The beaches here are really that good. Very clear water, lots of fish to see when snorkeling. Yes, the water is that blue and because of the reefs that surround the beaches there is almost no surf in the swimming areas. The weather is in the 89 to 95-degree range all year, cooler in the summer when it rains.
There are also a couple of very nice golf courses here but jogging bicycling are difficult due to narrow roads.
The houses often look like machine-gun bunkers because they are made of concrete and the island beyond the tourist areas is rather run down in places, kind of like an old middle-class or working-class suburb in the US. The concrete houses are actually nice because they are low maintenance - never a termite problem - and are typhoon, tsunami, and earthquake proof. They also tend to be rather energy efficient because of the 8 inch thick concrete rooves and walls.
I don’t think there are shrimp or lobster caught locally but there are lots of other fish to catch. There are several charter boats for fishing excursions.
If you are ex-military it is a good place because of the navy hospital and doctors and a commissary. Since I am not ex-military I can’t use those items and fly to Hong Kong twice a year to see a specialist for arthritis in my hands and feet.
Guam is an odd place economically because it is so remote. Most places that are low tax have a low cost of living, here it is low tax and expensive. 91 octane gas for my Mazda is $4.85 a gallon right now. A loaf of generic bread is $4.25 and ground beef or pork are over $3.00 a pound. Apples or grapes can be over $4.00 a pound but you can grow watermelons, mangoes, and papaya in your yard as well as other tropical fruits. If you are into exotic cheeses and wines this is not the place to be.
Taxes are low. The property taxes on our house valued at $300,000.00 was $674.00 last year. There is no sales tax or territorial income tax, just US income tax which all stays on Guam.
The real issue is the nepotism and corruption in the local government and the fact that the culture views laziness as a virtue (Which isn’t always a bad thing).
Despite some of the negative things, Guam is still a really pretty place and, if you can afford it, a good place for a retiree to live.
[Guam is an odd place economically because it is so remote. Most places that are low tax have a low cost of living, here it is low tax and expensive. 91 octane gas for my Mazda is $4.85 a gallon right now. A loaf of generic bread is $4.25 and ground beef or pork are over $3.00 a pound. Apples or grapes can be over $4.00 a pound but you can grow watermelons, mangoes, and papaya in your yard as well as other tropical fruits. If you are into exotic cheeses and wines this is not the place to be.
Taxes are low. The property taxes on our house valued at $300,000.00 was $674.00 last year. There is no sales tax or territorial income tax, just US income tax which all stays on Guam.
The real issue is the nepotism and corruption in the local government and the fact that the culture views laziness as a virtue (Which isn’t always a bad thing).
Despite some of the negative things, Guam is still a really pretty place and, if you can afford it, a good place for a retiree to live.]