THE EDITOR: I’d like you to allow me a small space on your website to address one of the many elephants that occupy this large room that we call Trinidad and Tobago. With all the recent talk about the high cost of living I think that this would be a most appropriate time to do so.
I recently read a short article in the Trinidad Express about the high cost of house and apartment rentals in Trinidad and Tobago today. In the article, a number of landlords defended their exorbitant prices saying that the costs of building materials have gone up and therefore to cover these costs, they have upped their prices. Fair enough, right?
Wrong.
Even with the current prices of steel and concrete the Mathematics involved in this disproportionate rise in the price of rent still escapes me. Especially since the majority of these landlords still require the tenants to provide extra money for their own light and water rates. How could someone of sound mind and good conscience charge a young working person or couple almost $3 000TT for a two bedroom apartment where lights and water are not included and the rental property is nowhere near any main road or major city? If anyone does not believe me, I invite you to call the numbers in the rental section of your favourite dailies’ classifieds.
I am currently renting an apartment for $2 200 a month, and my landlady, a teacher just like myself, consistently harasses me via text message at the end of every month, asking me when I’m going to pay my rent. This is the same woman who on several different occasions has given me (in her own mind) glowing advice about taking a second job, “because there is no future in teaching,” and has the gall to ask me if I’ve applied to the HDC for a house yet. Meanwhile amenities which were included in my contract, including an air-conditioning unit, indoor washtub and backup water supply are non forthcoming. I brought this to her attention, demanding that she put these things in place or drop the rent to a price where I’m not paying for things I don’t have. All I got was a sob story about her own expenses and personal life. Then after receiving the rent she immediately buys tiles, concrete and steel and hires a slew of Guyanese workmen to build cupboards and redo all the floors in her house upstairs. I’m not kidding, there is someone hammering above my head as I type this letter.
A friend of mine who also rents told me just yesterday that her landlady blatantly palms off the electrical bill for the whole house, her own area included on her in addition to the rent, which is even higher than mine. However that did not stop her from turning off the breaker for the water pump when leaving the house for the night, leaving my friend without a water supply of any kind, while she went to visit her grandchildren.
People talk about crime in this country, demanding that the government do something about it. However, the number of criminals who are highlighted in the newspapers’ front pages cannot begin to compare with the legions of those who lurk in the daily classified ads. Everyday they deny hardworking citizens of this country financial stability and peace of mind. They take advantage of the nonexistence of enforced tenancy laws and subjugate honest, hardworking citizens with their greed and blatant bigotry simply because they cannot afford to buy a house of their own. Perhaps, with the price of rent preventing them from saving a single cent, they never will.
Lady Ishtar
Now, if the frustrated writer of the piece above, gets to breaking point because of the hammering above her head, and all the exorbitant costs, and breaks out in violence, people will say the place has further gone to the dogs, and what can one expect even of teachers.
Now if that teacher cannot get a good night’s sleep, how can she focus on her work, which is the most important, but poorest paid job in the world, TnT included?
This business of renting by individuals, is an area of regulation that has long escaped government scrutiny, but needs to be reigned in. A landlord should not be permitted to charge rent for facilities that are not provided, nor to palm off her costs on a renter. The Ministry of Housing needs to look into this, and perhaps the Office of the Attorney General could establish a small claims court where price gougers like this greedy landlabdy could be hauled into court and fined, as well as Inland Rev. assess taxes due on her extra, unreported, earnings.
It is people like this, where greed drives everything they do, that ruin a good country.
I hope she is watching how the house of cards built by greed among American investors is coming tumbling down.
More young people need to speak out about this type of exploitation. It is as evil, perhaps more so, that a mugging, because it is happening over and over.
I hope the writer comes to no harm as a result of this writing.
Ms. Edwards….
Dont forget the evil landlords who exploit the students who rent houses in the Curepe, and St. Augustine areas!!!!!
I have not forgotten them, nor forgiven them. It was so when I was at UWI in 64-67. Fortunately, I lived in San Juan, a short taxi-ride away, then, later we rented an apartment in Curepe, from a very nice Seventh DAy Adventist businessman. He was very fair. Has any student in the law school or other faculties tried drafting legislation about this, and bringing it to the attention of their representative in parliament? Sometimes if you do the legwork, then take it to your representative, Private Members Day could be used to discuss such a piece of legislation. I want, wish, hope, that UWI students would become more proactive in areas like this. The Student Union could also do this. Get the support of some law professors, and publicise what you are doing. Hope these suggestions help.
