Thinking of Moving, Investing, or Medical Care in Colombia?
Colombia expat consultation, one-on-one with Shep for Americans with questions about living here.
Over six years living in Colombia · 6 cities · Bought property · Used local healthcare
What the service means
What Is a Colombia Expat Consultation?
A Colombia expat consultation gives you a private, one-on-one conversation focused on the questions you have about Colombia. You can bring a specific issue, a rough idea, or simple curiosity about living, traveling, working or planning here.
- Ready Call
- The 60-minute $197 session where we apply my experience and research to the specific situation you bring, followed by a written summary and 48-hour email follow-up.
Why me
Why Consult with Me?
When I first moved to Colombia, I had to work out visas, property-market risks and the practical side of daily life for myself. I learned Spanish, bought property, purchased a car, handled visa paperwork, worked with Colombian banks and government agencies, and used the healthcare system as a patient. Since then, I have lived in six Colombian cities and built the experience that I now bring to these conversations.
Bring the situation you're dealing with. It could be an apartment or property, a city or clinic, a visa plan or budget, a dating situation, or a general question. I can tell you what I've experienced myself, what I can verify, and what still needs checking.
If the better move is to slow down, negotiate, get a second opinion or walk away, I'll tell you that too. You bring the situation. I bring the questions.
What you get for $197
What the Colombia Expat Consultation Covers
The $197 is for applying six years of ground-level experience, the questions I know to ask, and current research to the exact situation you bring me.
Buy or Invest Without the Rookie Mistakes
- Beyond the listing: price per square meter, contract terms, moving money in and out, the neighborhood, and what still needs an attorney or other professional to verify.
Have a Procedure Here Safely
- Vet the provider: how I would check credentials, facility details, what a quote includes, and what still needs a licensed medical professional.
- My own patient experience: I have used Colombian doctors, specialists, clinics and hospitals for years.
Which Visa Path Fits You
- Find your route: compare the visa categories that fit your income, investments, family or study plans.
- Prepare before you file: organize the right questions and documents before paying for professional filing help.
Build a Real Life, and Date Like You Belong
- Build a life: language, friendships, neighborhoods, dating and everyday logistics all shape whether a city feels right.
- Get practical answers: from pharmacies and banking to SIM cards, transport and the small details that do not show up in a guide.
| What you need | Free content | Ready Call |
|---|---|---|
| Learn how Colombia generally works | Guides, articles and tools | Focused answers applied to your situation |
| Compare cities and costs | General figures and city guides | Discussed against your budget and priorities |
| Ask about a specific situation | Research it yourself | One-on-one discussion with follow-up questions |
| Know when a professional is needed | General guidance | I point out where legal, medical or tax advice belongs with a licensed professional |
Your follow-through timeline
Three concrete time windows included with the Ready Call.
You do not need a big decision to book.
You might be curious, planning a trip, comparing cities, thinking about a move, or simply wanting to talk with someone who lives in Colombia.
What clients say
People Who Booked, and What Happened Next
These client accounts show the kinds of questions a paid conversation can help resolve.
“I’d almost put money on the wrong place twice. Shep walked me through the contract and the neighborhood, and I closed on my home in Santa Marta actually understanding what I was signing.”
F.L. Bought a home in Santa Marta
“I was drowning in browser tabs trying to plan my move. One hour with Shep gave me a real order of operations. I’m settled in Santa Rosa now, and I’d have paid triple.”
T.T. Moved to Santa Rosa
“I booked to ask about a woman I was seeing in Barranquilla, and got advice no article could give me. Shep understands the culture here. We’re engaged now.”
D.L. Now engaged, Barranquilla
Where to live
Which City in Colombia Is Right for Me?
The right city depends on how you want to live. Climate, cost, pace, healthcare, dating, airport access, restaurants and noise all matter.
So far, I've lived in Cali, Medellín, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Pereira. Bring me your budget, must-haves and dealbreakers and I'll help narrow the field.
Before a deposit
Should I Buy Property in Colombia?
Sometimes yes, sometimes not yet, and the answer depends on the specific deal in front of you. A listing will not tell you whether the price is fair, what the contract commits you to, or what still needs verification. That is what we work through before you sign.
In Cartagena, I followed a repossessed home, a resale and a new-construction purchase from the first deposit through completion.
We can look at price per square meter, contract terms, the area, public plans, money movement and how you could eventually exit.
A guide explains the general process. It cannot tell you whether this deal is fair. Your attorney handles title and closing; I can help you prepare the questions.
Before you file
Which Colombia Visa Fits Me?
Your route depends on your situation, not a single default. Americans may use Visitor (V), Migrant (M) or Resident (R) routes depending on income, study, investment or family ties.
One of my own Colombian visa applications came back marked inadmitida. I can help you organize questions and documents for a licensed professional.
We can map the route, flag what still needs verification, and organize what to discuss before you pay a lawyer or submit an application.
Visa rules and thresholds change. Confirm current requirements with Migración Colombia and the Cancillería before acting.
