people that have already bought a property. And none of them live there year round. I have no idea where the budget numbers come from, but the people I know literally didn’t have a budget. They just bought a place they liked in an area they wanted to be. One of them was actually buying a place for his pilot, driver and gardener to share which of course never got mentioned on the show. He already had a really nice home in CR.

More to your topic , most of the expats I know that live down there full time are freaking miserable. The ones I know in Panama are much happier. Just read the first few posts in this thread so far so I’m guessing you are referring more to Europe anyway so I’ll read up and comment if I can.

Yeah.  I am more of a Europe person.  Definitely prefer the Med to the Caribbean.  

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Yeah.  I am more of a Europe person.  Definitely prefer the Med to the Caribbean.  

The Caribbean can be like visiting your crazy uncle in his trailer park.

[kevwun 15790]

I have never been to Antigua, but I have been in other parts of Guatemala and there is some extreme poverty.  We road on a bus from Belize City to Flores and then Tikal and the differences in the standard of living was pretty extreme between the 2 countries.  Pretty much every home in Belize is made out of cinder blocks or something similar.  There were spots in Guatemala where people were living in huts on the side of the road.  Their government has also historically been very unstable and a lot of bad shit has happened there with dictators and an extremely nasty civil war that went on for a few decades.

Edited August 11, 2021 by kevwun

[Ag with kids 581]

15 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Does investment income count? That’s 6% on $400K.

Yes.  You basically have to just show that you can put $24K/yr in a Belizean bank...

https://internationalliving.com/countries/belize/retire/

Quote

The regulations state that you must show a pension or other regular income. In reality, if you can demonstrate that you have adequate savings to transfers $24,000 per year, the Belize Tourist Board has accepted that approach, since many expats do not have pensions but do have IRAs/401Ks. You can also make a single $24,000 deposit a year or make it in monthly installments.

 

[midtown 3346]

It's obvious to everyone that many people go on vacation to a place and think "wow I could get used to this".   Visiting somewhere and living are like 100 degree difference.   Esp when you go someplace where the infrastructure isn't fantastic.    Take Belize.   From what I've been told power outages are super common.   Fine if you are out fishing or sitting by the pool not so much if you are trying to work or cook etc.

[rage-a-holic 4402]

13 hours ago, burntorangebongos said:

I hear Monterrey and maybe Saltillo have HEBs. I would love to move there for part of the year. Fucking Mexico skeers me though. Cartels are not cool. Man, it would be perfect. HEB, a place in the foothills for the summer, pretty places to hike and see. and only 3 hours from south Texas. If only it were safe. *Sigh*

Monterrey is pretty, but it is also hot, crowded and definitely not safe, especially for women. My girlfriend had the same romantic notion about living there for a while, maybe switching schools, but she was ready to go somewhere else after 5 days (this was 2 months ago).

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

I would like to move back to Brazil, but having trouble convincing my wife. But then she sends me all kinds of videos and photos from places in Brazil she hasn’t even seen and makes me think there is a chance.

I am contracted to a Spanish company now and if an opportunity in Spain came up, I know she would be down for it.

What is frustrating is in the early 90s, one couldn’t have dual US and Costa Rican citizenship. Some years later that changed, but the cutoff age was 27 years old. I missed it by a year or two. Oh well, through my wife and kids I can have Brazilian citizenship in a year if I wanted it.

[RDCanecutter 26446]

15 hours ago, Updawg said:

How long ago was that?

When I did around 15 years ago I had to supply birth /death certificates, marriage license etc of my grandparents

Luckily a cousin had done a lot of the leg work already.

If you're talking about my post, it was the early 90s.

Also the info came from a stranger in a cafe in Italy.  The other thing he talked about was saber technique for horse cavalry. Seriously.

