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RickM
  1/20/2016 21:35 EST

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I will be retiring soon and we have decided, after much consideration, to visit Uruguay for a discovery visit.

Primarily it would be more like a 2nd home. We would likely come for 6 months out of the year.

We've decided to visit three areas as a potential location for our home, Gregorio Aznarez, La Paloma and Rocha. Realistically, we are thinking of a simple home, not an apartment, just outside of these locations with some land for a garden.

There are a few things holding us back and we hope to discover whether or not Uruguay is for us or not.

pasebien
  1/20/2016 22:27 EST

Hi Rick, Interesting choices! i know basically nothing about Gregorio Aznarez, but we looked extremely closely at La Paloma / Rocha when we first came at the end of 2013. We really loved the small town atmosphere of La Paloma and all of the natural delight of the Lagoon - but eventually became concerned about the planned deep water port - scheduled (MAYBE) to be built a few km north of La Paloma. We thought if that port goes in - it will change the area dramatically, increase the traffic and destroy or at least adversely effect the bird and other wildlife. Who knows if it will ever be built - but we elected to go where we didn't have to worry about it. If you aren't wed to living near the water / ocean - there are many lovely, reasonably priced areas - and even on the coast there are charming less frenetic and expensive places than Punta del Este and Montevideo such as Colonia and Piriapolis. Good luck with your explorations! Hope you find what you are looking for. We certainly did.
ciao

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focus
  1/21/2016 08:22 EST

Punta del Este frenetic?

Where you from, Inuvik? :)

mjferriesmcgrew
  1/21/2016 09:41 EST

May I suggest the little city of MINAS, in Lavallaje? I retired here over a year ago, and it is practically heaven. One of my clients ( I own a hostel ) just rented a 2 bedroom house, on acreage, out in the country - yet close enough to town ,if you can stand a long walk, and on the buslines in,if you are carrying groceries ,etc. - for 8 k pesos per month. ( 1 year lease ) There are very few expats in this area, and not much non Spanish speaking. I consider that part of the charm ( My Spanish is absolutely appalling, yet townspeople are very helpful and kind and i rather enjoy being the crazy gringa that moved away from it all and doesnt even speak the language - it doenst mean i havent figured out whats going on around me, and i can get what i need/want thru drawing, pantomime, writing it out from dictionary , etc ) Prices out in the "sticks" are much cheaper than the usual ex pat areas. IF you do have a car, the beach is only 45 minutes away. ( and the bus goes there, too, but takes alot longer ) Just wanted to make a suggestion for your list of places to consider....

pasebien
  1/21/2016 10:04 EST

hey focus -
when it is the 3rd week of January Punta del Este feels crazier than New York City (where i'm from btw).
Dec through Feb the population, especially of Loud Partiers from Argentina and (increasingly) Paraguay, grows to about a bagillion. Even out in the distal paradas sleep is minimized by fireworks (last night, for instance) and loud music lasting til about 0800...ALL night long.
Yes FRENETIC.
But mid-March through mid-Nov. it is quiet - i am woken by the birds (which i love!).
is that better?

futureexpat1
  1/21/2016 20:11 EST

If it is not your intention to live there year round, you should investigate the property rights of absentee owners. Many foreign countries have bizarre laws with regards to rights of squatters

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kimbo47
  1/22/2016 00:03 EST

SEEMS LIKE THE TYPE OF TOWNS AND LIFE DESCRIBED IN THESE POSTS, ALTHOUGH VERY BEAUTIFUL, ARE VERY LIMITED TO SLEEP, EAT, WALK OR VISIT BEACH AND PLAZA OR CAFE AND SLEEP AGAIN.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO 65 IS THE NEW 50? I HANG WITH MANY RETIREES HERE OVER 65 WHO RUN MARATHONS, COMPETE IN BIKE RACES, SWIM A MILE DAILY IN THE OCEAN, DO BALLROOM DANCING COMPETITIONS AND TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY TO VERY REMOTE AREAS SUCH AS IN AN AFRICAN SAFARI..
IF YOU PLACED THEM THERE THEY WOULD DIE. THAT IS WHAT KEEPS THEM HEALTHY AND ALIVE. MY NEIGHBOR IS GETTING READY TO GO TO SWITZERLAND TO SKI AND HE IS A HEALTHY 79. i THOUGHT THE ROCKING CHAIR DAYS WERE OVER? LOL.

focus
  1/22/2016 08:09 EST

pasebien. I don't even notice the high season anymore although I love the fireworks around Christmas and New Years. Thankfully in my neighbourhood it's mostly people who live year-round so really I haven't had to cope with any loud parties. I'm still bemused that someone from NYC calls Punta frenetic. Heck, I'm from Toronto which is quiet compared to NYC and I find Punta sleepy except for maybe the first 15 days of Jan. Where are you, La Barra?

Wanderlustspirit
  1/25/2016 21:52 EST

Futureexpat1 is spot on about the squatters. :( I would be concerned about living here part of the year & if squatters decide to "move into your place", you may have a very, very hard time removing them (especially if they have been there for 10 days or more). Additionally, crime occurs everywhere (robbery mostly) so do not be surprised if your place gets robbed with no one there. :( Friends of ours from the U.S. have a place in UY & it regularly gets robbed when they are not here. They bought home insurance so they just keep replacing things when they return & they try not to keep anything of any real value.

Sadly, with the collapsing economies around the world, I expect robberies to become more common in most places so I don't know that UY is unique in this. Rocha is off the beaten path so maybe robberies are less common there. No idea on that though. Best of luck with your discovery visit.

pasebien
  1/25/2016 22:22 EST

wanderlust,
may i ask where your friends who are repeatedly robbed live?
many of our neighbors are part-time and, as far as i know, have not been robbed. we are almost always here and i think we'd notice? Tal vez?

maxbjorkstrom
  1/26/2016 06:55 EST

May I suggest an alarm and a property manager? I guess squatters could be common in some places, usually in a house that has been abandoned for quite some time, which looks abandoned and run down, just pay a gardener to cut your grass once a month, shows there is some activity... Not really heard of it in "balnearios" where vacation homes are common but yes in Montevideo.
Maybe someone on here has had it happen to a neighbor or friend???

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Click connect to have our partner contact you via e-mail and/or phone.

Mobility LCMobility LC

Mobility LC is committed to work hard to make your Uruguayan immigration and relocation process a reality. We can provide you with the best local contacts and will guide you all the way through the process offering support in 5 different languages. Your success is our personal goal.
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Morell
  1/26/2016 07:19 EST

We have a couple of friends who
do the 6 and 6 month thing.
Their houses have bars on all the windows and doors.

Neither have had break ins but they are known to happen along the coast in the off season when houses are closed. There have been several in my neighbourhood.

Wanderlustspirit
  1/27/2016 14:46 EST

Our friends live near Colonia Valdense. The bars & alarm company does no good as they live too far from a security company to stop the theft in process. :( That said, there is a group of professional thieves that rob the neighborhood at least once/year. They wait & watch to see what houses do not have activity & then they go in & take what they want. :(

If you are going to live a partial year in UY, living close enough to a place where the security company can reach you is ideal. Also invest in homeowners insurance for your belongings (not just the structure which many people do) & that way you will be covered. Our friends get 50% of the value of the items stolen but their agent tries to "help" with recovering a higher percentage of the value of stolen items.

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