Author: Liz Larroquette

As an Australian, I’ve always thought we were lucky to celebrate the new year almost before anyone else on the planet. There are a few islands and some parts of New Zealand & Russia who ring in the new year a couple of hours before we do in Sydney, but we’re among the first. Music, good [...]

For months, Panama had been getting ready to welcome Pope Francis for World Youth Day 2019 (WYD). The conference, which will bring an estimated 500,000 visitors, opens on January 22 and ends six days later on January 27th. The Pope will be in Panama for almost the whole conference, arriving one day after the official start, [...]

Recently, I was at a party in the States and found myself making small talk with a wide variety of interesting people. Waiters moved seamlessly with small trays of appetizers and bottles of wine ready to pour, complete with small cloths draped perfectly over the non-dominate arm. Explaining I lived in Panama with an Aussie accent [...]

When the President of China Xi Jinping came to visit Panama, it was a very big deal. One could say he was just on this side of the globe, but that really wasn’t the case. The Panamanian President, Juan Carlos Varela, didn’t just serve Xi some of the world’s best Geisha coffee, they also signed a [...]

I have always enjoyed showing Casa Bonita to clients from around the world. They are beautiful homes which overlook the Panama Canal. I also never get tired of watching the boats queue up and wait their turn to move from one ocean to the other. The Canal is simply the most incredible engineering feat and a [...]

My job puts me in contact with some incredibly interesting people! I find that individuals who are looking to live—even part time—in another country are individuals with incredibly interesting back stories. I recently helped a client who works as an opera singer house-hunt in Panama. “I’ve been given incredible opportunities,” she began as we sat down [...]

I have quoted the prices for condominiums located in the towers of Royal Palm many times. While the prices are very attractive, many people still ask “What’s it really like to live in rural Panama?” Immediately the word rural jumps out and I wonder if Panama’s largest beach community should be considered rural. When talking to [...]

Last week was pretty much a whirlwind. I’m not sure if it was the volatility of the stock market in the United States, the fact that work on the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal began in earnest, the rapid progress being made on the $28 million urbanization project in downtown Panama City or the fact [...]

Having grown up in Sydney, I speak with an Australian accent. I’m also fair skinned and blonde, so last week when I was waiting in the Atlanta airport for my flight to Panama City, I understood why the young woman sitting next to me never imagined I had lived in Panama for the past ten years. [...]

The other day I was traveling with clients when we crossed the Bridge of the Americas. There are three bridges which connect our bisected country, but the Americas is the most used. We were traveling east leaving Panama City on our way to view some property before they returned to Mexico. I’ve never grown tired of [...]

Purchasing a piece of property now takes 23% longer than it did in 2016. I wasn’t particularly surprised that it was taking people longer, but that it only takes people about 65 minutes to decide if a property is right for them, as opposed to the earlier 53 minutes. I should add, they found that people [...]