Counterpoint, that was when many things still ran off paper forms and the ability to tell a convincing story. For example, about a year later I was able to track down a family member who did not want to be tracked down, by walking into a brick-and-mortar credit check agency, pretending to be him, spouting off a memorized SSN and birthdate, and after a quick flash of my own Driver's License I had a printout of every place he had store credit. Ireland probably would have involved more sustained scammery, but who knows.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

19 minutes ago, midtown said:

It's obvious to everyone that many people go on vacation to a place and think "wow I could get used to this".   Visiting somewhere and living are like 100 degree difference.   Esp when you go someplace where the infrastructure isn't fantastic.    Take Belize.   From what I've been told power outages are super common.   Fine if you are out fishing or sitting by the pool not so much if you are trying to work or cook etc.

I went to Jamaica once.  Got to see how Jamaicans live. It is great, you know. They just relax, they party all the time.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21907]

1 hour ago, kevwun said:

I have never been to Antigua, but I have been in other parts of Guatemala and there is some extreme poverty.  We road on a bus from Belize City to Flores and then Tikal and the differences in the standard of living was pretty extreme between the 2 countries.  Pretty much every home in Belize is made out of cinder blocks or something similar.  There were spots in Guatemala where people were living in huts on the side of the road.  Their government has also historically been very unstable and a lot of bad shit has happened there with dictators and an extremely nasty civil war that went on for a few decades.

I was there with the ex in 1999 just before the Presidential runoff election in only the second election after the settlement of the civil war in 1996.  We stayed in Antigua mostly, but spent some time in Guatemala City. I rented a motorcycle and we spent an entire day riding around the countryside around Antigua. There was extreme poverty in parts, but I never felt unsafe.  The only time I really felt unsafe in Guatemala was in some of the shadier parts of Guatemala City, but it wasn't really any different than any other big city.  Lake Atitlan and the surrounding area is very beautiful

Edited August 11, 2021 by NeverMarryAStripper

[kevwun 15790]

Yeah, it's not a day to day safety issue because we had the same experience.  Everyone was nice and we had a great time.  I would just be leery about living somewhere with that kind of extreme wealth disparity.  That is a recipe for more instability in the future.

Edited August 11, 2021 by kevwun

[burntorangebongos 10714]

36 minutes ago, rage-a-holic said:

Monterrey is pretty, but it is also hot, crowded and definitely not safe, especially for women. My girlfriend had the same romantic notion about living there for a while, maybe switching schools, but she was ready to go somewhere else after 5 days (this was 2 months ago).

The temperature right now says 81 with high of 94..in August, that doesn't sound bad to me. What is it that made her feel unsafe? If she is college age and going out to clubs and getting into sketchy places then okay, I can see that. Is she talking about feeling that during the day shopping or on hiking trails? 

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

It's obvious to everyone that many people go on vacation to a place and think "wow I could get used to this".   Visiting somewhere and living are like 100 degree difference.   Esp when you go someplace where the infrastructure isn't fantastic.    Take Belize.   From what I've been told power outages are super common.   Fine if you are out fishing or sitting by the pool not so much if you are trying to work or cook etc.

This.

But also I don’t think Americans are prepared for bureaucracy. Real bureaucracy. Not the slightly inconvenient kind in the States.

[CooterBrown 18014]

1 hour ago, midtown said:

It's obvious to everyone that many people go on vacation to a place and think "wow I could get used to this".   Visiting somewhere and living are like 100 degree difference.   Esp when you go someplace where the infrastructure isn't fantastic.    Take Belize.   From what I've been told power outages are super common.   Fine if you are out fishing or sitting by the pool not so much if you are trying to work or cook etc.

Solar panels on the roof, paired with a generator and, maybe, a Tesla Wall would be a necessity in the Caribbean, IMO.

When we were in St John back in June, the entire power plant on St Thomas went down for 18 hours starting at around 9pm.  So, both St Thomas and St John went black.  The villa we rented didn't have a generator so that night kinda sucked. I ended up sleeping on a lounger by the pool. It was bit more tolerable than being indoors.

Edited August 11, 2021 by CooterBrown

[RDCanecutter 26446]

22 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

This.

But also I don’t think Americans are prepared for bureaucracy. Real bureaucracy. Not the slightly inconvenient kind in the States.

