Don't leave home without it!

The view coming into Puerto Octay
Who wouldn't want to live here?

Interested in moving to Chile?
Here is what you need to do before you leave.

UPDATE- As of September 2016, Chile has joined the Hague Convention (more on this at bottom of article) and you no longer need to send your documents to the Chilean Consulate in your region or have them stamped in Santiago at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. All you need to do is get the Apostille Stamp from the Secretary of State in the state that issued your documents.

1. Get a passport
No brainer here. You really should have one even if you decide not to go.
You cannot apply on line but this passport wizard linked below will walk you through the steps and help you prepare your paperwork so you can bring it down to your local post office. You may need an appointment so call first. The cost is $110 for adults and $80 for minors.  Here is the link
Passport Wizard

2. Copies of birth certificates
You will need the official long form copy that is already notarized by the Dept. of Health in your state. Costs vary by state but in SC it is $15 per certificate.Then you will need to send it to the Secretary of State in that state to have it legalized. In SC, this costs just $2 per document.This is just the certification that the notary is certified. Then it must be sent to the Chilean Consulate in that region so they can certify that the Secretary of State is certified bona fide. This costs $4 per document and don't send a check. Cash only! Don't ask me how I know!
Here is the link to find the consulate in your region.
https://embassy-finder.com/chile_in_usa

The document from the Secretary of State certifying that the notary is official and legal

3. Marriage Certificate
Ditto

4. University Degree or High School Diploma
Ditto but remember if this is in a different state you have to send it to the Secretary of State for that state and the Consulate for that region.You also need proof of your own education for a driver's license which you must apply for once you get permanent residency. By law, you must have at least an 8th grade education to get a Chilean driver's license. So either your degree or diploma will need to stamped.

5. Income Statements
This includes retirement checks, social security, rents or leases, contracts, paycheck stubs, a letter from your boss, etc. But it must be, you guessed it!, notarized,legalized, and certified. Letters should be in English and Spanish.

6. School transcripts
From your school or home school association - notarized,legalized, and certified. If you plan on homeschooling here, which is legal, do it anyway. Because things may change and it's much easier to do it from there than here. Best to have an English and Spanish version.

7. Bank Statements
Just the first page showing your balance for the most recent 3 months - notarized,legalized, and certified.

The top 2 stamps are from the Chilean Consulate in Miami
The bottom stamp is from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Santiago

8. Licenses or Professional Certifications
If you plan on pursuing your profession here and if not, get it done anyway, just in case.


When you get here it will need to be stamped again in Santiago at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Their address is Agustinas 1320
                             1st Floor
They are open from 9-2 and the service is free.
Chileans love their stamps!

*A note on apostilles- Apostille is the french word for certification. The Hague Convention on the Apostille was a treaty signed by 108 countries to help streamline the certification of documents between countries. Chile did not sign this treaty so that is why your documents from the Secretary of State are legalized not apostilled and then you must send them to the Chilean Consulate of your region and then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Santiago. Here is a link if you want to read more about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention

The view of  Volcan Osorno at sunset from our home

How to make your dreams come true Part 2

4. To pack or not to pack

Here are some pros and cons for each.

1. To pack by shipping container

In 2013 we bought a 40' seaworthy shipping container for $4,000. We packed it up and then it sat for 9 months in the yard at our duplex which our eldest son was living at. And in the meantime in Chile, we were checking out what we could and could not get here and the prices. So we had our son buy a welder and put it in the container. Then he put some kayaks in and so on. Then we paid $1000. to have it driven to the port of Charleston about 3 hrs away.  We paid $2700. for the boat ride to Concepcion, Chile. which took 3 weeks. We hired an aduana or customs agent to oversee things for us and do all the paperwork and pay all the port fees. This was about $500. Chile has a special deal for new residents- if you ship during your temporary residency you pay less taxes. We met the container at the port where they did a quick inspection and we were on the way with a truck which we hired to bring it to our house about 6 hrs from the port for $2,000. The whole process was pretty smooth and we had no problems. But not always. You can rent your container instead of buying but this puts you on a tight time schedule which can be very stressful! Friends of our had their container detained in the US for a random inspection. 2 weeks later and $2,000., the container was on the way. He was sorry he had done the whole thing. So think about your stuff. Do you have collectibles or valuable things, irreplaceable items, sentimental things you'd prefer not to live without? Specialty equipment for your hobbies or job? Or just a bunch of junk you'd prefer to sell then....

2. If you sell everything, you can use the money to start over once you settle down. 

Cons - You may not find everything you want or think you need once you get here.
Pros - A lot less hassle and expense

           
You can bring some stuff on the airline for free usually 2 suitcases up to 50 lbs and $80 for   any extra but that varies depending on the airline and the time of year you travel.         
 You can ship stuff by postal service. We got a 25 lb box for about $175 and it took 2 weeks. The Chilean postal service has a bad reputation for stealing stuff and sometimes they do        inspect your box. There are usually no importation fees unless you receive a box from a business and then they will charge you 19% IVA tax.

5. Find a place to live

This beautiful cabin is in Frutillar Bajo

We have a friend with a vacation home that they let us live in for almost 2 years but if you don't have a friend like that (sorry, I don't have a vacation home) .....
You could travel around Chile using airbnb.com to find cheap short term rentals. This way you could explore different areas and when you find one you like you could do a more permanent rental on a cabin. Expect to pay $400-500 for a small 1-2 bedroom cabin outside a city. January & February are peak summer vacation times so rentals may be more expensive or even hard to find in some areas. July also may be a busy and expensive time because of winter break. BTW, these are good times to explore Santiago as the residents leave en masse for vacation. I would recommend 6 months to a year in your chosen area before making the commitment to buy anything. 

6. Buy your airline ticket

Expect to pay $800 to $1,000. for a roundtrip ticket from LA, Dallas/Ft Worth, Atlanta, or Miami direct to Santiago on LAN or American. The overnight flight gets you there first thing in the morning on an 8 hr. flight or leave in the AM and get there in time for a late dinner. Chile is usually 1-2 hrs ahead of eastern standard time, no daylight savings time here.
Chile used to charge a reciprocal one time entrance fee to all US citizens of $160. but that was revoked in 2014. A free tourist visa lasts 3 months and can be renewed once for another 3 months but then you have to either leave or apply for temporary residency.

