Red Flag Scorecard | DON'T MOVE YET

Rate each factor 1–5 (1 = low risk, 5 = high risk). Compare countries side by side. A country with a total score above 50 has serious structural risks that need careful evaluation.

Country Name

Date

Factor

Score

TRAP #1

FINANCIAL RISK

0 / 25

Property market liquidity (how easy to sell?)

—

Expected resale loss percentage

—

Legal costs if disputes arise

—

Cost of reversing the move

—

Income/investment disruption risk

—

TRAP #2

INFORMATION BIAS

0 / 15

Relocation industry influence in this market

—

Quality of independent (non-affiliate) information

—

Availability of critical/negative first-hand accounts

—

TRAP #3

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAPS

0 / 15

Size of sunk cost if you invest (harder to leave)

—

Social pressure from expat community to stay positive

—

Your personal emotional investment in this destination

—

TRAP #4

LEGAL SYSTEM

0 / 20

Legal system type difference from home (Common vs Civil Law)

—

Property rights protection for foreigners

—

Contract enforcement reliability

—

Judicial independence and corruption index

—

TRAP #5

DAILY FRICTION

0 / 25

Language barrier severity

—

Service quality and reliability

—

Bureaucratic complexity

—

Healthcare quality for your needs

—

Infrastructure reliability (internet, power, roads)

—

TOTAL RISK SCORE

Complete all ratings to see your assessment.

Risk Profile by Trap

Trap 1: Financial

Trap 2: Information

Trap 3: Psychological

Trap 4: Legal

Trap 5: Daily Friction