Americans don't realize we are all Anglo-Saxons, mentally, until we run up against Latin bureaucracy. I'd be in France, and I'm like "OK, I'm here, tell me how to get this done and I'll do it." NON MONSIEUR, one does not "do" paperwork in France, one "lives" it. If you are focused on results, you will go fuck-stick hopping insane. What happens, if you don't go crazy, is eventually you realize that you are a character in a play. If you show up when they tell you to show up, with the thing they said you had to bring, you are good. Not that there will be a resolution, no, because you are missing this other thing they didn't tell you to bring. Do you get mad? Rookies get mad. Veterans just go get the other thing and show back up for the next appointment, maybe in a month. Or not. Things may change. Did you look on the bulletin board? It is on the bulletin board.

I got fully legal to work in France after I had been working in France (and paid by the French) for maybe 7 months. It didn't matter-- I had shown up when they told me to.

As an aside, the main thing to consider in France is if a thing is your fault. If it is not your fault, you have zero to worry about. As a rookie broke tourist, I would hoard a stash of cash for a taxi in case the trains went on strike the day I had to get on my flight out. My French friends thought I was crazy-- Eef zere is a strike, zat is not your fault! Their reasoning was that the airlines should just give me a new ticket and maybe a room to stay in too, and they probably would have, in France.

Ce n'est pas de ma faute.  Say it with a high pitch on "pas" falling off dismissively to "faute." It's magical French armor.

Edited August 11, 2021 by RDCanecutter
putain merde

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

I went to Jamaica once.  Got to see how Jamaicans live. It is great, you know. They just relax, they party all the time.

I went to Jamaica once, and got to see how they deal with hurricanes....  Pro tip:  When they say no worries mon, hurricanes always turn, don't believe 'em.

[rage-a-holic 4402]

43 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

The temperature right now says 81 with high of 94..in August, that doesn't sound bad to me. What is it that made her feel unsafe? If she is college age and going out to clubs and getting into sketchy places then okay, I can see that. Is she talking about feeling that during the day shopping or on hiking trails? 

There is a lot of crime and cartel activity. She had multiple uber drivers tell her she should not be going around the city without a girl friend or a boyfriend., that it was dangerous for her.

[HornPhD 1368]

2 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

I went to Jamaica once, and got to see how they deal with hurricanes....  Pro tip:  When they say no worries mon, hurricanes always turn, don't believe 'em.

I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. 

[Biff Tannen 45691]

13 hours ago, justhookit said:

So, I know a couple of people that have done House Hunters International in Costa Rica. I’ll put it this way, I pop in every few months on the Below Deck thread to remind them it is 100% fake.

In the case of HHI - in Costa Rica at least - they recruit people that have already bought a property.

Regular HH is the same way.  My buddy bought a house off Hancock and before he moved in they either asked him if they could use it on an episode while it was still empty or it was part of the contract, I can't remember.

[Biff Tannen 45691]

5 hours ago, HornPhD said:

I was in the Virgin Islands once. I met a girl. We ate lobster and drank pina coladas. At sunset we made love like sea otters. 

THAT was a pretty good day.

[CooterBrown 18014]

Regular HH is the same way.  My buddy bought a house off Hancock and before he moved in they either asked him if they could use it on an episode while it was still empty or it was part of the contract, I can't remember.

Yep. They pick a couple that has a house under contract. That’s one of the four they look at. If any other houses they looked at are still available, they show those. If not, they just find some random houses for sale. It’s pretty obvious when that’s the case when one of the other houses is way better than what they chose and they know it. But they didn’t see that house until they’d already bought their house.

[Chopper 17236]

I enjoyed seeing neighborhoods and approx prices in HHI. Knew but didn't care that the scenarios were fake. The repetition of the format is what tired me of the show. I would definitely consider a temp relocation to SE Asia. My wife however has her eyes set on western Europe.

[RollLeft 5045]

On 8/10/2021 at 8:34 PM, burntorangebongos said:

I hear Monterrey and maybe Saltillo have HEBs. I would love to move there for part of the year. Fucking Mexico skeers me though. Cartels are not cool. Man, it would be perfect. HEB, a place in the foothills for the summer, pretty places to hike and see. and only 3 hours from south Texas. If only it were safe. *Sigh*

 

On 8/10/2021 at 10:19 PM, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

The HEBs in Monterrey are legit. 