In conclusion. I wrote down our goals with a rough timeline of when I wanted to have certain things accomplished. I checked this list regularly to keep us on track. It helped us to stay focused and take action instead of making excuses. And don't get discouraged because everyone will think you are crazy and will tell you you'll never do it. Best wishes to you all!

How to make your dreams come true .... and how we did it! Part 1

I assume if you are reading this blog either
1) you know me and want to see that we haven't been swallowed up in an earthquake or
2) you are interested in relocating.
Many people contact us with questions about how we made the move. So here are some tips based on how we made our dreams come true.

Somewhere over the rainbow

1. Start paying off your debt.

 Debt is servitude. Being in debt ties you to your job because you have to make a certain amount per month just to pay the debt. Here are some scary debt statistics and I hope you aren't one of these!
* over 40% of US families spend more than they earn. WOW! that is scary
* the average US household credit card debt is $16,140.
* the average consumer has 3.5 credit cards
*total outstanding consumer debt is $11.34 trillion and includes car loans, mortgages, credit cards, student loans, and personal debt and the numbers keep going up every year!
 I'm no financial expert but we did it buy living simply and cheaper and then using that money to pay off the debt. We drove the same car for 8+ years. We cut up the credit cards. We shopped at Goodwill and Aldi's. We rarely ate out and we rarely bought "toys" and stuff. I enjoyed listening to Dave Ramsey and there are many other financial websites that can help you achieve your financial goals.

2. And then start saving.
Open a savings account, stuff it under your mattress, bury it in the backyard, anything! Just start saving.
It's hard to judge how much you will need to live in a foreign country until you get there. Some places are really cheap. Our friends in Panama tell us how much they pay for stuff and it makes me cringe because things are expensive in Chile. But it is relative. Our friends from New Zealand think Chile is cheap. We lived in South Carolina and to us Chile is expensive. You can check out numbeo.com to see how much things cost in the country you are looking at. Then you should try to save enough money to live on for a year or two while you get yourself established. For Chile, outside of Santiago, a family of 4, living simply, could survive on $3,000 per month. But you have to figure costs if you need a car, buying land or house, sending the kids to private school which is typical here and could cost you $500 USD per month. You may have a retirement check or other monthly income which will be great to keep you going if you have no major expenses like car or house but don't expect to come down and just get a job. Jobs here are low paying for unskilled labor and if you don't speak Spanish you might as well forget it unless you plan to teach English.  Which leads us to ....

3. Get or create a job.
You may have a retirement income or not or just need some extra income. Get or create a job that is not tied to a certain location like telecommuting or an online job. If you are an entrepreneur, there are many opportunities esp. in Chile with its growing economy and stable government and rising incomes. And your 1-2 years worth of savings will give you some time to get some other income going. We have a monthly retirement check we are living off of but we want some more disposable income and we are still young and energetic, at least most days, so we are opening a business here in Chile selling products from the US. Often it just takes some time on the ground living in the country of your dreams and thinking with your entrepreneurial thinking cap to see what opportunities exist.

Next time we will wrap up our list with
4. To Pack your stuff or not to pack your stuff
5. Finding a place to live
6. Buying your airline ticket cause you've made your dreams come true!
And also a few tips on set backs and not getting discouraged because most of your friends will tell you that you are crazy and you'll never do it!

The most difficult things about moving to Chile

While our move to Chile has been overall very positive and enjoyable, life always has its difficult moments.

1.The number one hardest thing for me has been a loss of contact with friends from the US. Email certainly has made staying in touch so much easier but it does require some effort on somebody's  part! Frequent attempts on my part to stay in touch has left me saddened by the lack of response by "friends" who are, I guess, just too busy. :(  One of the facts of life, out of sight, out of mind. Just expect that many people won't understand your desire to leave the US and some even get angry that you haven't stayed to "fight the good fight".  Most people are satisfied with life in the US, have their heads buried in the sand, or are just too scared to leave.

2.The number two hardest thing for both Jim and myself has been the language. Jim and I were both very good at foreign languages in high school. Jim lived in France for 6 months as an exchange student and learn to speak french fluently but now it has been a real challenge. Our 50 something year old brains are just not as quick as they used to be! Science has shown that the neural pathways of the brain start to weaken in the 40's and the brain actually starts to shrink in the 60's. Spanish is a relatively easy language compared to all the exceptions to the rules in English but it has been slow and difficult for us though we are making quite a bit of progress!

3.The number 3 hardest thing has been opening a business. It is a very different process than in the United States. So the process and the language barrier have made it a bit more difficult. You have to have an accountant up front who helps set up your business and pay your taxes. You have to be registered with the government office called the ISS (IRS)with a RUT number and be able to issue boletas (receipts) for retail sales or facturas for sales to other businesses. The government is serious about getting their taxes but there aren't as many loopholes and everyone pays their fair share. The taxes are a value added tax on all sales which drives up the cost of goods.

Despite the difficulties, we are making progress on the business. We found an accountant in the chorus we sing with and despite the fact that she does not speak English, we think we can make it work. And making friends with people who don't speak English gives us many opportunities to practice our Spanish.

I am thinking about leaving the USA. Can you give me some advice?

One Mil and Ten Mil notes

Here is a question that I recieved on our YouTube Channel that was very good. I realized that we had not specifically done a post on money and getting it here to Chile.

Hi, I'm considering doing something similar. I have no friends or relatives down there, and I'd like to know how you deal with transferring hundreds of thou, especially after that banking act. Can you open account in Chile, or do you still keep your money in the US until you purchase something, then have one of your family from US wire money to the buyer? What about spreading risk over many accounts, currencies, etc? Thank you.

These are good questions that you need to ask and maybe I can help your with my answer. Also I should point out that some of these questions may be answered on our blog: www.OurChileanAdventure.blogspot.com.

