Best Places To Retire in Philippines Part 2: Visayas

In the previous article, we talked about how the 7,107 islands of the Philippines is actually divided into the different regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao an how, if you are asking what are the best places to retire in Philippines, you should be asking if it’s Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao.

In this article, we will talk about the best places to retire in the Visayas region. This central part of the Philippines has a bigger concentration of big islands than in Luzon or Mindanao. So, not surprisingly, one of the major things that you can do in this area is to go island-hopping. So, which places in this are best for retirement? Here’s the list:

1. Cebu

Cebu province sits smack in the center of the Philippine archipelago. It is known among Filipinos as Manila minus the traffic and the pollution, and indeed it is. In Cebu, you will find many hotels and resorts, and other facilities you would find in any major city. All international flights fly in through the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Dried mangoes from the Philippines come from this area.

2. Boracay

Just 30 minutes away from Manila or Cebu, Boracay is the place to be when you love to go bar hopping by the beach. Of course, in the inner part of the island, you can find residential areas and affordable lodging.

3. Tagbilaran City, Bohol

Located one hour from Cebu by fast ferry, Tagbilaran is where you jump off to see the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers, the world’s smallest monkeys. It is a small but fairly clean city and is well-served by fast ferries going to Cebu because of the beach resort areas surrounding it.

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The Best State to Retire in – Maybe an RV Can Help Find What is Best For You

The best state to retire in question is sure to cause heated debate. Hey, no one wants to admit that where they live isn’t cool.

You can avoid the argument altogether if you retire first to a life of full time RVing. This mobile lifestyle is more and more appealing to those retirees with the travel bug…or those who can’t decide where to retire.

It is a shame that everyone has not had the chance to explore all of the USA. Every state has something unique and interesting.

I have been in 49 states, all save Alaska. Every state has something to offer. I prefer the Western US, but get excited about going to Washington, DC or going to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. When that stops being cool, I’m done.

In an RV you can have it all. You want to have a lobster on Cape Cod and a few weeks later go over the Golden Gate Bridge…easily done.

This lifestyle can also be a very frugal way to retire. But costs go up the more traveling you do. The fuel is a given, but short (less than a week) stays are the most expensive on a nightly basis.

For instance, a nice park may charge $ 45 dollars for a one night stay. The same park may offer a monthly rate of $ 500. Do the math. The longer you stay, the cheaper per night and you will use less fuel.

When we were pondering which was the best state to retire in… the RV helped us decide. We RVed up to 6 months a year for 4 years. We then full time RVed for 2 years before we bought a home in Arizona.

The RV was a way for us to try before you buy. We really kept an open mind, enjoyed looking around, before we settled down.

So, if you are trying to decide on the best state to retire in. Get an RV, take off and expose yourself to as much of this great country as you can before choosing a state.

You have a lot to see. Enjoy.

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Hood River, Oregon – One of the Best Places for Outdoor Lovers to Live in the United States

Nestled in the heart of the 292,500-acre Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, along a wide river lined with 4,000-foot cliffs, lies the small, friendly town of Hood River, Oregon. This spot’s boundless recreational opportunities and progressive lifestyle inspired both Men’s Journal and Outside Magazine to name it one of America’s best places for outdoor lovers.

Close to the center of the 83-mile gorge, Hood River’s 30-knot winds draw thousands of boardsailers to the area each year. Although it’s known as the “Windsurfing Capital of the World,” this sport is only one of countless activities that residents can participate in. Dozens of waterfalls offer hikers spectacular scenery, and the numerous rivers that feed them are havens for kayakers and fishers. To the southwest, the Cascades’ fourth highest peak, Mt. Hood, rises 11,240 feet into the sky. Locals can climb or ski on Mt. Hood in the morning and windsurf in the afternoon.

People who prefer to see the outdoors can circumnavigate Oregon’s biggest mountain in their vehicles via the Mt. Hood Byway. This route follows parts of the original Barlow Road portion of the Oregon Trail, which carried wagon-bound settlers to the Oregon Territory and on to the Willamette Valley. Drivers can also check out the annual Hood River Valley Blossom Festival, which takes them on a 47-mile loop to see dozens of pear orchards sporting thousands of trees in full bloom. The numerous fests and fairs also support a burgeoning performing and visual arts community, which is also supported by the Columbia Center for the Arts and the busy Columbia Gorge Community College. Growth in the arts and culture scene reflects the overall growth in the economy.

In recent years tourist dollars have flowed into a region already supported by a solid timber and fruit packing industry, flourishing wineries, and the floating highway of the Columbia River, which brings commerce to and from the Pacific Coast. Newcomers include a variety of telecommunications and software design businesses. New or old, sporty or artsy, the community-oriented residents of Hood River County all flock to the town’s many local hangouts. At the Full Sail Ale brewpub residents can find tasty brews made with locally grown barley, and at many local cafes residents will find fresh cups of Hood River Coffee Company java. Hood River offers the full gamut of charming amenities, and is clearly one of the country’s hottest new spots.

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Are You Sure You Can Afford To Live In One Of The Best Places To Retire?

Millions and millions of baby boomers are looking forward to a comfortable retirement where they can relax all day and just sit back and live on their pension and retirement savings in one of the best places to retire. This dream may not become a reality for most people unless they start saving much more for retirement than they have been. This article will cover a few points about what you need to do to retire to some of the world’s best places.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute is a leading organization that promotes the understanding of employee benefits. You can read more about the EBRI’s work at http://www.ebri.com/. They conduct surveys of employees and employers and report those findings. One of their main areas of study is pensions and retirement savings. In their latest survey, they reported that almost 50 percent of workers’ retirement savings is less than $ 25,000. And of that half, 70 percent of them have total assets of less than $ 10,000. So half of American workers have less than $ 25,000 saved for retirement and 35 percent have saved less than $ 10,000. This comes at a time when the average life expectancy is increasing every year as modern medicine and technology aid in longer living.

How can $ 25,000 in retirement savings take care of you for 20 to 30 retirement years? It is just not possible. And Social Security may or may not be there for all the baby boomers either. It can supplement retirement savings and investments but it cannot replace your pre-retirement income.

So what is a retiree to do?

So if your savings and pension is not going to fully support you, what can you do? You can keep working well into your retirement years to stay afloat. You can sell your house and downgrade to a smaller one or move to a less expensive location. Another option is you can move overseas or to Mexico and Latin America. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama are some of the inexpensive locations someone with limited savings can relocate to. They are also home to some of the best places to retire. The dollar is strong in those countries and the standard of living is rapidly increasing and is becoming comparable to the United States.

Even if retiring overseas is a possibility, you need to save much more than $ 25,000 to have a comfortable retirement. Taking on a second job or starting an internet business or even selling on Ebay can all be viable options to help you supplement your income before you retire. You can have the dream you’ve always wished for. Keep on working for it and start saving a little bit more.

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Question by Jeff S: What is the best way to get help with completing US federal tax returns when you are overseas (Australia)?
I am a US citizen living in Sydney, Australia. I own two rental properties in the US and am having trouble completing my Federal tax returns (due to questions around depreciation and overseas income). This is my first year filing a tax return from Sydney and want to talk with someone. Any suggestions on who I can talk with or meet to get this resolved? I am not really comfortable working with someone from a search result.

Best answer:

Answer by SuzeY
There should be a US Consulate office in Australia. They typically have someone there who can offer tax advice. Your situation with the rentals might trip them up a bit, but they are used to fielding questions regarding income earned while living abroad. The depreciation questions might be resolved by using a tax program like TurboTax Premium, which I’m sure you could order through the US version of Amazon.

Good luck!

Give your answer to this question below!

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