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So you are thinking about investing and Panama sounds interesting.

Now you are wondering if Panama is the right investment for you, but you feel you cannot trust the agents, your friends or the information on line. They all sound like a sales pitch to you...

I'm from Panama, born and raised Panamanian, my entire family lives in Panama except me, I have invested in Panama and I vacation there at least once a year.

I promote Panama as a good investment for certain investors, perhaps not all. I hope to shine some lights to those still indecisive and to those that flood my website, www.mergedvisions.com with questions on whether they should or not buy property in my country.

And for those that read through the lines, yes I don't live in Panama - unfortunately, and the reasons are various and pragmatic. I like wearing boots and Panama is too hot for that; but most importantly, my clients are spread around the world and Panama is not in the center of the world...contrary to other's opinions...

So now you are ready to read the truth... Why should you invest in Panama?

Cons:

The first con that comes to mind is the City View. Must are thinking in investing in the city with view to the Panama Bay. The Panama Bay is not clean yet and the Bay views from apartments below the 20th floor might not be so nice. You might also have obstructed views in some cases.

Traffic jams are all through out the day and part of the early night. The government was not the most careful Urban Planner when handing out the construction permits, specially around the Bay. Some distant areas do not even have paved roads, but that could be viewed as part of the charm.

The weather is Tropical and not every investor likes that. Is normal, we all don't like the same things. The heat might be unbearable for certain people especially in the summer, and the rainy season might be too rainy for others. Street floods still happen in some areas.

Bureaucracy although not as high as before, still exist, widely. You might find that getting local help is necessary unless you have nothing else to do during the day than to run from office to office until all your services are set up.

Panamanians are like every Latino, loud. So don't expect exclusivity and refined manners on the street. We still are a third world country in many ways, and you should expect an according behavior in general, especially in the day-to-day life.

Not everything is figured out, set on stone, standardized, packed, wrapped and ready to go like most things, say in North America; so been flexible will be one of the virtues you will need well developed.

Crime rate, although lower, is not the lowest in the region. So you do have to be careful and exercise common sense, follow the basic rules of protection and not entrust strangers with your valuables or walk around looking like a lost tourist. If you invest in property, you will need to use an alarm system to protect your investments and not accept offers or exchanges on the streets.

So overall, be patient, be clear and firm on what you want, and be safe. This is not a place to take silly risks. There is nothing my people have not seeing or tried, so they will try to outsmart you at any time in any given environment.

So why would you ever want to live in a place like this? Why would you even like to visit?

The Pros:

The government is investing 300 millions in the sanitation of the Panama Bay and the first phase of the project, Proper collection of Waste Water is to be finished by 2010. Once the entire project is done, people will be able to swim and walk on the beach.

The Panama Canal is getting enlarged and with that many new opportunities will be developed. Panama has a shortage of skilled labor leaving a lot of grounds for opportunities for someone moving there.

Panama signed a Free Trade Agreement with the USA at end of 2006 and that will help promote the country's economy.

Panama has established natural resources preservation programs supported locally and internationally to protect the country's beauty.

The leading industry in Panama is not the Panama Canal but Tourisms. We have been recently added as a port for Cruise Ships navigating Centro and South America and many Airlines are starting to offer direct flights.

The local literacy level is one of the highest in the region and many Panamanians are bilingual in the capital.

Panamanian Foreign Policies keep warm ties across the board. We do not have an Army in place and there are no current threads of war or invasions.

Many industries are yet to be developed and the country's average population is 26,4 year old according to the CIA, so you will not have much problem staffing in certain industries.

Inflation is at 1,1%, we use the dollar, and the government continues to incentivate investment by reforming the Tax and Social Security laws. Panama has one of the largest world wide banking systems, a local stock exchange and very low income taxes. Our sales tax is 5%.

The infrastructure is the best of the region. In Panama, you will find extensive highways, the most advanced telecommunication system in the area, many private hospitals including the Johns Hopkins Hospital and many universities, national and international.

The closest clean beach is a short drive away. You can enjoy of the Caribbean waters and white sandy beaches in an hour drive from the capital or drive 30 min to reach the long beaches in the Pacific.

Our natural resources make us a must see destination for bird lovers, surfers, tree huggers, river rafters, marine biologist, Casino players, jet setters and retirees alike.

One of our most underdeveloped resources is our people. Panamanians have a natural zest for life, are happy to be in this world and they know how to make everyone welcome. The people, is the best resource Panama has and it is still an untapped resource.

If you have any comments about the information herein included or would like to know more about investing in Panama, please visit our website: www.mergedvisions.com