FIRST: you have a friend here now in Chile, Me! If you are interested in Panama, Uruguay, Ecuador, or Argentina, then I may be able to help you there as well (a little). Please feel free to ask as my family and I have been to Uruguay and have friends in the other places. Also for Chile please ask away as this is why our YouTube Channel is here.  If you go to the "about" above you will see more of my contact data. My U.S.A. phone 864-921-0009. for you it is not an international call and if I am here I will answer.

SECOND: The money thing is a real, REAL pain in the neck! Yes you CAN open an account here in Chile ONCE YOU HAVE TEMPORARY RESIDENCY. It gets even easier once you are a permanent resident. 

This bank thing really tees me off about the former USA, not Chile as the current guy in the white house made this problem.
All foreign banks are required by the U.S. government (did you get that?) to report account holder data for those expat U.S. Citizens who have accounts at their bank that are in excess of $50,000. If you try to bring more than $10K with you on a flight the TSA will steal it from you. If you come with kids they can each bring $10K too as you can split it up over the family. For large deposits here in Chile, it will be easier, and you are more likely to get a bank account as you have more money for them to play with. I have been advised to use:

 http://www.xe.com/ 

For day to day transactions, my visa debit card works just fine. You have to tell your bank prior to leaving, that you are in a foreign country or they will turn off your card. You can go to most ATMs and do cash withdraws but they are going to charge you (both the U.S. and Chilean banks) for an international transaction fee as much in total of $8.00/transaction. So when you go to the ATM get as much as you can out at one time which typically $400.00 U.S. (+/-$200,000 CLP). What I do is put my money in two different accounts and there fore I can get $800.00 per a day. 

I do still keep my money in the USA because the way my finances are set up I have no other choice. BTW if you have a retirement fund they will NOT deposit it in a foreign account. After all how are you going to pay taxes to the communists in the USA if they can not get their hand on your money from the get go? 

On the risk front: You money is risky everywhere now in the USA and elsewhere. Cash is no longer king! For me the answer is to put as much money as I can in secure assets like land, gold, etc. 

Now if you are still living in the USA then you are paying all sorts of taxes into the system, a broken and malicious system. For me I pay into the system here now which is no where near as corrupt or immoral. So for me it is just a simple conscientious choice to do the right thing for my family. 

Also you should look at other countries as well as Chile. Each person has different needs and desires. Chile is my perfect fit. 

Finally: For me I am not wealthy. I lost everything in 2007/2008. So I am really pushing for the purchase of land so that I can support my family and feed them with my little farm. I am not being alarmist, I just want to plan to be self sufficient. Also it is important for me to say that I grew up on a farm and I really enjoy farm life and I want this life for my kids as well. 

Listen to me now! There are so many things that are just evil going on in the former USA, and for those who are living abroad it is becoming more and more difficult, but not because of the new country you choose but because of the hold the former USA and IRS have on you.

I predict that you will see it become more and more difficult to leave the former USA over the next few years. To a large degree this is already the case. 

I hope this helps. 
Jim

I am a SLAVE are you?

Here is an interesting article about citizenship and the USA. LET ME BE CLEAR HERE THAT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN RENOUNCING MY CITIZENSHIP OF THE USA. I love the former USA, it just does not like me so much. I thought that in the Declaration of Independence we were no longer subjects of a government / king/ dictator. That we had God given inalienable rights? You know rights from our creator, and I do not think that the US government is my creator/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2014/08/28/u-s-hikes-fee-to-renounce-citizenship-by-422/

The gist of the article is that you now must pay $2,350.00 to the U.S. government to renounce your citizenship.
YOU MUST NOW PAY TO BUY YOUR FREEDOM. JUST LIKE A SLAVE BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR!

Ok I get it that you should have to pay to join the USA (become a citizen) but since when do you have to pay to leave an organization, club or association? Typically you just tell them and leave right?

If you wanted to quit your job would you have to pay? No.
If you were a member of a social or dinner club would you have to pay to quit your membership? No.
If you were a member of a church would you pay to leave that church? No, but you must pay to leave the USA and renounce your membership. I could understand a small processing fee but really $2,350.00?

This begs the question: How much are the illegal aliens having to pay to come into the former USA, and get free health care, housing, education and food? It is all now backwards when we have to pay to not be a citizen and get paid to be a citizen.

Maybe this is telling us that it is not so good to be a citizen anymore. Will there come a day when you will not be permitted to renounce your citizenship? Will there come a day when you will not be able to leave the former USA with out permission? (On a side note: this day has come and past. You now can not leave the former USA if you owe taxes.)

Ask yourself if you are ready for the next loss of freedom? Comments are more than welcome.

Costs of moving to and living in Chile

Who wouldn't want to live here?

Many people want to know the expenses involved with such a big move to see if it may be feasible for their family. This can vary quite a bit but here are our expenses from 2013 when we moved to Chile
Passports - about $100 each
Documents for residency- varies by state and how many documents but we probably paid around $100 total
Airplane tickets - $900 roundtrip from Miami to Santiago
extra bags - varies by airline - $80 per bag
Entrance fee - $160 per person but since has been waived
seaworthy shipping container - $4300 in 2012
shipping expenses for container - $1,000 to truck to the Port of Charleston (4 hr trip)
                      $3700 from Charleston to the port in Concepcion
                      Agent & Port fees- around $1,000
                      Trucking from port to our home $2,000 - ( 8 hr trip)
Now for the cost of living in Chile. We live in the south in the country which is cheaper than the city. esp. Santiago but we have asked some friends what their costs of living are in some different cities so you can compare. We came from the southeastern US which has some of the lowest costs of living in the US so sometimes the prices here seem kind of high to us.

My friend who lives in Santiago contributed the remarks in bold letters.
The first thing I'd mention is that "ofertas" (sales) are not sales as we know them!  We are accustomed to discounts of 10%-75% off depending on the item and whether it's a closeout.  In Chile, a "sale" could be as generous as a few pesos--which is less than $.01! Even if it's damaged or has a part missing, and you have to buy the missing part yourself or do without, the store will not discount the item just to get it out of their inventory.  It's futile to ask. I have seen some markdowns in items for clothing that made them reasonable but this seems to be the exception.