Staying healthy here
Will Colombia's Healthcare Work for Me?
Healthcare can work well, but access depends on the city, facility, payment method and coverage you have. What matters is how those pieces fit your own situation.
I've used doctors, specialists and hospitals here for years. We can discuss how I would research a provider, read a quote and identify what needs a licensed medical professional.
The routine plan I use provides in-home doctor visits, ultrasound, discounted specialist and imaging pricing, and ambulance cover. It does not include hospital stays or prescriptions. Separate insurance covers emergency and visa-related needs.
Book your call
Book Your Colombia Expat Consultation
One hour, $197, on Google Meet. Bring your questions. I'll bring six years of living here.
If you finish the hour without a clearer plan than you walked in with, tell me and I'll refund the $197. I'd rather return it than keep money from someone I didn't help.
No big decision required. Bring a question, a rough plan, or simple curiosity. Referral relationships are disclosed when applicable.
Around the call
The Process
The conversation matters most. Everything else makes that hour useful.
Three-minute intake
Tell me what you're trying to figure out, where you're looking, your timeline, what money is involved and what you're least sure about. “Nothing specific yet” is fine.
One focused hour
I read your intake first. Bring the situation; I supply the questions, experience and research that fit it.
Written summary + follow-up
Within 24 hours, you receive concise notes on what we covered and what I would verify next. You then have 48 hours for follow-up questions.
Prefer to start free?
Read the Free Colombia Field Guide
No pressure to book. Get the basics on costs, cities, visas and the mistakes that can get expensive, then decide whether a conversation would help.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
A real example
What You Bring Changes the Hour
The call is not a fixed script. The examples below show how the hour can differ.
“Is this apartment a good deal?”
Bring the listing, price and terms. We can examine the area, price per square meter, contract issues, negotiation points and what your attorney or other professionals should verify before money moves.
“Should I choose Pereira or Medellín?”
Then we talk about budget, climate, healthcare, social life, dating, airport access and noise. The goal is to narrow the field.
Recommendations
How I Handle Recommendations
I may recommend a doctor, clinic, property, school, service or other option when it is relevant to your question. When a recommendation has a commercial referral connection, I disclose it.
Bring the specific property, provider, apartment or service. We can separate what I know from what I can research and what still needs independent professional verification.
The consultation is paid for separately from any recommendation.
The limits
When Something Needs a Licensed Professional
I don't file visas, provide legal representation, diagnose or treat medical conditions, close property transactions, or give tax advice.
When licensed expertise is required, I'll say so plainly. I can help you frame the questions to raise and prepare before you meet the professional.
For current visa rules and thresholds, verify directly with Migración Colombia before you act. For medical care, property purchases and filings, use the appropriate licensed professional.
Before you book
What Should I Know Before Booking?
You do not need to be moving, buying property or making a major decision to book. The Ready Call is also for questions, curiosity, trip planning and getting comfortable with life in Colombia.
Is the call only for people moving to Colombia?
No: you can use the call for trip planning, daily life, city comparisons, dating, healthcare, property, visas or simple curiosity about Colombia.
What if I don't know what to ask?
That is common. Bring the situation and I will bring the questions worth asking; you do not need a perfectly defined problem.
Can we look at a specific apartment or property?
Yes. Bring the listing, quote or contract information. We'll discuss the price, area, developer or seller, what stands out and what still needs professional verification.
How do you handle recommendations?
A commercial relationship may be attached to some recommendations. When relevant, I disclose it so you have the context.
Can you help with my visa application?
I can help you understand the routes, organize questions and get your paperwork discussion ready. The actual legal advice and filing are for the appropriate professional.
What if Colombia turns out not to be right for me?
That can be useful to know before you spend the money and time involved in moving. The call is not designed to push you toward Colombia; it is designed to clarify your situation.
Ready when you are
Book Your Ready Call
Sixty minutes, one-on-one on Google Meet, for $197. No major decision is required. Bring the real questions you have.
Your Colombia expat consultant
I'm Shep. I left Los Angeles in 2020, and Colombia has been home ever since. My six-city experience includes Pereira, Medellín, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Cali and Santa Marta.
Along the way, I bought property and a car, handled my own visa paperwork, including an application marked inadmitida, and dealt with Colombian banking, money transfers, DIAN, RUT and tax-residency questions. As a patient, I've also used local clinics and hospitals.
I didn't move here through a relocation company. I learned by coming here, spending time here, talking to people, learning the language and living here. That experience now shapes the conversations I have with people considering Colombia.
When a recommendation includes a referral relationship or compensation, I identify it when relevant. More about me →
Important disclosure
GeoGringo provides independent guidance based on my experience living in Colombia and current research. This page is not a substitute for professional advice or representation, and I am not a lawyer, doctor, accountant or licensed advisor. Referral relationships connected to recommendations are disclosed when applicable. Verify current visa rules and thresholds with the Cancillería and Migración Colombia. Use licensed Colombian professionals for filings, medical procedures, title work and property purchases. Every decision carries risk and is yours to make.
