Do I know anyone who lives in Saipan? Recently learned that they're an American protectorate, but have a lot of independence. Of particular note:
* US citizens can live and work there visa free.
* Low effective total tax rates ~17% vs ~36% in Florida.
* US Mariana islands has H1B cap exemptions and a special CNMI only CW visa. If you can find a qualifying job locally you can come over via one of those work visas.
* Four hours from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia.
* Only ~55 K citizens.
* Remote--out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Few in the US know or care about Saipan.
* There's an small crypto community
https://cryptofrontier.org/
https://saipan.io/index.php/2018/10/10/lowest-income-tax-rates-in-america-why-you-could-save-big-by-moving-to-saipan/
Downsides:
* Subject to hurricanes / typhoons: https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/24/extreme-category-typhoon-yutu-makes-devastating-landfall-northern-mariana-islands-us-commonwealth/
* Remote
* Only 50 K people
* 7 x 20 miles wide (about the size of Manhattan)
* Economy is largely tourism based, and has been hard hit by Covid-19 restrictions
* Largest casino operator is probably going bankrupt
* Government itself is bankrupt (can't pay its loans, court judgments)
* Government owned hospital is strapped
* Power company is strapped
* Imports expensive
* US citizens can live and work there visa free.
* Low effective total tax rates ~17% vs ~36% in Florida.
* US Mariana islands has H1B cap exemptions and a special CNMI only CW visa. If you can find a qualifying job locally you can come over via one of those work visas.
* Four hours from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia.
* Only ~55 K citizens.
* Remote--out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Few in the US know or care about Saipan.
* There's an small crypto community
https://cryptofrontier.org/
https://saipan.io/index.php/2018/10/10/lowest-income-tax-rates-in-america-why-you-could-save-big-by-moving-to-saipan/
Downsides:
* Subject to hurricanes / typhoons: https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/10/24/extreme-category-typhoon-yutu-makes-devastating-landfall-northern-mariana-islands-us-commonwealth/
* Remote
* Only 50 K people
* 7 x 20 miles wide (about the size of Manhattan)
* Economy is largely tourism based, and has been hard hit by Covid-19 restrictions
* Largest casino operator is probably going bankrupt
* Government itself is bankrupt (can't pay its loans, court judgments)
* Government owned hospital is strapped
* Power company is strapped
* Imports expensive