Ms Edwards that is a really cool idea and I will discuss it with my peers. It is about time that we as the working class citizens of Trinidad and Tobago do something about the corruption that stalks our islands in all forms! We have the power to change things!
A Landlord’s perspective.
Pick up a phone and call any Hardware in Trinidad and the price of material changes on a day to day basis, worst yet the price never goes down it ALWAYS goes UP.
The simply reason for this is because there is a lot of construction going on in Trinidad and Hardware Owners can basically charge any price they want.
If you want to have a good laugh ask them for a discount, the looks on their faces are priceless!!!!!
FACT….The cost to renovate or build a house over the last (5) years has actually
DOUBLED!
My rent is high…..YES….. The reason for this is simple………
1. I PAY WASA
2. I PAY Land & Building Taxes
3. I PAY all the maintenance costs for the property i.e. plumbing, electrical etc
4. Banks will not give you a Mortgage if you don’t do the following which costs MONEY!
• I PAY Property Insurance – so if the property is damaged either by natural disaster, fire or even by the Tenant, which happens most of the time the Owner/Landlord can afford to repair or rebuild and it costs more to insure rented properties!
• I PAY Life Insurance – so if I die the bank has a guarantee that the mortgage will be settled in full
• I PAY INTEREST on my mortgage.
In 2007 and 2008 all residents of Trinidad who had loans from Financial Intuitions…..BANKS….. Received letters in the mail stating that interest rates would be increased…..YES increased over a (2) year period……I’m waiting for the letter for 2009
5. I PAY for the Lease agreement to prepared by an Attorney – so that the Tenant and I have protection for each others whims
6. Properties ANYWHERE in Trinidad are EXPENSIVE to buy at this time that’s why most people can’t afford to buy even the cheapest house listed in the newspaper.
So if you want to live somewhere that is remotely close to either of our cities it will be expensive
The Fact of Life in Trinidad right now is that EVERYTHING is expensive housing, traveling, entertainment, food, clothing etc.
But as a Consumer we have rights.
• Don’t move into an apartment unless you have a lease which protects your rights
• Don’t complain to your landlord verbally, write a letter and have him/her sign a copy when they receive it use TTPOST for this.
• Don’t complain to people who can’t make any difference in your living situation……open a paper and start looking for a new place to live for your own peace of mind
As a landlord I ask that my Tenant pays for one thing and one thing only the RENT.
I hope this helps the T’dad Tenant to understand some of the BIG BILLS that a Landlord faces every month when they send you those irritating Text messages.
Dear Rochelle,
A lease, what is that? Most of us can afford only $1000 and under and at those prices you don’t get a lease. Let me see: a room, or rather den, in Maraval was $800 about a year ago. Let me describe it. About 15 feet square, with a sort of alcove with a shower and a lavatory. Furnished with a bed (it had once been new) one ancient chair and a small table, with some shelves. Shared kitchen facilities with the other tenants, and such facilities: an ancient gas stove, a rickety table and a refrigerator. I suppose for $800 it was a deal except for one thing: there was no natural light. The landlord had divided up the underside of his house into 8 cubicles with one for the kitchen. I suppose that he felt that windows were a waste of space. And this was only one of the places I visited that week. You will bear with me if I cannot be too sympathetic to the plight of the landlord.
Such comments as Glenda’s and the one expressed by the university student in this thread, bring me to the point of repeating myself.If there were laws and building inspections these scumlords would not be able to get away with this. Glenda’s description causes me to wonder what provisions there are for escaping a fire, or a gas leak or any other emergency.
People should not legally be allowed to exploit and endanger others, despite a housing shortage. I would suggest she report this particular slumlord to both the Board of Inland Revenue(Is he paying taxes on these rents) and to the Fire Sewrbvices department. when people in places like Bon Air gardens add attachments to their houses- usually an upstairs room, the Town And Country Plaqnning people break it down or haul them into court. Now whwere is Town and Country Planning in all this? The pwople living in posher neighborhoods continue to get away with murder, and drive the poor to commit other kinds of murder.
An enraged society is an uncontrolable thing.
Hi Glenda,
I never asked for anyone’s sympathy, all I did was try to explain why rent prices are sometimes so high.
Because with the increasing cost of life in Trinidad EVERYONE is negatively affected.
I agree with you when you say that there are some people who take advantage of tenants, but there are good landlords out there too.
