Your Money: Retirement

Photographs by Michael Robinson Chavez, Los Angeles Times

A few thousand gringos, as these expatriates refer to themselves, are believed to make Merida, the capital of Yucatan state, their home at least part of the year. Apart from English, their common language appears to be real estate. | | | |

Those considering it should be sure of their reasons and expectations, expats who love the area say. | | | |

Mazatlan is starting to turn the heads of American retirees and vacation-home buyers. They’re finding they can get more for their money than in better-known resort areas. And they’re getting a chance to live in an “authentic” Mexican city, rather than purely a tourist hub. | | | |

Thousands of Americans who have settled in Escazu, a suburb of the capital that has become so popular with expats it bears the nickname “Gringolandia.” | | | |

For expatriate retirees, Boquete, Panama offers big discounts on plane fares and hotels, good healthcare and shopping. All foreign income — such as U.S. pension benefits or Social Security — is exempt from tax. | | | |

Americans who want coastal Mexico to become a SoCal satellite, packed with strip-mall mini-marts, glib housing projects and yacht-crammed marinas, are facing off with Americans who understand that they still are guests of another country with its own rich culture, where few qualities are more highly prized than good manners and humility.