Honduras Forum

deegggo
Joined 2012
Posts: 1

12 years ago

?Planning to retire in Roatan

12 years ago

Just joined …looking for advice… recommendations regarding retiring in Honduras.
Our story – we have already purchased a home in Roatan and are renting it out and getting down there a couple times a year for brief visits. We are using our trips down there to assess life there. We have made friends in our neighborhood and have been asking lots of questions. We think we will want to retire there , We are several years away but increasingly are worried about the specifics of this phase of our lives. We think we would be “snow birds” ie spend some time (weeks to months) in the US. Below our some of our thoughts / questions /potential plans. We are looking to get advice from anyone who has been through this to confirm we are headed in the right direction or not…
1. USA “base” – we think we will want to establish state residency in Texas – near Houston. There are direct flights from Houston and it would not be too bad of drive from there to Colorado where we currently live and most of our children / grandchildren are. After retirement we would move (rent) for 3 months in Texas then get drivers licenses and register the car there which would establish us as Texas residents (no state income tax)
2. We would store some stuff in Houston – the car, old financial records, warm clothes, etc. The stuff we would take to Honduras we would ? put in a container and get itemized and approved through the Honduran consulate in Houston for importation into Honduras. That container has to be shipped to Miami to go by boat by Hyde shipping - ? how?
3. We would leave a small car in storage in Houston – turn on the liability insurance coverage when we return to US (probably a couple times a year) _ ? best company to be able to do this?? We would purchase a car in Honduras (?main land vs Roatan?)
4. When we return to US we would rent – i.e. not keep a house in US
5. I would use Medicare for twice yearly doctor visits in Houston for checkups - may wife would have to purchase private insurance until she qualified for Medicare.
6. We would open a bank account in Honduras to transfer money to from US bank - ?best combination (US- Honduran bank) to do this? We would wait till we are closer to retirement to do this in case we change our minds
7. We are still sorting out how much money we need to live on – we have a pretty good handle on the house there – RECO bills, insurance, yard maintenance ,etc. Not sure we have a good handle yet on cost of owning a car – insurance, upkeep . groceries ( buying for a week is different than living for months…) and lastly costs of living for a few months in the US.

Do you think the above is realistic – what are we missing??

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Living in Honduras Guide

Expats offer tips and insight into what it's like to live in Honduras. The discuss crime in Honduras, the slow pace of life, culture shock, where to live in Honduras and more.

Honduras Forum
Join our Honduras forum to meet other expats and talk about living in Honduras.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Honduras.

Best Places to Live in Honduras

If you're considering a move to Honduras, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in Honduras in 2023.

Healthcare in Honduras

Health care in Honduras is an especially important topic for expatriates living there. It is critical to carefully consider the area you move to and what that choice will mean for your individual health.

Cost of Living in Honduras

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in Honduras.

Moving to Honduras Guide

If you're moving to Honduras, this must-read article covers healthcare, best places to live, culture shock, crime and much more.

Real Estate in Honduras

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in Honduras.

Pros & Cons of Living in Honduras

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in Honduras.

Retiring in Honduras

Advice for people retiring in Honduras.

10 Tips for Living in Honduras

If you've recently arrived in Honduras, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in Honduras.

Additional Information:

Visit our Honduras Index for a Full List

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

GeoBlue

Top-quality coverage for people who live, work, study and travel internationally.
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in Honduras by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Honduras.