Expert: Andy Mendyk - 7/4/2007

Question
Andy:
My wife and I visited Aruba for a week about 18 months ago.  We fell in love with the place and have contemplated moving there.  I am retired with a government pension and Social Security, in addition to some savings.  We also have a bichon(dog).  I also inquired about the development of some Palm Beach property(Washington Gardens?), but am skeptical about purchasing land in a foreign country.  We are concerned about medical care, vet. care, size of Jewish population(we did se the synagogue from afar), the cost of living, the cost of going to and from the island,and the whole shebang.  Would appreciate any information about any of the above as well as additional websites to explore.
Thank you for any assistance that you can give us.

Answer
Hi Bruce! A lot of people wish to move/live on the island. First, the dog..no problems as long as you can supply documentation as to the health & updated vaccinations which are the same as required here in the States. Land can not be "bought", but leased from the government, which are normally 30 years leases. Taxes on property is low compared to anywhere here. Medical service is good there, maybe not the latest in technology, but hospital care and knowledge of the doctors are right on par. The Jewish population, well, is not abundant. The synagogue represents that there are enough Jewish to quantify the existance of the faith. Cost of living...I measure it by about 20% more then what I expend here at home ( with the exception of property taxes). To live in aruba, you must show financial responsibility, as the government does not wish to "care for" immigrants as we do here in the U.S. If you do develop a venture, you must have an Aruban partner owning/controlling 51% of that business. However, if you do need more in-depth info, I would recommend going to www.aruba-bb.com,and there are quite a few people on that board who live there, and own homes there. They can fill you in with the " nitty-gritty" things more precise than I can! It is also a fun place to go to, as I go to that site every day to see "whats happening" on, or about the Island.