About bushamy13

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Male

Currently Lives:

Granada, Granada, Nicaragua

Citizen Of:

United States

About bushamy13

My accomplishments, travels and goals can be summed up as "more than most, less than some". I avoid loud, vexing people that waste my time. One of my major goals is to educate people about Nicaragua and promote a more positive image.

My Website:

http://www.nicaragua-guide.com

Advice for New Expats

Always visit often and rent for at least six months before buying property or a house. You require much less to live when you live in an interesting place.

I would love to live in...

New Zealand

HR/Relo
Professional:

Provider of Expat-Related Services & Products

Education:

Hinckly-Big Rock HS, Hinckley, IL
  1963 to 1967

Lear-Siegler Institute - Indianapolis, IN
  1971 to 1972

Montclair College - Montclair NJ
  1976 to 1980

Queen's College - Charlotte, NC
  1990 to 1993

Favorite Websites:

http://www.nicaragua-guide.com
http://www.nicaragua-community.com

Favorite Assignment:

Anything overseas.

Favorite Cuisine:

Meat and potatoes

Favorite Museum:

Chicago Museum of Natural History

Favorite Movie:

Lord of the Rings, all three parts.

Favorite Book:

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett though I love science fiction

Some Forum Posts:

Nicaragua: Thinking about moving to granada:

I had written an article on trying locations in Nicaragua: http://www.nicaragua-community.com/o-brother-art-thou-live-nicaragua/

Nicaragua: ex military from canada:

I don't believe this to be true at all. In fact, when I got my gun permit I did not have to do the range test because I was in the military.

Nicaragua: building costs:

Interesting comments. You will find building costs, like property, all over the map and for unknown reasons. SJDS has some of the highest cost per sq ft but their property costs are also the highest. In the Granada area we have builders from $25 to over $100 per sf. I just finished building my home outside of Granada using a professional Nicaraguan builder. His quoted cost is $500 a square meter ($46 sf) though mine was substantially less because he knew I would be writing articles on it. And that cost includes everything such as all cabinets, windows, doors, concrete counter tops, septic system, connection to water and electricity. Four months from getting the permits to ready to move in. A video of the completed home is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDK8kSB0-Ao or the articles about the progress at http://www.nicaragua-community.com/new-home-week-18-final/. Good luck in your endeavors. Email me at bushamy13@yahoo.com if you would like the builder's contact info.

Nicaragua: Esteli vs Granada for a retiree:

It all depends on what you are looking for. We have lived in Granada for the past 9 years and are very happy. We have visited Esteli and liked it also though at the time there were so few expats that it lost our interest, there are many more expats in the area now. For cost of housing SJDS is the highest, Granada next then Managua but that is for the median level of housing. For cost of everything else it all depends on your style of living. Even housing depends on what you are looking for. My wife has an art studio/gallery so we needed to have enough people around that would take art lessons. We like the convenience of being in Managua in 40 minutes yet only an hour 15 minutes to the beach. Some people think it is hot in Granada but we have friends living within 12 miles that have to wear a sweater in the evening. There are so many options in Nicaragua. You need to explore and try out a few places.

Nicaragua: Building a house in Nicaragua:

Well, as the other poster commented, I have been in my new home for about five months. One mile from Laguna Apoyo and one mile from Granada. I did document the process every week with comments and photos. Total time about four months to build. I will comment on anything you wish to ask. Just paid my first year's property tax and was delighted. Contact me directly at bushamy13@yahoo.com.

Nicaragua: Gran Pacifica community:

Yes, I am very familiar with the community since its conception. They had a rough start being under some bad management but it looks like things have been straightened out finally. It is now under management of a honest group with quite a bit of investment by new partners. Sales have picked up considerably and there is a lot of new construction. Infrastructure is in place, a nice nine-hole golf course and a beautiful beach. If you are looking for a gated community life then it is a place to consider. Price of construction is considerably higher than building some places but also building some casitas at a lower price point. It all depends on the lifestyle you wish to have here. We visit friends out there often.

Nicaragua: Recommendation for Spanish Language Schools:

There is this website with quite a few on them. http://www.nicaraguaspanishlanguage.com/ Our experience has been that the immersion ones are the best (live with family when not in class). For the schools each has their poor, better and best teachers. For Nicaragua, I think a lot of the schools charge quite high considering most teachers are not trained teachers. If you look around you can usually find a private tutor which charges much less since the schools only give a portion of the cost to the teacher. Having said that, there are many good schools to look at in Granada. I agree Xalteva is good and also CENAC.

Nicaragua: Meeting expats:

I wrote an article on different places to live in Nicaragua which might be of interest to you. http://www.nicaragua-community.com/o-brother-art-thou-live-nicaragua/ Also, there is a general purpose website on Nicaragua which might answer some of your questions. www.nicaragua-guide.com

Nicaragua: Receiving meds from U.S.:

It is no longer permitted to mail into Nicaragua any type of medicine, including vitamins, supplements. It doesn't matter if it is UPS, DHL, regular mail, etc. Some people still try once in a while but if discovered it is usually confiscated. Best to have a friend bring it in for you. We have found the prices and availability very good here though we are not using anything unusual.

Nicaragua: australian expats:

We do have a few Australians in the Granada area. Here is a recent article by one of them. http://www.nicaragua-community.com/moving-nicaragua-becoming-resident/ The author's email is bonzalife@gmail.com and her name is Julie Goodliffe PH 7605-3037

Date Joined:

7/18/2009

Total Posts:

332

Posts/Day:

0.12