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- First, determine where you want to live. Do you dream of retiring to a hammock on the beach? Do you have children who will be attending classes? Do you want to be near the services and amenities of the city? Do you want to mix with the locals or make friends who are expatriates too? The top areas for expatriates are Panama City (the Casco Viejo for true Colonial architecture and the rest for the cosmopolitan amenities), Bocas del Toro (beach people) and Boquete (fresh mountain air and coffee plantations).

- Once you have an idea of where you'd like to live, you should locate a reputable Realtor that specializes in that area. They will talk with you to determine your expectations and budget, then show you suitable properties. This will save you time, as many properties advertised in the local papers are not suitable for expatriates since they are built for Panamanians who have completely different priorities and needs. A good Realtor will help you avoid common pitfalls and help you stay away from properties you may have trouble reselling later.

- Your Realtor will help you negotiate a price for the property and explain the title transfer process to you. If you do not already have a good lawyer, they can recommend attorneys who have done a good job for their clients in the past and who can help you with other legal matters.

- Registration is done at the National Registry ('Registro nacional') and it normally it takes 6 - 10 weeks. Panama uses the Torrens system. Every transaction relating to real property must be registered in the Registro. Any leins, mortgages or easements to the property must appear in the Registry in order to be valid, so once the property is registered in your name, you don't need to worry about any later claims to the property.