Like I said if you want to live in and around our cities it will be expensive and there is no getting away from that fact.
I wish you the best of luck in your search for a new home.
Found my rental through a realestate agency who wanted two deposits out of me in an addition to the first months rent! My lawyer had to step in and correct that to one deposit and the one month’s rent. I am also a tenant who has had to cough up money quoted in U.S. dollars. I am not working in the the U.S. for a U.S salary. I am a Trini. working for a pittance! My building is not new and my landlords have done very little in maintenance over the years! Please tell me how the current construction costs affect them?
Recently they are asking for a higher rental not because the apartment is valued at that but because they are saying that everyone else in Trinidad& Tobago is raising rents and they should do the same? If I ask for a raise in salary using the same arguement my boss would ask me if I am insane!
In the 1970’s and 80’s when taxi drivers were getting greedy, regulations were posted at the airport, listing fares for certain major routes, both in US money and TT dollars. It also defined who would “Pull bull”from the airport. This cut the thievery down, so that when my friend from Martinuque,M.Triole, was exploited by a taxi drier in 1988, and charged about four times the fare, we had a recourse that resolved that situation.
Now,I advise people, foreigners, coming to TnT, mostly managers in the oil sector. Their accommodations are looked after by their companies, so chances of their being overcharged are less likely. The problem here is that the oil sector drives the economy, and envious others charge oil prices for dumps that should be condemned.
This, because we have no laws and standrds in effect.
Shall I then tell others that if you are not an oil exec, consultant, or foreign employee, if you are an ordinary person coming to work in TnT, or one who never left but wants to branch out on her own, that she must be prepared to ransom her person and possessions from a new type of kidnappers called landlords, who kidnap in place?
Perhaps the “Secret” hotel to be built on the Princes’ Building grounds is meant to save the relatives of high public officials from exploitative landlords, especially if they are visiting during the Carnival season.
Perhaps Mr. Manning can give Dr. Rowley a new portfolio- To investigate tenant exploitation by unscrupulous landlords, and to create legislation to govern tenant landlord relations.He can also create aregistry of people with places to rent so that those sites can be inspected, and a decent rent agreed on.Landlords are not in the charity business, nor is a poor single employee a cash cow.
In all lawless societies, people do as they please, in every way. In law abiding societies, laws govern the acts of men including the greedy, the power hungry, the power wielding, the unscrupulous and the weak who cannot stand up for themselves. Where there are no laws, or ineffective laws based on who knows who, the people, the poor people, perish.
When landlords invest in real estate rentals, they do so to make money. This is the basic premise of any free enterprise society. Of course they are obligated to provide value for money, another basic premise of any free enterprise economy.Landlords charge whatever the market is willing to pay. Landlords are not social workers. They are often involved in many high risk ventures.They are in the business of creating wealth which trickles down in free enterprise societies. Excessive charges will lead to higher vacancy rates and negative consequences for landlords.
In a heated economy, like T&T, government intervention is often necessary to act as referee in a fair manner. Laws, especially rent control laws, are sometimes needed.
I’d like to thank Ms. Linda Edwards and the other sensible people who commented on my letter. It was very comforting to know that I was not the only one who was suffering like this under this particular brand of exploitation.
However for Ms. Rochelle and Mr. Rampersad’s comments, though valid, were not helpful at all. It’s obvious to me that these two people have never known what it is like to truly suffer for no greater reason than the fact that they are not “property owners.” It’s so easy to be snide when you’re doing it from the comfort of a home that no one can literally throw you out of on a whim. A home that so much of your small salary goes toward, that you sometimes have to literally starve to pay the rent.
I found this comment to be especially amusing:
Don’t complain to people who can’t make any difference in your living situation……open a paper and start looking for a new place to live for your own peace of mind
Duh… I have been and still am looking for a new, cheaper place but the fact is, there none are available at the moment. And no, I don’t live near any major city. I’m in deep South, and I have to WALK for three quarters of a mile every morning, mostly uphill, so that I can get a taxi to take me to work, “inna de bush” so to speak. And don’t whine to me about all the bills and taxes you pay on your house. You have an obligation to work and sacrifice for the things that you get. I’m tired of hearing the same line from whiny pissants like you who fail to mention all the unnecessary debt that you pile up with credit cards, “trips to foreign” and whatever shiny thing you saw in a store window this week. All this you want your tenants to pay for. I have never causes damage to any place that I have rented, and I only got my deposit back once. I’ve even been to court trying to get my money, but I now know it’s a waste of time. I have grown through these horrible experiences and I’ve learned some valuable lessons. Namely, life is not fair. Most Trinidadians are whiny douchebags and justice is spelt “just us.” That’s just the way it is.
