Entrepreneur Nicole Corah Billock has been pleasantly surprised by the expat community in her new home, Puerto Rico. The mother of two and her husband, Neil Billock, moved to the island late last year in an attempt to escape the hustle and bustle of American city life. The family didn’t expect for there to be such a large number of foreigners living in the country, but have been thrilled by the community they have run into on the Caribbean island.
“Neil and I moved down here late last year after visiting numerous times over the past few years,” Nicole says, “As former tourists we had always noticed the amount of Americans in the region but never fully understood how many of them were actually full time residents. Since moving in we’ve been surprised about how large the expat community down here really is – we’ve made numerous friends already and the kids are thoroughly enjoying their new class mates.”
The couple moved to Dorado, Puerto Rico – a small town on the North Coast of the island that has a reputation for its beautiful beaches and golf courses. The area is a popular destination amongst foreigners looking to take advantage of the island’s beautiful beach front property.
“We’ve already started up our new consultancy business down here, many of our other American friends here are also business owners, the growing presence of online businesses means living in a place like Puerto Rico is now doable,” Nicole said. The couple plans on leveraging Neil’s experience in marketing to continue advising firms in the United States.
Puerto Rico has grown popular with foreign business owners in recent times. The island is an unincorporated U.S. territory which allows access to the U.S. market. One of the island’s many advantages is that residents are not required to pay U.S. income tax. In addition, the low cost of living makes it an attractive place to own beachfront property without the associated costs of locations such as Los Angeles and Miami. While the majority of the island are Spanish speaking, English is also prevalent given the nations political ties and proximity to the United States.
“We’ve loved every minute of moving to Puerto Rico,” says Nicole, “Its also not far from home to so its never to hard to head back to the states for a visit.”
Nicole Corah Billock Enjoying New Residence in Dorado, Puerto Rico
Nicole Corah Billock, the formerly California-based entrepreneur, is overjoyed by her decision to uproot her life and move to Dorado, Puerto Rico. Her and her husband, Neil Billock, made the decision late last year to follow their lifelong dream of living on a Caribbean Island.
“The kids have definitely experienced a bit of culture shock since leaving the United States,” Nicole says, “But that’s exactly what we were hoping for, we want our children to grow up in a variety of rich and vibrant cultures that allow them to see the benefit of travel and immersion in places outside of home.”
Puerto Rico is currently an unincorporated U.S. territory, the nation has just over three million full-time residents. The majority of its inhabitants speak Spanish as their first language, although English is quite common. While the island is subject to many of the rules and regulations that U.S. states are – they notably do not have to pay U.S. federal income tax. This makes it a popular destination for ambitious professionals looking to live in a more tropical region that has a close proximity to mainland United States. Dorado is a beach-side town on the North coast of Puerto Rico. The area is a known as a hotbed for tourism due to its beautiful resorts and waterfront properties. The area is also home to a number of premier golf clubs and is therefore, a popular destination for expats.
While moving to a country that speaks a different language would traditionally be seen as intimidating, Nicole claims the experience has been great. “Considering we lived in California for a large portion of our lives, Spanish has been a language that we have always been mildly proficient in. Moving to Dorado means that we will be able to increase our Spanish abilities in an authentic environment – we’re hoping that the kids will be completely fluent in the next couple of years. Language is an invaluable skill in the modern world of globalization.”
The couple are hoping some of their friends from home will eventually take the same leap of faith and move out to the island with them. “We have numerous friends who have always dreamed of doing the same thing – we’re hoping they decide it’s worth the risk and move out soon,” Nicole says.
