US Teacher Retire Early in Guatemala, Says Cheer Healthcare is Worth it

This as-told-tos Essay is bassed on conversations with ron podmore, 58, a retired teacher who decided to live out his Retirement in Guatemala. He Still Ouns Property in Washington and Spends About Half the Year there as he begins the Guatemala resididcy process. The Conversation has been edited for Length and Clarity.

I retired two years ago, in june 2023.

I was a high school teacher, and i decide to take Early retirement after 32 years of teaching. But Because of the fact that was not eligible for social security, I was only able to recipes half of my pension. I will get the other half about six years from now i turn 65, or woven i choose to also tap into my social securty. IT’S KIND OF A MIXED BESSING, but it seames to be working for me.

I knew that if i was going to pull the plug, so to speak, and retire early, there was a huge gap. There is no way in heck i wanted to be teaching up unil i was 65 and then immediately go on social security.

I have seen too teachers where they’re holding on unil they turn 65, and thatn they’re going to retire and go on social secity, and six months they’re six.

I was using the fire Method. I spent probably the better part of the Last 20 years Investing Each Time I Got A Pay Raise. It workhed out favally for over the last 20 or 25 years.

AROUND 2013, I noticed an influx of migrant students Coming into my classroom from Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador, and Got to Know Some of the Kids.

I was led to believe that guishtalala is this count with endemic poovety, crime, corruption, cartels – who on earth would to go down? Andsee Kids Really Said, “You Need to Rethink That.”

They Encouned with to Travel to Guatemala, and in 2013 or 2014, I took my first trip down there. THEN I ENDED UP GOING DOWN ONCE OR twice a year.

I paid off my guishtamala condo in under 10 years

In 2018, i purecesed a small condominium in the working-class area of ​​Guatemala City, knowing that if i needed to, i could migrate out of the United States and be Live Down.

SO I HAD ALREADY PURCHAsed the Proppery As an Investment Before i retired, and then i was able to make payments on it. My goal was to have it all paid off by the time i retired. And sura Enough, i was able to pay all off, so i have no mortgage on that unit.

I was makeing payments on it every month, and then i also expeded by making extra payments on the principal, and i was able to pay it with eight years. In order to do that, i took out a helroc loan against the value of the house i have in federal way, which is a suburb just south of seattle. When you Purchase Property, in Most Places Around the World, It ‘All Cash. You cannot go to the bank of that Country and Ask for a loan. You have to take care of your financing with what Bank you have in the united states or your home country.

The Proppery That I Purchased Down is a Two-BEDROM, One-Bath With Underground Parking, Concierge Services, Security, et Cetera, and that was for About $ 125,000. The Mortgage was for 10 Years, Just Under $ 1,500.

There was no renting – it was vacant for years. It was just a matter of time for me to begin supplying, Purchasing Things like the couches, and the chairs, and the Dining Room, and the Beds, and Stuff like.

I had to that that little by little over the eight years. At the time, I was living in Washington State, and you have to factor in airplane tickets to get down, and how Much you’re going to spend only only purerchasing these, but also hating and being theree and soh. It took me about two or three years to build it all up.

I Started Being Down There Full-Time in August 2024. I’m in the process of securing a temporary and a permanent resididcy card. That’s About a three- to five -ear long process.

I WOULD BE GETTING A VISA THAT WAUDED ALLOW WITH TO LIVE IN GYTERALA FOR EXTENDED OUTS OF TIME – GREATER THAN SIX MONTHS.

Right now, as it is, i’m only allowed to stay in Guatemala up to six months at a time.

The healthcare in Guatemala is significantly mess expensive than in the us

I have a private health insuration plan in Guatemala that runs with about $ 315 a month; No deductibles and no Copay. That a private hospital that also also covers Medicines, x-rays, mris, and hospital stays, and you will not get a bill at the end of any of that.

And there is such a contrast for superior services: they have better bedside manners in central America. You’re not surrounded by a certified nursing assistant or an intake specialist or a finance and operations determining how are you going to make these wetments and everything. You go into an office, the reception is right, and the second person you are the doctor.

Glasses, optometry, and dental I am not insured on. Be i’m down there i get my teeth cleaned every six months, just like it will up, and my teeth cleaning on average is about $ 65 per line. To contrast that, when I was going to get my teeth cleaned at my local dentist up here in Washington, that Waled be Close to $ 800 or $ 900. What the insurance carrier for dental is not covering of that is forced onto me. SO EACH TIME I Went to Get My Teeth Cleaned in the States, it was slightly over $ 200 for my portion of the Bill.

If you think the concept of snowbirds, at least out here on the west coast, we have a huge influx of people in their fifties who decide to retire and they immediately relections to southern California, Southern Arizona, Southern New Mexico, in Bordder, in Along the texas border, so they can have immediate access-to drive to the border or walks the border-to Purchase their prescriptions, get their teeth done, get their x-rays, or go into the local hospital.

If there is an emergency, they’re going to run over to that border before they dial 911 in the United States.

I’ve just taken that concept one extra Country over, which is the Next Country after Mexico, and that’s Guatemala.