The Journal
Guides, stories and answers for building a FRESH® home in Panama.
Building a Home in Cerro Azul: Cool Highlands Within Reach of Panama City
A practical guide to building a home in Cerro Azul — the closest cool-climate highlands to Panama City — with land, slope,...
Jun 21, 2026Building a Home in Volcán: Panama's High-Altitude Coffee Country
A practical guide to building a home in Volcán — Panama's high-altitude coffee country on the western flank of Volcán Barú —...
Jun 19, 2026From Decision to Keys: A Realistic Timeline for Moving to Panama and Building a Home
A month-by-month timeline from the decision to move to Panama to keys in hand, with realistic faster and slower variants for different...
Jun 17, 2026Buying Property as a Foreigner in Panama: What's Actually Easy (and What Isn't)
Foreigners can own freehold land in Panama almost on the same footing as citizens. The catch is in the land file, not...
Jun 15, 2026Five Real Worries Americans Have About Moving to Panama (and the Reality)
The five worries you hear in every expat forum, answered honestly. Safety, Spanish, building from afar, healthcare quality, and the back-out plan.
Jun 13, 2026The Real Cost of Living in Panama in 2026 for North Americans
An honest 2026 breakdown of what a single, a couple and a high-end household actually spend in Panama, and how insulation choices...
Jun 11, 2026Healthcare in Panama for US & Canadian Expats: Hospitals Near Every FRESH Location
How Panama's public and private healthcare really works for US and Canadian expats, with a hospital matrix for each FRESH building location.
Jun 09, 2026Taxes for Americans Moving to Panama: Territorial Income, FATCA & Property Tax
A plain-language overview of Panama's territorial tax system, US filing obligations that follow you abroad, and property tax basics for new builds.
Jun 07, 2026The Pensionado Visa and Retiring in Panama: A Complete 2026 Guide
A 2026 overview of Panama's Pensionado visa for retirees, plus alternative residency programs and how a fixed-price modular home fits the property...
Jun 05, 2026Why Build Instead of Buy When Moving to Panama
An honest comparison of buying an existing Panama home versus building new with a fixed-price modular system engineered for the climate.
Jun 03, 2026Panama vs. Costa Rica vs. Mexico: Where Should North Americans Actually Build?
A fair, dimension-by-dimension comparison of Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico for North Americans, with a clear-eyed case for where it makes most...
Jun 01, 2026Panama vs. Florida: Why Snowbirds Are Building Year-Round Homes in Panama
The Florida snowbird math has broken for many retirees. A direct comparison with Panama on insurance, hurricanes, healthcare and the cost of...
May 30, 2026