Latest Updates

After moving to another country, people often find themselves in a very particular phase of life. The excitement of a new beginning is strong, they want to settle into their new home as quickly as possible and start shaping this new chapter. At the same time, some emigrants have greater financial flexibility than they did in their previous everyday lives after selling a property or other assets. This combination can lead to major decisions being made more quickly than they would be under different circumstances.

We had this experience ourselves. Although we had clearly defined our requirements for another apartment in advance – including more space, at least three bedrooms and a layout suitable for the long term – we viewed an apartment that did not actually meet those criteria at all. It was exceptionally well equipped, located in an attractive residential complex and made an excellent overall impression. For a moment, however, our original requirements faded into the background. We even considered keeping our current apartment and commuting between the two, although they are about a 30-minute drive apart.

Looking back, this viewing was a valuable experience for us. The apartment itself was not the problem – in many respects, it was highly attractive. The decisive point was that it did not match our original requirements. Only then did we realize how quickly, during a period of change and new beginnings, people can start adapting their own criteria to a particularly appealing offer instead of consistently assessing the offer against those criteria.

Our most important conclusion is therefore this: Especially after moving abroad, it can be advisable to define one’s own requirements as clearly as possible and to make major investments only after gaining sufficient everyday experience in the new country. Anyone who establishes their criteria before a viewing and then compares different offers objectively reduces the risk of making decisions they may later regret.

In hindsight, this also helped us better understand why we had already met several emigrants who wanted to sell their first apartment again after only a short time or who now owned a second property. The reasons may differ from one case to another. Our own experience has nevertheless shown us that personal priorities can change more significantly during the first months after moving abroad than one might initially expect.

In the book, we mention that we occasionally “go downstairs for breakfast.” By this we mean taking the elevator to the café on the ground floor of our residential building whenever we do not feel like preparing breakfast ourselves. For us, this was one of the small conveniences of everyday life and, in our opinion, contributed to the high quality of life in Costa del Este.

A few days ago, however, we received a notice from the building management informing us that the café had closed.

Changes like this are part of everyday life—not only in Panama, but everywhere. Especially in a dynamic city such as Panama City, businesses open, others close, and new concepts emerge. We are curious to see what will replace the café and whether a similar service will be available in the future.

This example also illustrates why this section exists. The book reflects our experiences at the time it was written. On this page, we publish important developments, new insights and changes that occur over time.