Eating out is costly.  NO buffets, and so you pay for pre prescribed meals of whatever they put on the menu, usually a lot of starch/carbs. Even just a sandwich and drink in a sidewalk cafe can be around $10. When we go to our favorite cafe in Frutillar, Cafe Cappucini, we pay $25 for 3 coffees and 2 ice creams.

Gasoline is about $8 a gallon, isn't it? Yes, gas prices have gone up since we got here one year ago. They were about 850 pesos per liter and now they are 950 pesos per liter that is the equivalent of $6.24 per gallon. Actually I think the US is quickly catching up!

We're in a 1000 sq ft apt and the rent is $700 a month; the gastos comuna fees (assn fees) are anywhere from $50-$300 a month, so watch out! This apartment is in Santiago. Another friend in Puerto Montt, a small southern city, pays around $350 for a small house.

Your supposed to "tip" and pay for things we aren't accustomed to paying for, i.e. boys who bag your groceries, when you park where there is free parking, there are men hanging around expecting to be tipped for watching your car and keeping it from vandals.  Saying "thank you" isn't enough.  You're expected to tip them.  If you're pulling out of a parking spot with a lot of traffic around, there'll be a man waving you out while he stops traffic, you have to tip him.

Cell phone billing is interesting, as are other utilities.  The companies don't have a "grace" period for you to pay.  You have to pay immediately, or your utility gets shut off.  Make a note of the due dates of each of your bills, and pay them the day they come, OR better yet, go to the utility with an old bill containing the account number and have them look it up and you pay it right then and there. We're spoiled in the states because we have unlimited calling and text plans.  That doesn't seem to exist in Chile.  The plans are limited and if you go over your minutes, the charges add up fast.

We have a pay as you go plan with Entel which is great as long as you don't accidentally run out of minutes during an important business call!  No idea how much I pay per minute. Probably too much!
We also have internet service fees. I think the average is around $80 per month. In the towns, there is  unlimited high speed internet but in the country it is a little harder to get. We use Teledata which is beamed off the Volcan Osorno. If you can see the volcano, you can get their service. We have unlimited usage but it can be slow when you have 4 people using it at the same time!

As far as the power bill goes, you can see my discussion of this subject in the post titled "Electricity and Power Bills" dated July 7.

Buying a used car is expensive as they don't seem to go by the mileage.  Not quite sure how they determine the value of used cars, but it doesn't make sense to me.  A 4 year old car with high mileage can cost slightly less than a brand new car with a warranty. Cars do seem to retain their value which is great if you have a car to sell! We paid around $16,000. for a 2007 Toyota Prada with around 80,000 miles on it.
I think we could have got it in the US for under $10k.  The taxes were high- around $435 annually. Inspection fees of $23 annually. Owning a car here is expensive which is why so few do and take the bus instead.Less than 20% of Chileans own a car.

Tools and other manufactured items seem to be 1.5 - 3 times more costly than we find in the states.

Health care, is fairly affordable.  if you don't have health insurance, a doctor's visit cost about $70 for that consultation.  A colonoscopy in the states costs about $3k-$5k.  In Chile, the procedure costs $350.

See my post on healthcare in Chile titled "Our first experience with Chilean healthcare" from June 4.

Here is a link to a website that has some great info on the cost of living in Chile compared to costs in NYC.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Chile&displayCurrency=USD

And here is a link to rentals and sales of homes and apartments in Santiago.

http://www.portalinmobiliario.com/

Did I miss anything? Anything in particular you might want to know the cost of?

Jobs are not easy to come by here and the pay is sadly low. Minimum wage is the equivalent of $2.37 USD so I would not move here unless you have an outside income like social security or a pension or have saved a year's worth of income to live off of while developing your own business or looking for a job.

Chile Expat Family Introduction #2

Lori made this video and I did the voice over since the sound was so poor. It was real bumpy going down the drive (even in the car) to get these shots of the view from the rise in the hill, but it is a awesome view, probably one of the best views on earth.

A special thanks to Flambeaux for the help with embedding the above video.

The Container is Finally At Our House in Chile

Inspection with Customs at Port Coronel

I am working on a write up to cap the whole process for some of you who have been asking, but we have been slammed with unpacking and looking for computers and cables and junk. It has been real stressful trying to find some of the things we needed while rearranging things so that they are placed correctly in the container for easy access over the next year or so.
As a result, we have had to totally unpack the whole container and repack the unneeded items and then put them back in the container. Add to this that we have a house that looks like a bomb went off and it has been a little hard to get anything done.
So I plan on putting up some pictures and maybe a video later this week, as well as a detailed description of the process (and final costs) for the 3 of you who I know are getting ready to leave the former usa yourselves. Just give me a little time.

Jim

Some thoughts on the container from Lori

Overall, I would say that I am very glad to finally have all of our stuff.The things I missed the most were my kitchen equipment like my cast iron and stainless steel cookware- my kitchenaid mixer - my washer and dryer - my books - and my bedroom set but the cost of getting all these items was so high that I am really doubting the wisdom of this. I could probably have fit everything important to my family on a palette and saved thousands of dollars. The total cost including the $4300 container was about $14k. Well, we have a nice storage barn now! And the things we love though we could probably have bought many of them here.
So to ship or not just depends on how attached you are and how much money you have. What kinds of things are you bringing and could you replace them here at the same cost or higher? Appliances can be questionable as you have a different currency here. My mixer is ok for now. My washer and dryer are having some problems but at that point the container was already coming so we had nothing to lose.
I would have packed more in my suitcases and even paid the extra baggage fees and I would have looked into a palette first. Just some thought for those considering the move.

Going public and about us

Up to this point the blog has been private. It did not show up on search engines and you could only find it by typing in the address. It was written so family and friends could keep up with our travels.
This blog has been successful in that we still get a bit of traffic and it has a lot of very useful information especially for someone who might be interested in moving to Chile or just to see what Chile is like. There is not a whole lot of info out there on this topic so we have decided to go public and all comments will be moderated so you may not see your comment pop up instantly.