I opened an office in Monterrey smack dab in the middle of the pandemic.  I had been commuting back and forth for a while until i moved here a month ago.  I now commute the other way.  The big three, MxCity/Guadalajara/Mont, are easy to live in imo.  Monterrey, as many of you know, is what would happen if Denver and Houston had a baby.  All the beauty and backdrop of the mountains with all the commerce and labor Texas has to offer, including HEB's when they are open.  Throw in a bunch of parks, lakes and rivers all while eating elote and some tacos. 

I get the U.S. perception of Mexico.  Some of it is not unmerited but much of it is also misunderstood.  Most of what people know of Mexico i call border town or Netflix experience. Lets start with the elephant in the room.  The murder rate of this country is four times that of the U.S. with half the population.  The explanation is simple, most of those murders were cartel related and have little to do with the average person living in the major cities or resorts of Mexico.  The solution for expats is simple.  Do what nearly everyone who lives here does.  Don't start none won't be none.  You do like you do in Houston.  You don't drive down MacGregor or thru the 5th ward at night. When you remove the gang on gang murders from the equation the rate is similar to that of the U.S.  Frankly i feel more safe here than say NYC, sorry Penelope;)  I'm just not one who finds it anymore unsafe, in terms of being murdered, than living in L.A. or Htown and i've done both.  My experience is cartel talk here comes mainly from foreigners.  I'd imagine its similar to Germans having to endure Hitler talk when people visit there.  It sure as shit was/is real but just isn't really talked about until the Americans arrive or you watch the news steering you to it.  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78352-9

The positives of Monterrey far outweigh the negatives.  I suppose my investing here is proof of that.  In brief, the cost of everything except housing is awesome.  Living, not housing, is cheap relative to the U.S. but is expensive relative to Mexico.  It is also highly educated and has nearly all the modern conveniences.  Did i mention i can Didi (uber) around town for $2 most places to get a good $5 haircut to go and get a full meal for $4-5. Add a few bucks for you drunks and gluttons. It has a standard of housing as high or similar to that of the U.S with neighborhoods no different than Memorial, Tanglewood or inside the Loop. The prices to go with it.  There are many parts where you just don't know if you are in Mexico or the U.S.  Shit HEB has all the good U.S. stuff PLUS all the Mexican shit AND covered parking.  Walmarts here aren't shitholes like in the U.S.  Costco's, best buy and all the other places you normally go are here for you people who need a sense of suburbia home.  The best part, imo, is there is a cheaper Mexican alternative to each of those.  Even better you go to the centro and the shopkeepers there have an even cheaper version of the knockoff.  As a non regio i appreciate the "codo"(rubbing elbow) of the people here.  I'll write more as I have time but, like everything else in life, don't take marital advice from single people, financial advice from know it all doctors( maybe Alpha not sure yet) or food recs from skinny people.      

Edited September 17, 2021 by RollLeft

[RollLeft 5045]

On 8/12/2021 at 12:13 PM, Chopper said:

I enjoyed seeing neighborhoods and approx prices in HHI. Knew but didn't care that the scenarios were fake. The repetition of the format is what tired me of the show. I would definitely consider a temp relocation to SE Asia. My wife however has her eyes set on western Europe.

Manila, specifically Manila Bay/Makati/Bonifacio City are highly underrated and is only a Cebu Air (their SWA) hop to Boracay or Palawan or all of Asia for that matter.  

[RollLeft 5045]

dpbu

Edited September 17, 2021 by RollLeft

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

Pics of broad?

