This thread is more for you guys to play red team and tell me what problems I will face. I have a lot of questions and I will check into here with more when they arise. You guys are all smart so while i feel silly asking this I trust your guys opinions. I am in the process of preparing for this. This is not something I can do in a year but it is something that I want to do in 3-5 years. The citizenship thing won't be a problem due to marriage but of course I know the paperwork to verify it and all that will be extraneous and time consuming. I am thinking of Parnaiba in Piaui or a similar town in Ceara or Maranhao. The main reason I want to move is housing. When I was in Parnaiba I was shocked by how low the houses were in cost in safe neighborhoods close to the beach. And I know Brazil has tons of problems but I don't think under good conscience I can start a family here (kids) unless I am rich. I have been in save mode for the past 2 years living frugal asf but I guess the first question is how many USD's will I need to move. I plan on bringing her here and saving like a madman but I want to make sure I save enough. The housing budget will probably be between 100- 180 mil reals. Hence the appeal of Brazil. Will there be a shitload of taxes if I buy a house? Do I need to wait until I'm a citizen? Is it better to put it in my girls name? How can I avoid being double dipped on US taxes??? My investments in the US will have to be withdrawn and i know the tax man will kill me but will brazil get me too??? Will my college degrees transfer over to Brazil??? I know I can teach english in Maranhao for 4 to 6k Reals a month but haven't researched the other states. I know if I lived in Fortaleza it would not be feasible to teach english since they have a lot more teachers, i did research that aspect. If you guys question my sanity I'm willing to hear it. It's a big decision but i'd love to escape this circus.
Not sure if I have enough experience or knowledge to really comment on some of the topics you are looking for. I've looked at properties before, but I am not at the point in which I am serious to move forward. Some of my relatives built their houses from the ground up. One did it in the countryside where there was much less red tape. The other did it in a smaller city and the city came after him to pay for the land he used. Having a kid in Brazil is also expensive, not to mention the other life expenses (such as food) that are expensive. Those items will take a higher % of your budget than they would in America.
Just saw this ... you found a Brazilian girl and she doesn't want to come here ? That's typically not the case Anyways ... probably don't have many answers to those questions but where you're considering moving, I'd be worried with the health system. Probably precarious. But I guess Fortaleza has something decent and that looks to be nearby. You can probably put the house in your girl's name ... but not sure how you take money there over 10k without being taxed. I don't think food will be that expensive where you're going. Even in big cities there are cheap options ... but nothing fancy. Your choices may be limited too in that small town although smaller cities started getting more restaurants in the past 10 years or so. My Mother's city which is 250k now only got a Sushi place for example around 10 years ago. It's in the state of Sao Paulo. As for school for kids, in Brazil to get good education your kids need to go to private school. And I mean from 1st grade on. At least that's true in Sao Paulo (not just the city). Not sure about up north, but I think it's probably similar. Honestly in Brazil it's generally cheaper to live than the US ... specially if you do away with the luxuries of American life. You can buy non imported clothing and etc...for reasonable price. Gas for your car is expensive though compared to the US. Electronics are not as bad as it used to be but still more expensive. Luckily being an American, you can make trips here and buy some stuff (like an iphone) for cheaper. But you could get stopped at customs if you bring too much. They will literally make you bribe them or hold it and you will never see it again. But, you will deal with a whole lot more economic uncertainty ... even if you're just teaching English for example. If you have money generating in the US from investments, it's great when the dollar is high like right now.