Volcan Yates from the island of Chiloe

And now for new visitors, here is a bit about us.
We moved down to Chile in July of 2013 at the invitation of some friends to use their vacation home as long as we need. Five of us came down, Jim and Lori plus kids Samuel, 17 and Andrew, 15 and Thomas, 6. We left 2 grown children in the US. We are catholic homeschoolers and entrepreneurs. Fed up with the economy, over regulation, corruption, and cultural sespool, we decided to pursue our dream of living in a remote location and off the grid. We are currently looking for our dream property here in southern Chile where we can homestead and live off the land.
Tomorrow, Friday April 25, Jim is going to Concepcion to meet with customs agents to check our container.
Please pray it goes well and we dont have any extra fees! Jim will be posting more about this venture next week.
Update Since we are going to be so busy unpacking our container, I thought I would let you know that our customs check went great and the container should be pulling into our yard by Saturday, April 26, afternoon. When we get settled, we will have an informative post about the process with pictures and maybe even a video!

We need a side lift Trailer

A Side Lift Truck picture

Well we are really getting close to the line on the container arriving at the port of Coronel about 3 hours north of us. We have run into an issue finding a trucking company that will deliver our container to the house we are staying at. The issue is that trucking companies do not care so much about a one shot deal. The little guy is not on their radar, so they are not so quick to respond and are not so good about giving a good price when they do respond. Also these companies may only have one trailer like the one we need and as a result they will need to transfer the container to their only trailer once the container gets south so that they are not tying up their only side load trailer for 2 days. 

Trailer Picture ... this is what we need

I had a deal with a trucking company last September where they offered to pick up the container at half price since they are typically sending containers to the port with their trucks coming back empty. This would have been about 350,000 CLP or $700 U.S. dollars. Well now they guy has amnesia and does not remember me! I was smart enough to keep his original quote and it has caused a lot of tap dancing on his part, but the refresher of his quote on paper did not jog his memory. So now he wants $1,400 U.S dollars,,,,,,,,,,, jerk! Also he wants me to rent a crane or fork lift instead of using his side life trailer!

As a result I am scrambling to find additional quotes.

Wish me luck.

Container is On The Way

Truck infront of house in Boiling Springs

Squeezing into back yard

Loading and leaving to go to Charleston SC

Our container has been picked up in South Carolina at our house in Boiling Springs. It was delivered to the Port of Charleston and loaded on the container ship MSC Florida which can be followed here.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/636091394/vessel:MSC_FLORIDA

The ship will pass from port to port on its way to the Panama Canal and then pass south trough the south Pacific down to the Port of Coronel or Conception. The bill of lading indicates that the ship will arrive on 20 April 2014, bu this is an estimate as there could be hold overs due to sea conditions and port delays along the way. So 20 April is just an estimated time of arrival. After the container arrives I will likely be going up to the port to recieve it with the shipping agent.

This is the tricky part as we will see if the customs oficers fine me or charge me a tax on any of the contents. They also can detain the container for any number of reasons in which case I would be charged port storage fees which can mont up quickly. So say a prayer that it all goes smoothly and gets passed through customs and the port.

The trucking company that I contacted last november has changed their minds on the price that they will charge me to bring the container south. They have doubled their price, so I am getting additional quotes on the shipping and delivery to our house here in the south.  Either way is ok as I have the funds to get it here in good order.

CONTAINER PROCESS

Temporary Visa

This is what we have been waiting on for the past 6 months, our temporary visas! Two things here:
1. we do not have to leave Chile and return to the former USA.
2. we can order our container and will soon have all our tools, clothes and toys!

First a couple things about the VISA:
Waiting in line here is just like waiting in line at the social security office in the former USA. As a matter of fact I think that I recognized a few people from the Spartanburg Branch. A big thank you is needed. We could have never done any of this with out our good friend Guillermo who was by our side through most of the painful process. (If any of you come down I will help you through the process)

Time savers for you?
Make sure all documents match name for name, including middle name or you will be going back to the PDI office across town to get a correct document (We had to go back 3 times...... their network was down,,,,, wait,,,, I lost a document,,,,,,wait,,, wait,,,,, they did not have Thomas's full name /no middle name. It took 3 days to do this of just sitting in line!).

A word of advice, when you come into Chile they give you some small papers that you must have on you all the time. One is a Tourist document that you fill out on the airplane. They will look at it, stamp it, (they love stamps)and give you the carbon to place in between the pages of your passport. STAPLE IT INTO THE PASSPORT! If you are driving an go through a police check station then they will ask you for your passport. My little paper was dropped out on the side of the interstate by the nice police man. OOPS and I did not find out till weeks later. STAPLE IT INTO YOUR PASSPORT, and you will be happier.

The PDI is the Chilean FBI only the people are nicer. We befriended the two investigators ( a young lady and gentlemen) who ran our International Police Check, and they are planning on coming to our house to teach us Spanish. Plus I told the very, nice, handsome, young man (Elias) that he could date my daughter Emily when she comes down again. Hi Emily:). He was such a nice boy.

Once you have a temporary residency VISA then you will not have to pay the 19% to 60% importation tax that they can hit you with, but you have only one year to get it here. Once you are a permanent resident you pay the taxes and there is no way around it.

TO THE CONTAINER:

1. Get the container list updated and emailed to the shipping agent and shipper.

I am using;

A local trucker in the Boiling Springs SC to ship the container to Charleston $1,000.00. He has a "Landoll Trailer" that is kind of like a rollback to load the container from off the ground.

Eric Betts at Allison Shipping International, Inc. (562)435-7200 eric@allisonshipping.com
He is charging me $3.750.00 to have the 40 foot container shipped from Charleston to Coronel Chile (Conceptionone).

Claudio Pollmann is my Customs Agent or "Agente Aduana" here in Chile.  $500.00

Claudio Pollmann Velasco

Agencia de Aduana Pollmann

Teléfono +56 2 25994830

Celular +56 9 82329164 www.pollmann.cl

cpollmann@agenciapollmann.cl

2.  The Container must be fumigated and sealed there in South Carolina, and I must have a document saying that it has been done.

3. Once here in Chile it will be picked up at the port and delivered to the house we are staying at in the South for around $1,200.00. They have these really cool Crane Trailers that off load the container in the yard.