[Chopper 17236]

Pretty sure we're going to buy into Portugal's golden visa program before EOY. If I were ready to move now or next year I'd go for their D7 visa. But I'm probably 4 years away from being able to move abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. As far as Europe goes, for a non-EU citizen, unless you qualify for one of the heritage programs Portugal and Estonia have the most attractive, straight forward, visa and road-to-citizenship programs. After 5 years with the golden visa I'll qualify for a passport, all rights of citizenship and be able to live anywhere within the EU.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Pretty sure we're going to buy into Portugal's golden visa program before EOY. If I were ready to move now or next year I'd go for their D7 visa. But I'm probably 4 years away from being able to move abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. As far as Europe goes, for a non-EU citizen, unless you qualify for one of the heritage programs Portugal and Estonia have the most attractive, straight forward, visa and road-to-citizenship programs. After 5 years with the golden visa I'll qualify for a passport, all rights of citizenship and be able to live anywhere within the EU.

Espero que você está aprendendo português e gosta de bacalhau.

[52-80 19161]

1 hour ago, Chopper said:

Pretty sure we're going to buy into Portugal's golden visa program before EOY. If I were ready to move now or next year I'd go for their D7 visa. But I'm probably 4 years away from being able to move abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. As far as Europe goes, for a non-EU citizen, unless you qualify for one of the heritage programs Portugal and Estonia have the most attractive, straight forward, visa and road-to-citizenship programs. After 5 years with the golden visa I'll qualify for a passport, all rights of citizenship and be able to live anywhere within the EU.

Another attractive program is fly to warsaw, flash your cash around, and buy your way to a polish wife

[Chopper 17236]

2 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Espero que você está aprendendo português e gosta de bacalhau.

Learning a new language will be part of it. Definite trepidation.

Sardines, yes. Cod, as long as it's fried.

1 hour ago, 52-80 said:

Another attractive program is fly to warsaw, flash your cash around, and buy your way to a polish wife

I'd try this in Slovakia first based on my taste in women. However my existing wife would not approve.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

You are in for a treat. Salted, dried cod. Stinks up the grocery stores.

Start learning the language now. Don’t wait.

[cafe society 2871]

4 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Espero que você está aprendendo português e gosta de bacalhau.

Salt cod!

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

Bumping this thread with the hope that some of y’all have experience about returning from abroad. More so about careers waiting for you when you get back (hopefully).

Without going into too much detail (if this comes to fruition, I’ll likely be making another thread asking for advice), there may be a chance for my wife and I to move our family back to Brazil. Neither of us would need to work, or if we did, it could be a low paying job.

So my question is, assuming this all happened and I didn’t find a job that would continue my career, how difficult would it be to return after a couple of years and pick up my career? I know that gaps in work history can affect getting hired. Ageism is also a thing, although I would likely be younger than 50 if this plan worked out, so maybe not an issue. I work in oil and gas (project controls) and started this career at 31, so I am about 15 years into it. Am I overthinking that finding a good job in this field would be difficult after a couple of years away?

I know, that’s a big what if this happens will this happen type hypothetical.

[52-80 19161]

24 minutes ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I know, that’s a big what if this happens will this happen type hypothetical.

At $90 oil, anything is possible. The taps even got turned back on for referral bonuses!

A few years from now - who knows what will happen. Could be $50 again, or could be $150. 

[tx 3 putt 76976]

open a llc and try to pick up contract work 

 

100% move man, it'll be an amazing experience for your family 

[Helobious 9454]

1 hour ago, Patricio Swayze said:

Bumping this thread with the hope that some of y’all have experience about returning from abroad. More so about careers waiting for you when you get back (hopefully).

Without going into too much detail (if this comes to fruition, I’ll likely be making another thread asking for advice), there may be a chance for my wife and I to move our family back to Brazil. Neither of us would need to work, or if we did, it could be a low paying job.

So my question is, assuming this all happened and I didn’t find a job that would continue my career, how difficult would it be to return after a couple of years and pick up my career? I know that gaps in work history can affect getting hired. Ageism is also a thing, although I would likely be younger than 50 if this plan worked out, so maybe not an issue. I work in oil and gas (project controls) and started this career at 31, so I am about 15 years into it. Am I overthinking that finding a good job in this field would be difficult after a couple of years away?

I know, that’s a big what if this happens will this happen type hypothetical.

