My wife and I hope to retire June 2019 and do a permanent move to the Bahamas (our first choice of countries). I will be a retired teacher with a pension. My wife is in accounting. We have some questions for Canadians who have retired to the Bahamas. Does it rain enough to collect rain water in a cistern? If you are on a cistern, do you ever run out of water. If a property has a septic system is it expensive to have pumped out? Is it a true septic like we have at our cottage or would a Bahamian septic be a simple holding tank?Is international health care expensive or do you go with something like Blue Cross from a Canadian representative? We are looking at a property valued no more than $300,000. Is it true you are taxed less if you purchase a property over $400,000? How do you find the health care? Is veterinary care expensive and is there a quarantine period our dog would have to go through? Are personal taxes high compared to Canada? Are the crime rates high? If we have a small mortgage should we transfer it to a Bahamian bank? Should I have my pension transferred to a Bahamian Bank? How do you find the cost of food (I have heard to expect a 30% increase). We probably will not purchase a car, but more likely a couple of scooters or motorcycles. If you have any advice for us it would be greatly appreciated. I hope to post more questions in the near future.