4. You must have a complete list of the contents. 

5. NO Engine driven equipment is allowed. No lawn mowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws, weed eaters.... you get the idea.

6. No Chemicals or Poisons

7. No tires

8. No raw or untreated wood

9. No food other than canned products and then only a small amount.

Well there you have it. I will let you know when it is ordered.

Answering Questions from Comments

View from Ski Slopes on Volcan Orsono

Jim here.........

We have not had good internet available for the past 2 weeks. Wednesday this problem should go away……..A quick update: I got back from a quick 2 day trip to Santiago Chile for a meeting with the international distributors for Rain X and I am pretty sure we got our new business....... man is that scary? Such emotions come with this news. So it was an excellent meeting.

Stacy P has asked some good questions that I wanted to try and answer while I am still fresh of mind. So I will try and hit each one as best I can. As a side note: We are still in the Honey Moon phase of our life here in Chile, although there have been some down sides to being here as well. We are happy here in Chile, happier than we could be in the current usa.

Now to the Questions from Stacy:

Stacy: I love your optimism! I knew that you would have an entrepreneurial plan soon! You've got the work ethic, charisma, and daring to make it work! Hats off to you. 

Jim: Thanks Stacy you are very kind. I am a bit single minded, bull headed and driven, which can be helpful when starting a  business but it may also be a hindrance at other times. Thank God I have a Saint for a wife. It kind of reminds me of the statement "be careful of what you wish for you may get it!" 

Stacy Asks: You say Chile is living in the 1950s? Well, I was born there in 1963, that must've been the Dark Ages! Actually, my point is, that not much has changed, except governments! Why is that? Are there barriers: government, capital, ....? Is it the attitude of the people (such as you described). Are they just waiting for the American genius?

Jim: In short yes I do think that Chileanos are waiting for Norte Americano genius. You know we “had” a God inspired Constitution in the USA. The founding fathers were also a good pool of citizens who were equally determined to do it on their own. Likely more important was the fact that this foundation, I think, spawned generations of  N. Americans who  looked at adversity as opportunity. These were the founders of the “Association of Lemonade Makers” and not the current sludge of lemon aid drinkers that currently are inheriting the Right to Pursue Happiness in the USA.

In Chile they are not a lot of lemon aid drinkers for the most part; although there are some / many here who are of the "What’s yours is mine" point of view, I do not think that this is the dominant attitude. This is why the communists were likely routed in the 1970s coup.  Much has changed here since then, with great improvements. Our first month here in Chile was a real eye opener where we found what we thought was  much different than what is “Chile”.

So as a whole I do not think that these people have been taught that the sky is the limit. That if you can think it.... then you can do it! They are still not taught in school here that they have the "Freedom to pursue Happiness". The Chileans as a population are very ignorant in this area but eager to learn.  The Chileans, are not familiar with principle of individual excellence, or the idea that ordinary people, like you and I, can do extra ordinary things! What a concept! It changed the history of the world.

Stacy Asks: Since it hasn't moved forward much toward the economic "progress" of the US, why? Is there a demand? If so, which it sounds like there is, you will find it, reveal it, and meet the need. It sounds like a lot of pent up demand! 

Carabineros or Chilean Police on Parade at Founders day Parade.
Many Carabineros were killed in the 1970s coup

Jim: In the macro, Chile has moved ahead of North America significantly! Chile has no debt (none, nada, zip). We found the idea that Chile is a backward 3^rd world country to be a lie! The government has a 25% surplus stored away every year! (imagine what the USA could do with a 25% surplus stored away while having its bills paid?) The USA pales in comparison in financial stability. It is the richest country in the Southern Hemisphere, and I would venture to say more secure (much more secure) than the USA. The difference is that the population is smaller and therefore the GDP is smaller here.  Also of note is the fact that Ronald Regan’s intervention set up the financial system in Chile, and it has been allowed to flourish, which explains a lot.

On an individual basis or micro, there is a lot of pent up demand. The opening of the internet has caused this I think to a great degree. Before the internet it was: Out of Sight out of Mind. Now it is I see it and I want it....... Right NOW! Which I think is a good…. and bad thing, but it is "What it is".

Stacy : I'm excited for your future!

Jim: You know what Stacy? It is scary as hell.  This whole move has been scary as hell. I think you know that all we can do is pray that we are doing God’s will, and thank you so much for the prayers we need them.

And yes it is fun, exciting, exhilarating and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for tomorrow.  However, we could not remain complacent in our lives in South Carolina.

Stacy asks: Back at the home front, I'm Not bullish on the USA. I believe our culture is devolving. The educational system has not inculcated our American values (dare I say there even IS such a thing?) The Declaration of Independence was predicated on the history of rule by Kings, Emperors. We are devolving into an Oligarchy. I'm not confident that this course can be reversed because most adults are uneducated, can't think or reason, have no values, and only care about, sports, sex, and cooking shows. They are unable, unwilling, and unaware that they have a duty to transmit culture, and lessons/gifts learned/earned by the blood of their forefathers.  Government education has been a willing partner, and in fact a tool of the Oligarchy for at least 4 decades. Read Calvin Coolidge's remarks on the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. They're an excellent rebuttal to "progressives" (regressive, in fact.)

Enough of my rant. I don't have the courage to do what you have done. But I pray you well! As for me and my household, we will serve The Lord here, even as you serve Him there!
PS It may snow tonight, we'll see:)
God bless! Thanks for the updates.

Jim: I find that as I get older I spontaneously say "Hail Mary’s" in my head all day long. I am afraid to count the number because it would defeat the purpose of the "saying". Hail Mary’s....

It is early spring here so it is getting warmer and the flowers are all coming out to greet us and it is even more beautiful than it was in the winter.

Stacy we are both veterans. I weep for the USA and I am heartbroken. Lori and I hope we are creating an alternative for …..You….. our friends and family. We are paving the road for others. In many ways I feel like Noah. Is the USA going to fail, crash and burn? I do not know. I do care, but I care about my soul and those of my family and friends first. God will sort out the rest and I hope we will all be here to pick up the pieces. It has been a wonderful adventure.

