Central America is as different as the readers of this book. The region is an absolute paradox. It may be all that you imagine, but surprisingly, it is much more than one could ever embrace. It is more than the long and winding territory that connects North and South America. To the typical North American, the area conjures up vivid and varied images. On the geographical side, a mountainous area with volcanoes, colonial cities, jungles, and, of course, bananas and coffee. On the political front, turmoil, dictatorships and instability. On the economic front, rich versus poor, agriculture-based economies, and sweatshops where United States garments are manufactured and exported. It is a complex and fascinating place, home to 41 million people with a total gross domestic product of about $88 billion. How do you begin to categorize such a dramatic and extraordinary For starters, this region geographically encompasses seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. These countries have many mysterious cities and fascinating destinations that you could only hope to place them on the map in your mind.

News reports - including a segment on 60 Minutes - have depicted the entire country of Mexico as being an absolute mess, awash in blood and guns on every street corner. Ironically, people living there have a dramatically different perspective, especially in the "fly-in" destinations that continue to hold their value. Despite what you may have heard, read and seen, the country is not under siege. The laid-back lure of Mexico's beaches, forests, deserts, people, and culture has been capturing visitors and second-home buyers for decades and has become an international draw no longer driven solely by Americans and Canadians. Not only is land plentiful, exotic, captivating, and beautiful but also it is typically more affordable than most of the property found in America's getaway areas. Much has been written about the kidnappings, roadside hijackings, crooked cops and ever the infamous bandidos in some of the regions of Mexico. Most of the violence south of the border, however, is directly related to the drug cartels and the authorities who are trying to eradicate them. There is absolutely no pattern of any innocent U.S. citizens being randomly murdered in drug violence. In this book, we will meet other second-home buyers, investors and retirees who share positive views about living and investing south of the border. We will show you their answers to our questions about crime and occupancy in key areas of the country. We'll also explain why Mexico will become a needed alternative especially for 59,250,000 baby boomers that have not saved enough to fund their retirement years.

Conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs)—cash grants to poor families that are conditional on their participation in education, health, and nutrition services—have become a vital part of poverty reduction strategies in many countries, particularly in Latin America. In Conditional Cash Transfers in Latin America, the contributors analyze and synthesize evidence from case studies of CCTs in Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The studies examine many aspects of CCTs, including the trends in development and political economy that fostered interest in them; their costs; their impacts on education, health, nutrition, and food consumption; and how CCT programs affect social relations shaped by gender, culture, and community. Throughout, the authors identify the strengths and weaknesses of CCTs and offer guidelines to those who design them.

Basic information and contacts for buying and selling real estate in the US

Buy real estate overseas to earn cash flow to fund your dream retirement In Buying Real Estate Overseas For Cash Flow (And A Better Life): Get Started With As Little As $50,000, Kathleen Peddicord and Lief Simon explain how to incorporate an investment in foreign real estate into your portfolio for as little as $50,000. With a lifetime of experience on the subjects of living, retiring, and investing overseas, the authors delve deep into this complex topic. Simply put, this book is a practical guide to buying property overseas as a strategy for earning cash flow to fund your dream retirement. In the book, the authors cover topics as wide-ranging as: How to build the cash flow you need to fund the retirement you want 8 markets offering the best current cash-flow opportunities How to move money across borders in today’s post-FATCA world Plus: How to run the numbers to evaluate a potential cash-flow investment Buying Real Estate Overseas includes a breadth and depth of information on the world’s best markets for investing in real estate for cash flow. Its up-to-date information about this investment category puts to bed much of the outdated advice and guidance currently available in published materials. The authors identify several hot, new markets where currency valuations and market conditions make the purchase of real estate an extremely wise investment decision in today’s volatile investment climate.