I'm glad you took it in the way it was intended ToddHenry. Sometimes people don't as you might imagine.
I retired relatively early (early 40s) and have spent 27 years since then living in several different countries. I've met a lot of retirees in those countries over the years. While I can only give you anecdotal evidence based on my own observations vs. an actual statistically valid study, I think it is worth sharing what I have observed. Unfortunately, although I have Googled the issue of 'how many retirees to another country 'stick' vs. return home', in as many ways of trying to find some statistical answers to that question as I can, I haven't been able to find any such evidence. So that leaves on anecdotal evidence.
For every 10 people I have seen move to their 'retirement paradise', I would say that 5 of them were gone within 2 years and only 1-2 out of 10 were still there after 5 years. That to me does not inspire confidence in the chances of any individual 'sticking'.
The most common reason I have seen for people leaving is simply an inability to deal with 'different'. Almost anywhere can be great when we are on a vacation. But when you live somewhere and have to deal with all the ordinary day to day things we deal with, different can be an issue for many people.
For example, bureaucracy anywhere is a pain in the butt but I discovered when living in Greece that it can be raised almost to an art form. Dealing with something in Canada where I grew up might take a couple of visits to a Government office. Dealing with the same kind of issue in Greece could take literally dozens of visits. Some people can accept that and adapt to it. Others cannot and become extremely annoyed and frustrated at how 'terrible they are at getting things done here'.
For whatever reason people decide it isn't for them, many pack up and go. That has some interesting ramifications. A major one is the selling of the house they bought. It's easy to buy, it's not always as easy to sell.
When people buy in a place where 'expats' are common, the locals are well aware of how many end up leaving. They also know that when someone decides they've 'had enough' and want to leave, they really want to leave. They're somewhat desperate to leave at that point in many cases. So guess what happens to offers on their house. They get low offers unless they are willing to wait until some new arrival with dreams of their retirement paradise arrives and is willing to pay them what they are asking.
Of all the people I have seen arrive in their 'retirement paradise', not ONE left with more money than they arrived with and most left with considerably less.
You say you 'are building', so there is little point perhaps in my sharing this info with you at this point. However, I've wrote it anyway as in a forum, other readers may read it in time to give it thought.
My advice to anyone retiring to their 'retirement paradise' is always the same. RENT, RENT, RENT for at least 1 and preferably 2 years before buying anything. It takes that long to get past the 'rose coloured glasses' phase and have some basis on which to consider whether you are likely to 'stick' or not.