These times are very scary, and I may be crazy (actually I am crazy) but the former.... not the new .... Boy Scout and submarine sailor will not let me sit by and not continue to prepare for the emergency that is already upon us today. It is too late I think to say or even hint that there is not a problem. I read a real interesting article on "Normalism" which pointed out the hordes who do not see the writing on the wall or the elephant in the room.

Stacy: I also want you to know that in this month of November, I am praying that you perceive, in a deep way, Christ's peace that Jesus is giving you through Joshua's intercession. I know you will be reunited in Christ with Joshua according to God's will. Peace and love to you.

November 12, 2013 at 8:26 AM

Also:

What I forgot to say about the Dec of Ind, (because I had to take bread out of the oven and lost my train of thought). Is that the Dec of Ind, was predicated on the REJECTION of the rule by Kings. The rights of the individual come from their Creator, NOT from any man. (even Obama) also to, not too;)

Chilean Navy on parade for founders day in Frutillar

Jim: This has been a long post. Too long for some but not long enough for others in that it asks and scratches the surface on some important questions. The bottom line is that people here have jobs, go to church, and raise their families here just like the USA (only in Spanish). They have the same stresses and challenges. The difference to Lori the kids and I is that we feel like there is a future here in Chile for us and none left in the USA.

I used to say:

Freer…………… yes it is freer here.

Safer………………….they do not tolerate crime here

Less Expensive………. It is about the same all things considered may be a little cheaper.

Thank you so much Stacy for asking these hard questions. And to those of you who are wondering; no I did not put her up to it! Lori and I love to get questions like this on the blog, because we need to stand back and take a good look as well, and ask the same questions. We just hope you all in the USA are asking the same questions of your selves.

We love the USA it just does not like us…………Jim

  

Dirt Track Car Race in Frutillar Alto

New Business In Chile

Jim Here on this post!

Wish us well as we are in the process of opening our first business in Chile. We hope to have a family of businesses for our children to take over at the right time. A little background is needed as to how I came to this idea.

FOOT WORK
First of all when you come to Chile you quickly realize that there are may consumer items that they do not have. In some cases there may even be knock offs from recognized name brands that you all see everyday in the USA, but in Chile there are typically two things missing, Quality and Selection. In some cases Selection is not even available. When I speak with my Chileano friends they all have the same basic sentence when speaking about a service or product that is not available, "This is a problem in Chile". When every I hear this saying my antenna go up! Here are a few statistic and observations about "This is a problem in Chile".

1. Internet in Chile: In the cities or towns it is screaming good, but in the Country side or "Campo" it is miserable and the customer service and selection of plans is miserable. "This is a problem in Chile"

2. Banking: 85% is an estimate that I have heard more than one place of how many people in Chile do not have bank accounts. There here are 3-4 banks here in Chile and they do not offer banking to the common man, especially in the Campo. For a major portion of the population it is a cash basis economy. So if you do not have a bank account you can not get a loan to buy a car or house. "This is a problem in Chile"

3. Cars are Expensive and utility trailers are uncommon. There are few people who can afford a car here because Chile does not allow importation of automobiles unless they are new, and they must meet emissions standards, and annual auto taxes are high (even higher for motorcycles / mopeds). So you see a lot of busses and NO mopeds and few motorcycles, and lots of taxi cabs. This is very different than in Uruguay where you would literally see a family of 5 on a moped! I saw it, really!
"This is a problem in Chile"

4. It takes all day to buy or assemble items for a project. If you want to do some sewing of a new dress ladies or curtains. You will have to go to a fabric store (maybe 3 to get the right stuff) and then to a thread store, and so on and so on. Guys to buy some 2"x 8" treated boards for a picnic table, you will have to go to 5 stores and they will none likely (today) have treated lumber, but they have 2"x 8"s, but you will have to go to two other stores to get the 3" wood screws that you need to put it together. So you just buy the rough cut GREEN wood boards and buy a sealer for outside use and get back in the car with your lumber tied to the roof and drive the 45 min back home with something other than what you wanted to buy. "This is a problem in Chile"

AN OPPORTUNITY
Ok to the point, and LISTEN because it is a good point: When ever I hear "This is a problem in Chile" I do not see a problem I see an opportunity!

Chileans love to give up! There are no pit bulls or snapping turtles in Chile. The excuses are wide and varied and some may even be valid, but it is still an excuse. Or my favorite is "I do not know, that is just the way it is".

RETAIL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
One of the great products of U.S. ingenuity is a chemical treatment for automobile windshields called RAIN-X. As much driving as I did in the USA every year doing appraisals in all types of weather, and years of flying airplanes all over the USA I came to not only use RAIN-X but to include it on my "Must Have" list of auto care products. This product sells really well in the U.S. . Here in the south of Chile it rains+/-90 INCHES a year. This is for sure one of the best markets in the world for RAIN-X! You guessed it "This is a problem in Chile" and there is no distributor in Chile. What an opportunity for the Dorchak family to open a business.

I have a Chileano business partner now here in Chile and he is just a wonderful, honest man. He and I have a meeting this coming week in Santiago to be come the only distributor for RAIN-X and their complete product line here in Chile. Part of this is that we will have all rights to "LIDER" (a large retail chain that was just purchased by Wal Mart). Wal Mart has already contracted to have all RAIN-X products in their stores and by association all LIDERs.

Wish us good prayers, but it will take work and planning for this to go well.

LIVING IN THE 1950S IN CHILE NOW
This is just one of at least 10 opportunities that I have at hand in Chile. I have mentioned at leat 5 above that I could open. Can you find them in-between the text? The great thing is that you do not have to re invent the wheel, just do what has already proven itself in the USA and is not here. One of the biggest and successful marketing methods here is to show in the advertisement a North American and his family (obvious to me, but subliminal) using a product or service and it SELLS.

So what do you do to make a living here in Chile? What ever you want. The sky is the limit in this free market country. You just have to be willing to pick up and leave all that sensitivity training, and corporate gender neutral crap that is killing business and families and move here and do what you already know how to do! Yes it takes thought and some money. Any good idea takes must have thought and a little money. Chile is living in the 1950s. Capital is available and so is opportunity. To me it is a perfect storm.