Dear Lady Ishtar
Thank You.
in the fourth quarter of one’s life, (Where I am now)the only uses for knowledge are 1. To try to help others, and 2. To try to live a better life. I wish there was more I could do about housing, other than suggestions. It seems unfortunate that due to our housing shortage, the state does not see the housing needs of young single women as a priority. That leaves so many of you to be exploited by unscrupulous landlords.Continue to believe in yourself, and work for positive change.
The Guardian of Nigeria reported on Friday that the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, urged attorneys general of states in the federation to actively prosecute landlords who “Charge up to one or two years rent in advance.” The Hon. Mr. Aondoakaa stated that this tendency to fleeece tenants “Is a root cause of corruption” in Nigeria, which the new government is trying to clean up.
Would someone please forward this to our Attorney General, so that he could look into legislation that would make it a ‘Grand Theft” crime to overcharge rent, while providing substantial facilities. This would be one way of dealing with the problem. The other would be a class action lawsuit against a landlord /landlady by all of his or her tenants. If you are suing, do not fail to pay your rent, but pay it into an escrow account, so that the court can see you as a good faith complainant. If the landlord loses, you get part of your money back, if s(he) wins, the money is there to be paid.
I am an advocate of change, not through flaming piles of tires at roadblocks, but through the courts.
The people must help create the laws that bring them relief from exploitation. Suffering in silence, or suffering by exposure in the news alone, do not change things. Some people’s hearts are in their pocketbooks, and that is where you have to reach them.
All over the Third World, landlords, unregulated, are ruthless. The people can stop this.
$2,200 per month – not bad compared to the $5,000 I’m currently paying to avoid spending 2 hours either way in a daily commute. As far as purchasing goes, as least you have the option of HDC (however frustrating and lengthy the process). What about those of us who do not qualify because we are above the upper limit. Being outside of the range does not mean that you can afford the current sale prices of real estate in this country. It is currently impossible to find anywhere to live around POS for less than 2 million – Even though I am above the HDC limit, I can’t afford the installments on a property of that value. Where does that leave me ?
Landlords charge exorbitant prices for 12 x 12 sweat boxes with perhaps two windows. Espcially in the Curepe area. Recently one of the owners of a “so called” town house who not only runs a hot, sweaty, dark, mess of a nursery from her dwelling plus, but also rents out a room with a bed the size of a match box, decided to raise the rent from $ 1500 to $ 2800, I disagreed and was told through the best lie ever that I had to move, only to find out that my room and the one that adjoins the nursery are going to be made a shared occupancy for double the price. That is utter greed. How can a working student afford to live?
Any time I want a good laugh(cry) I open my classified to search for a place to call home (lol, sigh….) only to find that the rent is quoted in US for places that expats normally would not rent or you see TT7000.00( which is more than my salary and I have a Bsc). The new trend now is the no children ,no pets and there is no parking thing, LandLords have a heart please you tell us that hardwares are to be blamed for the high prices but that have nothing to do with you cause some of these places were built in the 90’s maybe 80’s. Lady Ishtar i feel your pain and every night i pray (after i pray for the winning lotto numbers )is that the house market fall so that hard working people like us can get a roof over our heads.
What the writer was able to clearly recognize is one of the basic flaws by particular segments of our population – failure to develop some sense of emphaty for the plight of others – especially the less fortunate.
However when the shoe is on the other foot , and they are confronted with some malady, issue, major or phantom in nature , then a cry of frantic surprise is developed when others in turn fail to sympathize and lend support.
This is not a governmental problem, it might be cultural – I am not sure , but should be quickly erradicated .
It is even more dangerous when it is perpetuated by our many ‘country haters,’ peached in their new and much beloved insulated kingdoms abroad.
What a tragedy I say!
that is so true about uwi students, we don’t even work and most of us have financial problems and rent in surrounding areas is very expensive. i think, seeing UWI is the main university in country and gets support from the gov’t, so the gov’t and hdc should build affordable housing apts for all uwi students in need of place to rent.
Here are a few facts: I grew up in the early 60’s and the stigma of “only rich children goes to university and college” was there, still there and always be there!
