Given the current state of the stock markets, bonds and real estate investments may be your best bet. Since this is your retirement income, you would want to avoid high risk. For real estate you should be evaluating your investments based on 5 key factors:

Location, growth in the area, quality of the property, utilities, and price!

That is why real estate investing in Curacao is on the rise currently.

1. Location. Curacao is strategically located between Europe and the Americas with ideal harbor and air connections, and it is safely nestled outside of the traditional hurricane zone.

2. Growth. In 2007 the Curacao economy grew by about 3%, the highest in years. Real estate developments and tourism developments were a large part of the increased growth.

3. High Grade Property. No desert or swamp land. Curacao has good usable land. Many plots have spectacular views.

4. Utilites. The water, roads, electricity,gas, phones and ofcourse internet services on Curacao are well developed and available.

5. Priced Right. A comparable analysis reveals that property prices on Curacao are (still) significantly UNDER-valued compared to neighboring islands of similar size and economic development. And as mentioned on this forum before, buying at pre-construction prices is always the best way to go. The prices only go UP from there.

The best advice I can give you is that you should take your time and research the various options. In the end, it all depends on what your specific needs are, both short term and longer term. But as a soon-to-be retiree (congrats!), look for options with the best low risk/high stable income ratio. Hope this helps.