Eh. You could not move and stay here & still find yourself out of a job in a few years for whatever reason. You just never know. Do what you want, always save money, and I’m sure it’ll work out either way in the future.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

At $90 oil, anything is possible. The taps even got turned back on for referral bonuses!
A few years from now - who knows what will happen. Could be $50 again, or could be $150. 

True.

open a llc and try to pick up contract work 
 
100% move man, it'll be an amazing experience for your family 

That is my main motivation, my kids. They need to learn their culture and language (doing it from Texas has proved difficult, obviously not the texas part).

Eh. You could not move and stay here & still find yourself out of a job in a few years for whatever reason. You just never know. Do what you want, always save money, and I’m sure it’ll work out either way in the future.

For sure. I was laid off for 14 months until I found this gig last August. It fucking sucked.

[CooterBrown 18014]

There’s probably O&G companies in Brazil that struggle with a shallow hiring pool.

[tx 3 putt 76976]

13 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

There’s probably O&G companies in Brazil that struggle with a shallow hiring pool.

 

this. ton of american companies in brazil, ton of brazilian companies in america 

[LCHorn 2620]

At least on the corporate front I’ve read that HR managers are no longer considering breaks in employment as a negative.  For one, 2020 made it commonplace for many people, and the millennial on down cohorts don’t have the same stigma against it (want to go on a spirit journey for six months?  You’re hired!).  

[Helobious 9454]

5 minutes ago, LCHorn said:

At least on the corporate front I’ve read that HR managers are no longer considering breaks in employment as a negative.  For one, 2020 made it commonplace for many people, and the millennial on down cohorts don’t have the same stigma against it (want to go on a spirit journey for six months?  You’re hired!).  

This. Especially considering the amount of side income opportunities there are now, as well as free online courses you can take. Just say you were filling your time with either of those things and it’s not a huge deal.

[Patricio Swayze 17058]

There’s probably O&G companies in Brazil that struggle with a shallow hiring pool.

There are certainly opportunities, but the majority of them are in Rio or Sampa and we wouldn’t move to either. Likely Floripa or Curitiba. I haven’t seen anything in either. But ideally, if I could find remote work in the field, I would jump all over it. But this is all very preliminary. Will need to see how a few things shake out.

[Mdhorn 5949]

On 10/24/2021 at 4:57 PM, Chopper said:

Pretty sure we're going to buy into Portugal's golden visa program before EOY. If I were ready to move now or next year I'd go for their D7 visa. But I'm probably 4 years away from being able to move abroad on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. As far as Europe goes, for a non-EU citizen, unless you qualify for one of the heritage programs Portugal and Estonia have the most attractive, straight forward, visa and road-to-citizenship programs. After 5 years with the golden visa I'll qualify for a passport, all rights of citizenship and be able to live anywhere within the EU.

Have really been looking into perhaps retiring in Portugal and am going this summer, if all goes well.  I've researched it with a judge friend and seems legit.  

Edited February 9, 2022 by Mdhorn

[gmr548 16580]

On 8/11/2021 at 10:20 AM, rage-a-holic said:

Monterrey is pretty, but it is also hot, crowded and definitely not safe, especially for women. My girlfriend had the same romantic notion about living there for a while, maybe switching schools, but she was ready to go somewhere else after 5 days (this was 2 months ago).

 

On 8/11/2021 at 11:10 AM, burntorangebongos said:

The temperature right now says 81 with high of 94..in August, that doesn't sound bad to me. What is it that made her feel unsafe? If she is college age and going out to clubs and getting into sketchy places then okay, I can see that. Is she talking about feeling that during the day shopping or on hiking trails? 

 

On 8/11/2021 at 11:54 AM, rage-a-holic said:

There is a lot of crime and cartel activity. She had multiple uber drivers tell her she should not be going around the city without a girl friend or a boyfriend., that it was dangerous for her.

A counter anecdote: My 6'3" blonde-haired, bye-eyed gringo brother lives in Saltillo. He is fluent in Spanish, but no one will ever mistake him for being from there. Never once has the topic of safety even come up in conversation. I get that it is obviously different for women, but there's plenty of places in the US and Texas where I would advise a young woman not go out alone.