Whether your parents sell eddoes and punkin by the junction and eat grass and drink water to send you to university with all the money they make or whether or not your parents mortgage their house, land, car and their soul to pay your tution you are “a rich kid” so you’ll be paying through every “hole” you have in your body, pure and simple.
So, whining and complaining is not going to get you any help. Does the government seem to be interested in helping students? Does the government seem to care, i mean really care about the educational system in Trinida and Tobago? I say no to both!
Only the students can help themselves from being robbed and buggered by landlords. You guys are the salt of the country the future leaders of the nation and if you can’t unite as students and make your voices heard, then I guess you’ll be paying even higher next year and the year after that; and your children will be doing the same. Take a page out of the book of URIAH BUZZ BUTTLER and take the fight to them don’t wait for anyone to pick up the fight on your behalf.
Good luck to all of you!
Hi,
I am just about three years in the business. I wish to comment on the landlord’s expenses of renting out apartments. I’m facing a problem right now – the bills keep coming and they’re overwhelming. I have not increased rents despite higher cost of living, but building/renovations/utility expenses have increased drastically and it’s taking a toll on me making my personal ends meet. Renting apartments is my only means of income, and I offer beautiful two-bedroom apartments. So what’s to happen to me now? Maintain a low rent, keep considering the plight of tenants, and barely make ends meet?
Everyone’s expenses has increased. In fact, some renters have a higher standard of living than myself. So what I’m trying to say – there are some landlords out here who give a little more of themselves than you think. And sometimes it’s the tenants that try to take advantage, as I am experiencing now. I am even having trouble evicting a tenant and don’t have funds right now to seek legal assistance. So who is to seek after the interests of landlords like myself.
Rental property in Trinidad is huge business now and people who inherited property and rent them get rich quick at the expense of hard working/studying students and single people. the high rate of crime and crime areas are forcing people to move to more secure areas and they are being hammered for it. $3000/Mth is what some people work for in the country and to pay $2200/mth from that is real hardship. I’m not sympathetic to landlords or most of them I should say. When a landlord raises rent $500/mth to accomodate renovations costing $5000, in six months the tenant would’ve paid for the renovations and still contining to pay for the same reno. for the next 10yrs if they still reside there; Is that Fair? No! Most landlords don’t care about the people they rent to, just the money at the end of the month, period!
I predict in the near future, things will get better in Trinidad when it comes to housing and those very landlords will have to live in all their “luxury” apartments by themselves and eat grass just like the students and poor people had to do just to pay the high rent to avoid living under a mango or coconut tree. God is watching, and all those unscrupulous landlords will have their day.
I hope they enjoy all the luxury and fine things in life they gather from the sweat and blood of those less fortunate, because when they begin to feel the pinch it is the same poor man/woman/child may have to provide a cup of water for them. God don’t sleep, he is always watching, even when the landlords laugh all the way to the bank and the poor man can’t sleep worrying how to pay next month’s rent.
just give people homes that they cann afford that is the top an bottom lline
Wow. I got a lot of good info. I was wondering what the cost of living was. I’m interested in moving to TnT in a couple of years, this is the first of my unofficial research. I grew up in Nigeria, so I know a thing or two about greed and lawlessness. I agree with most of the posts, change only comes when someone or a group of people are willing to fight for it. Here in California, housing is an arm and a leg even for the working class.
Since one party rule can never effectively work in creating changes where it matters , as a way of moving forward let’s review the pertinent issue at hand.
Who is correct Dr Ramesh Deosaran or Bishnu Ragoonath?http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,113326.html
Can a collection of power hungry manrats , or any drunken, female new aged feminist traditionalist coexist ?
http://guardian.co.tt/news/politics/2009/12/29/expert-mps-pledge-may-affect-race-leadership
Better yet, is the party that Uncle Shah help build finally decease , and if so ,who is bold enough to fill the leadership vacuum?
Hi Trinis! I am an American single mom who is thinking of retiring to TnT, perhaps in a couple of years after my child has graduated from school and is self sufficient and on his own.
Your comments regarding the costs of living, however, has me reconsidering following my dream of moving to Trinidad. I was in hopes of perhaps purchasing a small home. Does anyone have any advice for someone who is thinking of moving to your lovely country? Would I be able to survive on approximately $6000 TTD per month? Any comments would be most welcomed. Thank you for your time and comments in advance.
