Coming down in June...

Hello Kelly,

My 1 st question to you is before I continue on . Have you ever stayed in Panama for an extended period of time?

Do not buy anything! It is recommended that you rent for at least 6-12 months before even thinking of buying. You want to be sure life here works for you, make local contacts (much better way to look for property) and learn your way around a bit to be sure you have a location that works for you.

Hire someone to pick you up from Tocumen. You do not want to drive in the city or try to figure out the bus system on your first visit. Luistaxi777 (at) gmail is a good guy, Luis Arce, reliable, speaks English. Go to the bus station and catch a bus to Coranado, and then a taxi to wherever you are going.

If you don't speak Spanish, learn some basic phrases and your numbers (for paying for things mostly)  good luck!

Hi Kelly! I'm Mercedes. I live here in Panama, luckily in a beautiful little town by the beach, called Punta Chame. This is an interesting country, with its own issues, like all latinamerican ones. If you want i can give you some tips and phone number of trusted drivers, hotels..depending on what you want, and share my experience here with you. I love to do that, and well,  is part of my job also. So, let me know!

kristc99 wrote:

Do not buy anything! It is recommended that you rent for at least 6-12 months before even thinking of buying. You want to be sure life here works for you, make local contacts (much better way to look for property) and learn your way around a bit to be sure you have a location that works for you.

Hire someone to pick you up from Tocumen. You do not want to drive in the city or try to figure out the bus system on your first visit. Luistaxi777 (at) gmail is a good guy, Luis Arce, reliable, speaks English. Go to the bus station and catch a bus to Coranado, and then a taxi to wherever you are going.

If you don't speak Spanish, learn some basic phrases and your numbers (for paying for things mostly)  good luck!

Great advice! That is exactly where I was going..... Plenty of opportunities for sure, but the best thing you can do is rent and make sure this life style works for you. The real estate market is soft right now with there being a lot of inventory. So no rush.... I 2nd Luis he is very reliable!

Thank you all for your responses.  I do not plan on buying anything until I've: 1) decided on the right location/community and 2) spent a significant amount of time renting and living in the area to ensure it is the right fit.  That said, I do want to take a look at different locations to get an idea of what the country and various communities have to offer.

Is there beachfront developments between Coronado and Pedasi?  If so, what is your recommendation for those areas?  I know it's is more remote and the communities are smaller (not as developed).  I've also heard concerns for safety.  What are your thoughts?

If you want to take a look at different locations to see what the country is like, don't forget to take a look at the interior. Close to Coronado there are mountain communties in El Valle, Altos del Maria and Chicá that could be interesting for you. Beautiful area with much nicer temperatures than the coast and only a 30 minute drive to the beach.