On 9/16/2021 at 11:13 AM, RollLeft said:

 

I opened an office in Monterrey smack dab in the middle of the pandemic.  I had been commuting back and forth for a while until i moved here a month ago.  I now commute the other way.  The big three, MxCity/Guadalajara/Mont, are easy to live in imo.  Monterrey, as many of you know, is what would happen if Denver and Houston had a baby.  All the beauty and backdrop of the mountains with all the commerce and labor Texas has to offer, including HEB's when they are open.  Throw in a bunch of parks, lakes and rivers all while eating elote and some tacos. 

I get the U.S. perception of Mexico.  Some of it is not unmerited but much of it is also misunderstood.  Most of what people know of Mexico i call border town or Netflix experience. Lets start with the elephant in the room.  The murder rate of this country is four times that of the U.S. with half the population.  The explanation is simple, most of those murders were cartel related and have little to do with the average person living in the major cities or resorts of Mexico.  The solution for expats is simple.  Do what nearly everyone who lives here does.  Don't start none won't be none.  You do like you do in Houston.  You don't drive down MacGregor or thru the 5th ward at night. When you remove the gang on gang murders from the equation the rate is similar to that of the U.S.  Frankly i feel more safe here than say NYC, sorry Penelope;)  I'm just not one who finds it anymore unsafe, in terms of being murdered, than living in L.A. or Htown and i've done both.  My experience is cartel talk here comes mainly from foreigners.  I'd imagine its similar to Germans having to endure Hitler talk when people visit there.  It sure as shit was/is real but just isn't really talked about until the Americans arrive or you watch the news steering you to it.  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78352-9

The positives of Monterrey far outweigh the negatives.  I suppose my investing here is proof of that.  In brief, the cost of everything except housing is awesome.  Living, not housing, is cheap relative to the U.S. but is expensive relative to Mexico.  It is also highly educated and has nearly all the modern conveniences.  Did i mention i can Didi (uber) around town for $2 most places to get a good $5 haircut to go and get a full meal for $4-5. Add a few bucks for you drunks and gluttons. It has a standard of housing as high or similar to that of the U.S with neighborhoods no different than Memorial, Tanglewood or inside the Loop. The prices to go with it.  There are many parts where you just don't know if you are in Mexico or the U.S.  Shit HEB has all the good U.S. stuff PLUS all the Mexican shit AND covered parking.  Walmarts here aren't shitholes like in the U.S.  Costco's, best buy and all the other places you normally go are here for you people who need a sense of suburbia home.  The best part, imo, is there is a cheaper Mexican alternative to each of those.  Even better you go to the centro and the shopkeepers there have an even cheaper version of the knockoff.  As a non regio i appreciate the "codo"(rubbing elbow) of the people here.  I'll write more as I have time but, like everything else in life, don't take marital advice from single people, financial advice from know it all doctors( maybe Alpha not sure yet) or food recs from skinny people.      

Excellent post. Certainly as an American expat, unless you go fucking around with the drug trade or hanging out in high crime neighborhoods, you're fine. Which is legitimately the exact same thing I'd say about Houston.

[Chopper 17236]

2 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

I know, that’s a big what if this happens will this happen type hypothetical.

Off the top off my head I can't really think of anyone I know who accepted a job abroad or went looking for one and later regretted it. I've known plenty of people who decided taking their kids out of their local school was too much of a burden and so they bypassed certain job abroad opportunities. I always thought that was a poor decision - it's really a great opportunity for you and your kids. Even if you don't have a "real job" in Brazil on your resume, volunteer work or even attempting to start your own business could look great on a resume.