Documents Needed for Residency

What documents do I need, and what stamps do I need on them?

Picture of Miami International Airport

What do you need to bring with you now that you have decided to leave the USA and become a resident in Chile. Note: This process is very similar for Uruguay as well and likely many other countries.

Thomas has put together his portfolio of necessary documents with all the stamps. I am sure he will have no problem clearing these documents with the Chilean Immigration office.

What do I need in my Portfolio?
Each country will need the documents of your life and your identity. Lets start at the top and work down:
1. Your Passport to get into the country on the day you arrive at the airport. Expect it to take at least 6 weeks to get this or as long as 2 months and to cost $115.00. You will need passport photos and you can get them at "AAA". You can also get an international driver license at "AAA" which is a good idea!

2.  A visa slip that you will be asked to fill out as a tourist on the Airliner. NOTE: It will be a real pain in the you know where if you lose this slip of paper. Some times it is stapled in your passport once it has been stamped at the Aduana desk at the airport, but remember you must carry your passport at all times as this is your ID in country and it is very easy to lose this document. It sounds silly but it is important to not lose this paper.

3.  You will need all of your personal documents processed in the following manner:

All documents must be originals ordered from the place of issue (the hospital where you were born, the college where you graduated, the branch where you bank, the place where you work)

All documents must be translated into Spanish. Anyone can do this that speaks SOUTH AMERICAN Spanish. There is no license or stamp for this it is just stapled to the original and will also be notarized at the same time the original is if possible. If not possible then do not sweat it, as it can be translated down here easily enough. Also if you have a sales receipt for your guns then you would likely not have it translated as it is pretty simple to read what it is.

      A. Notarized (any current notary will work, and it is NO GOOD WITH OUT A NOTARY SEAL!)

      B. Legalization - This is done at the secretary of state's office. They are just verifying that the seal and notary are legal and current and they stamp it as well. In South Carolina this costs $12.00/document. I drove down with Andrew to Columbia SC and walked into the Secretary of State office and we were back on I-26 with in an hour. In South Carolina they do take Debit Cards at the office. Other wise I would send a money order.

      C. Stamped at the Appropriate Consulate: This is a little more complicated as the APPROPRIATE is vital. I was born in Cincinnati Ohio so my Notarized Stamp Sealed Birth Certificate would be sent to me at home then I would send it to the Secretary of State for South Carolina (in this case Mark Hammond who I happened to go to high school with). The Secretary of State would Apostille my birth certificate and send it back to me again. Once I got it back to me I then sent it to the Chilean Consulate in Chicago who are over Cincinnati Ohio. For Lori who was born in Connecticut it would go to New York. For my kids who were born in South Carolina it would go to Miami, Florida.

Now for your other documents they would also need to go to the Chilean Consulate that oversees the area from which they originated. For instance my Marriage Certificate, which is very, very important in Chile, was issued in South Carolina, so it would go to the Secretary of State for SC then to the Consulate in Miami, Florida. My college Degree was issued in Florida so it had to go to the Florida Sec. of State to be apostilled and then to the Chilean Consulate in Miami.

Here is a sample letter you would send to the Chilean Consulate and it will cost you $12.00 / Document in the form of a money order made out to "The Chilean Consulate". Do not send a personal check.

We included a simple letter with the document mailed to the consulates:

For a marriage certificate:

Your address

Name and address of the consulate (with authority for the state that issued the document)

To whom it may concern:

Enclosed is $12 (or a multiple for more documents) and a stamped self-addressed envelope for legalizing the following enclosed document from the state of Kansas (or other state that issued the document): Your names... marriage certificate.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Your name
Phone Your phone number

For one or more birth certificates (or diplomas):

Your address

Consulate name and address

To whom it may concern:

Enclosed is $36 (or other multiple of $12) and a stamped self-addressed envelope for legalizing the following enclosed documents from the state of Maryland (or other state):

1. Name ... birth certificate
2. Name ... birth certificate
3. Name ... birth certificate

Thank you.

Best regards,

Your name

Your phone number

Lori's the kids and my documents were mailed using the letter above. You will need to go to this Chilean Web page to find out what the particulars are for each of your documents:

http://www.chile-usa.org/consular.htm

Chilean Consulate Map
Please use the link above in case this has changed

D. Stamped again here in Chile at the Ministry office for Documents: I do not have the name of this office but I have been to it and was turned away because we did not have our documents stamped by the Appropriate Chilean Consulate in the USA. You live, you learn. The good side is that this stamp which can only be obtained in Santiago Chile at one office is totally free and it is not a big deal to have done if you have everything else in order before you get there.

Ok all this is great but, what documents do I need to bring other than the standard birth certificate and marriage certificate mentioned above? Well I can only say that if it is important to you and to who you are then send it through the process and bring it. The worst case is that you will be doing all this again by mail. The best cast is that you will have it with you and not need it.

So what it come to is that if it is important then it needs to go through the process.
Documents like:
Retirement Income Statements, if you have them

Bank Account statements from all accounts for past 4 months and a letter from your personal banker touting what a wonderful person you are and how much they have loved your business

Divorce Decrees

Employment Contracts showing your income

College degree or High School Diploma (even down here a HS Diploma goes a long way)

Sales Receipts with serial numbers for all weapons (guns). If you do not have this, then make one up and sell your guns to a friend and buy them back 5 minutes later.

DD 214 if you are retired military, as well as your retirement and VA documents showing your income.

You want to show them who you are and how much money you have or will potentially be making!

One Last Thing then you can go! In Chile a Notary is like our Clerk of Court or Registrar for your county. They love stamps here. They put them on everything, even mundane things like sales receipts. If you have ever watched an old Humphrey Bogart movie where the little Frenchman is stamping the hell out of document then you have a good feel for how it is done here in Chile. No Stamp! No Service! Get the stamp and go on down the road.

One Last, last thing: You do not need any vaccinations to come to Chile, none, nada zip.

Thomas is packed with all his Stamped documents in hand and ready to go on down to Chile. See Y'all!