Rentals in the highlands

[JOHN CLASEN]

During our recent trip to Panama, we found there to be virtually no reasonable rentals in the cooler highlands of western Panama – nothing that approaches the rental rates so often seen in those sample cost-of-living budgets for Panama. Have others found this to be true? Is there a resource for finding reasonable rentals?

John
Wisconsin

[COUNTRY EXPERT- JESSICA RAMESCH]

Hello John,

Most all the cheaper rentals are advertised via word of mouth…generally speaking you will find lower prices if you do a bit of walking/driving around (taking note of signs) and digging on your own (talking to expats/locals not in the real estate industry to get their perspective in addition to your realtor’s).

Using an intermediary can often help guarantee a certain standard of quality but at the same time the price range will not be as great. Rentals listed online and/or in English tend to be the highest quality and the most expensive.

There are a lot of highland towns that are west of Panama City, so I am not sure exactly which one(s) you went to, but if you take Boquete as an example, a lot of the cheaper cabins are in the Volcancito area, about 10 minutes from the town center.

Finally, check the low-cost rental rates you see in sample budgets. What exactly is included? When I publish a sample budget I try to include information you will need to compare and contrast: size and/or number of bedrooms and information about the quality (how old is it, is the layout local style or international style, how many bathrooms, what kind of neighborhood or convenience of location, etc.) The point being that one person may say “I rented for just $400/month” and another person may say “I rented for $1200/month”…both are likely telling the truth about properties that differ in the above.

Hope that helps,

If you haven’t already, try getting a second opinion and real estate referral from the below (please see below contacts)

Best,

HELPFUL PANAMA INSIDER CONTACTS

Real estate: International Living does not sell or broker real estate or rentals.

For real estate queries, contact Pathfinder International Real Estate, exclusive real estate marketer to International Living:

Pathfinder International Real Estate
Tura Murdock
tmurdock@pathfinderinternational.net
info@pathfinderinternational.net
Website: http://www.pathfinderinternational.net

Rentals: Panama has a growing number of rental management companies. One of the first on the scene was Panama Sol:

Panama Sol
Message: panama@panamasolrealty.com

Legal assistance: Whether you plan to live, invest or retire in Panama, you’ll need a Panamanian lawyer to assist you with legal matters. If you don’t already have one, send your legal questions to:

The Law Offices of Rainelda Mata-Kelly
Suite 406-407, Tower B, Torres de las Americas
Punta Pacifica, Panama City, Panama
Local tel: +(507) 216-9299
From the U.S. or Canada tel: (011 507) 380-0606.
Message: rmk@mata-kelly.com
Website: http://www.mata-kelly.com

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