[52-80 19161]

6 hours ago, Patricio Swayze said:

There are certainly opportunities, but the majority of them are in Rio or Sampa and we wouldn’t move to either. Likely Floripa or Curitiba. I haven’t seen anything in either. But ideally, if I could find remote work in the field, I would jump all over it. But this is all very preliminary. Will need to see how a few things shake out.

close enough

 

https://jobs.galp.com/job/Lisboa-Torre-Galp-(10)-Process-Engineer-Hydrometallurgical/766072001/

 

[Grimas 669]

9 hours ago, Chopper said:

Off the top off my head I can't really think of anyone I know who accepted a job abroad or went looking for one and later regretted it. I've known plenty of people who decided taking their kids out of their local school was too much of a burden and so they bypassed certain job abroad opportunities. I always thought that was a poor decision - it's really a great opportunity for you and your kids. Even if you don't have a "real job" in Brazil on your resume, volunteer work or even attempting to start your own business could look great on a resume.

The biggest issue I've seen is where an expat gets laid off in a foreign county and were on a visa sponsored by the company.  In theory, they should pay to relocate you back home but for those wanting to remain in country, getting a local work permit is an issue if you aren't sponsored by another county...

[Chopper 17236]

15 minutes ago, Grimas said:

The biggest issue I've seen is where an expat gets laid off in a foreign county and were on a visa sponsored by the company.  In theory, they should pay to relocate you back home but for those wanting to remain in country, getting a local work permit is an issue if you aren't sponsored by another county...

True. They're definitely legally obligated to relocate you back home if they terminate your employment. I recall an old neighbor who worked for Shell in the UK not having a great time...that's probably one of the biggest risks, is making sure the new job is a decent enough culture fit. I also recall a friend in London who either quit the job she was relocated for or was fired, and then somehow was able to hook up with a new employer. My own assignment in the UK could have been miserable if we hadn't found decent housing - but after looking at 18 different rentals over 2 days I was able to talk my employer into a big bump in the housing allowance. We had no such problems in the Czech Republic or Netherlands. I'd go live in Europe again in a heartbeat and that's one reason we're going for the Portugal golden visa - I'm open to many other countries but but the wife's only interested in Europe.

Edited February 9, 2022 by Chopper

[Grimas 669]

2 hours ago, Chopper said:

True. They're definitely legally obligated to relocate you back home if they terminate your employment. I recall an old neighbor who worked for Shell in the UK not having a great time...that's probably one of the biggest risks, is making sure the new job is a decent enough culture fit. I also recall a friend in London who either quit the job she was relocated for or was fired, and then somehow was able to hook up with a new employer. My own assignment in the UK could have been miserable if we hadn't found decent housing - but after looking at 18 different rentals over 2 days I was able to talk my employer into a big bump in the housing allowance. We had no such problems in the Czech Republic or Netherlands. I'd go live in Europe again in a heartbeat and that's one reason we're going for the Portugal golden visa - I'm open to many other countries but but the wife's only interested in Europe.

The challenge these days in accepting an expat assignment (assume they actually start offering them again) is the uncertainty of having a job on your return to the US...  I've had several friends that were returned home during the recent downturn only to find out there isn't a job for you when you get back... 

I got lucky and got have one of those heritage EU passports for me and my kids so if it goes tit-up here and I'm forced to retire early, we are all moving back to Europe where I can get on one of the national health care programs over there until I turn 65... (And the kids can go to University over there as an EU citizen which they can do regardless if we relocate again...)

[rage-a-holic 4402]

13 hours ago, gmr548 said:

 

 

A counter anecdote: My 6'3" blonde-haired, bye-eyed gringo brother lives in Saltillo. He is fluent in Spanish, but no one will ever mistake him for being from there. Never once has the topic of safety even come up in conversation. I get that it is obviously different for women, but there's plenty of places in the US and Texas where I would advise a young woman not go out alone.

Excellent post. Certainly as an American expat, unless you go fucking around with the drug trade or hanging out in high crime neighborhoods, you're fine. Which is legitimately the exact same thing I'd say about Houston.

I post on a large Mexico ex-pats FB group, and whenever Monterrey is mentioned as a retirement spot, the issues immediately brought up are:

• high pollution
• a traffic nightmare
• very hot summers
• most expensive city in Mexico
• rising crime rates and cartel activity

Not sure what your bro living in Saltillo has to do with anything, but there are plenty of legitimate concerns for anyone considering moving to Monterrey.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1053886741400839

Edited February 9, 2022 by rage-a-holic