Moving to Vietnam For A Few Years - Would Like Some Guidance

FW850 · 2023-02-20T08:54:07+01:00

Hi Everyone! I plan on moving to Vietnam in about a year and wanted to get my bearings about where to land and how best to navigate a career path/business opportunities and start a new chapter in my life with my family. A bit about myself: I own a handful of real estate, and am an investor in a restaurant in the States, all of which provide a comfortable lifestyle here. I have a wife with a dual citizenship and wanted to sell my home and use the profits sans mortgage to buy an apartment in Vietnam while I figure out my next entrepreneurship path. I'm afraid because my Vietnamese is virtually non-existent but I wanted to take a stab at it because the hustle lifestyle never truly leaves you, no matter where you go. I feel Vietnam may have more opportunities for me, but I just need time to acclimate and figure things out. I have about a $500k budget to purchase a new home, and am debating if I should go to Hanoi (birth place of my wife and where all her family is), or move to HCMC because there may be more opportunities to either start a business or get a job in the meanwhile, while I plan out a new business. Here are my questions: Do you guys know if there would be more opportunities for an expat - who speaks almost no Vietnamese - in Hanoi or HCMC? I'm more of a Real Estate guy and would love to get a job at either a local firm or a larger one where I can get a job doing sales or management where I can have a platform to learn about the market so as to plan some future RE investments in VN. I've managed over 100 SFH in my account across 15 different investors at my old proptech company so I know I'd be able to handle whatever comes my way. Is it hard to get a job in RE with only English as my main language? Would I have better luck in Hanoi or HCMC? If you had $500K, which areas in Hanoi or HCMC would you feel are the better areas to invest in to live that's family friendly? Extension on above: Is it better to get land close to the city and just build? or should I invest in a condo? (I believe townhomes might be out of my budget?) I have a few cars here I'd hate to get rid of, but the equivalent of these cars in VN are ludicrously expensive so that's a non starter to get the equivalent in VN. Is there a way to temporarily export a vehicle to VN for personal use for a few years and then export it back out? (I know it might be a bit of a stretch but I can't fathom paying something like $150k for a Mercedes GLA when you can get it here in the States for $40k) Thank you all for any insight you can provide!

Last activity 08 March 2023 by jculpepper22

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jculpepper22Active member08 March 2023 14:24:13

#41

@MartinLe

Martin, good morning from Seattle...so my question is, if an American is there living or visiting with a Vietnamese woman who is wife/girlfriend, how helpful is that for living over there? We are planning on moving over there for half the year, half the year in Seattle, summers and winters over there. Seattle has become insanely expensive and my gf keeps telling me how cheap it is to live in Danang. Will I be treated much better having a Viet woman than if I was there alone?

Any other suggestions for me about moving there with a Viet lady and what to expect living there? I would love to work part time but after reading about how difficult that is, I think I will just enjoy my reitrement.

Thanks so much.

OceanBeach92107VIP Member08 March 2023 14:33:54

#42

6953

@MartinLe
Martin, good morning from Seattle...so my question is, if an American is there living or visiting with a Vietnamese woman who is wife/girlfriend, how helpful is that for living over there? We are planning on moving over there for half the year, half the year in Seattle, summers and winters over there. Seattle has become insanely expensive and my gf keeps telling me how cheap it is to live in Danang. Will I be treated much better having a Viet woman than if I was there alone?
Any other suggestions for me about moving there with a Viet lady and what to expect living there? I would love to work part time but after reading about how difficult that is, I think I will just enjoy my reitrement.
Thanks so much.
-@jculpepper22

Why should we answer this question for you in this thread?

I told you all about that in your original thread and you've ghosted me.

You wouldn't be the first person who kept asking the same question until they got the answer they wanted, even though it's not the right answer.

Based on your clarification of your plans here in this thread, there's no legal retirement for you here no matter where your girlfriend's from.

jculpepper22Active member08 March 2023 14:44:18

#43

Martin, my apologies as a I didn't see your previous answer. You don't know me but I am not the type to ask until I get the answer I want as you mentioned.

In my opinion, if I get straight answers from folks then my decision making is better and more reasonable. Sorry if you felt I ghosted you, that was not the case at all.

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