Do your homework before planning a move

A few tips for planning retirement overseas:

• Do your research

It can be hard to estimate costs of life overseas. Judi Rosenthal of Ameriprise Financial says she can "be a little more of a voice of reason" for clients retiring in the United States, but for those heading overseas she has to put a lot more trust in the client for cost-of-living estimates.

• Plan an exploratory trip

It's important to have spent lots of time in the place you decide to retire, experts and retirees say. Get to know a place intimately — from the weather to the language to the intricacies of the tax laws and other elements of the government bureaucracy — before deciding to move.

• Don't be afraid to make a move

In some markets, you have to "get a little bit lucky" to find that perfect house, says Brooke Kantor, who recently moved from Healdsburg, Calif., to Guanajuato, Mexico. "When you do find an opportunity, you have to jump on it," he said.

Kantor bought a house in Guanajuato after seeing an ad online. He e-mailed the seller and flew to Guanajuato two days later, before the listing had even hit the local papers.

• You can always move again

Whether you miss the states or just want another adventure, a "permanent" move doesn't have to last forever.