I am sure you could suvive on that salary, but wait a munite, it would depend on the lifestyle you would choose to adapt too. But more importantly, you would have to consider the crime situation, and many would say that crime is not unique to T&T but they fail to understand that whilst crime exist elsewhere, there is a 90% chance that it would be detected and those committing the crime would be brought to justice. What I am saying is that don’t just look at surving on 6,000, maybe you would want to look at probablt 600, because at that fiqure you may be seen as rich and would attract a kidnapper.
but if you dont mind asking, why would you want to do this anyway.
No Bev , Trinidad is not for you one bit, and I along with 99 out of the 100 or so bloggers that traverse this here information highway ,would advise you to stay away. I would suggest either Jamaica , Guyana ,or Haiti. There the exchange rates would work to your favor , and turn you into an instant millionaire. Lucky you Bev. In addition , Jamaica due to an abundance of dasheen has the best runners in the world when they are able to elude the doping police. In addition , they claim to be the most morally sound of the Caribbean peoples , perhaps due to the fact that 4,995 0f the 5000 or more yearly murders since 1975 are from their vast gay , non existent population. Haitian has a strong pro children track record, and would even lock up your fellow nationals Christian kidnappers , even if unable to stop looters in the present earthquake crisis that has overcome the country. Finally , our South American British Guyanese neighbors , are some of the most hard working and enterprising , especially since due to hash economic circumstances, political mismanagement, corruption , and social neglect more than 90,000 cannot wait to flee that dung heap for -you guest it , good old Trinidad.
I know that you are quite familiar with trends Bev , since you are sophisticated gal ,having come from a very advanced and great country. As an addendum , be advised that once upon a time when according to one of our self opinionated , bombastic leaders ,’money was no problem,” Trinis used to come to your country for a wedding, funeral ,a bit of secret romantic interlude , or shopping spree , then return home quickly upon completion. Today, things have turned around 360 degrees , and 99.9% are seeking political asylum and refugee status in your country , Canada , even once mighty England , Italy, and the red light district of Amsterdam .
You have been forewarned Bev , and if anything should help you finally make a clear decision , then it got to be our convoluted – what we like to refer to as ‘rum and roti politics.’
Here ,a lifetime drunken politician would in desperation foolishly stage a personal attack on his female opponent in a heated political campaign, by calling her a drunk because she occasionally would fire one with the boys ,and a few members of her constituency , then when it back fires, does not have the decency to even offer congratulations , shake her hands , or get the hell out of the way, but like a petulant, selfish ,small minded kid , still tries to hog the limelight, while resorting to idiotic sarcasms and backstabbing maneuvers , as a way to derail her efforts of moving her party, and the country forward- all the while claiming to care about women , using his efforts to elevate his own inexperience and out of touch daughter to the helm as a prime example of this.
Now if my three example turns you off , there is one recommendation I can make , as I feel these people would make you feel welcome. This country is referred to as Barbados , and here you won’t even know if you left the USA , as these upstart folks are so maniacally tourist oriented through and through, that authorities are prepared to relegate their own citizens to fifth class status ,if it would result in a few more pitiful dollars from you gullible foreigners.
So after all is said and done, you might be better off settling in retirement for the scorpion fields of Arizona , where you are unable to eat , raise your kids , or wet your lawns unless an illegal Mexican migrant holds your hand, or perhaps hurricane haven Florida, where Castro’s last batch of former released prisoners are now American elites , and maintain a stranglehold on politics in your country.
I know, Bev, this is quite a lot to chew on at this moment, but that’s the way myself and a few of my fellow nationals from this peaceful,democratic ,resource laden country are – honest to a fault, while we are prepared to ‘let the chips fall wheresoever they may.’
Feel free however ,to elicit my help anytime you desire.
I wish you well.
Neal, thank you for your comments and advice. I have not considered other places yet, but I will definitely research them.
You cite crime and corruption in other areas of the world, as well as in my own homeland. What a sad commentary on the human condition my friend – I agree with you on that. Don’t get me wrong – I love the good old US of A, but the path our national leaders are conducting us down has me alarmed for the physical, as well as fiscal, wellbeing of my family and friends.
I will certainly consider your advice and pray that TnT and her people will be greatly blessed. Thank you for your response.
Hi mramps:
$6000 TTD comes to less than $1000 USD per month, which in USA is barely above poverty level, so I don’t see how I could be seen as being rich! In fact, the main reason, secondary to climate and the people, for wanting to relocate is to stretch my income as far as possible. At the current exchange rate, I may be able to do that in the carribean areas. How does one live on 600 TTD as you suggest??