Moving to Costa Rica and Creating Your Own Wish List

I met Arden Rembert Brink at breakfast on George Lundquist’s tour, Retire in Costa Rica on Social Security, when she was discussing the pros and cons of shipping.

My husband and I knew we wanted to buy land in Costa Rica, but as George reiterated, we didn’t know what we wanted. Of course we didn’t believe we didn’t know what we wanted (wrong), and/or thought we would know it when we saw it (wrong again), and ignored his advice not to purchase land on our initial trip. Luckily that sale was never completed, because there wasn’t an appropriate building site further than the required distance from the river.

We got a second chance, and when Arden sent the promised articles she said, “Here are the three book excerpts you signed up for when I saw you in San Ramon on George’s tour. Hope you enjoy them and find them useful! Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions. I’m here to help.”

My only questions were: “What kind of monkeys do you have on your property? Do you see them often? Also, is San Ramon mosquito-free all year (I was eaten alive where we almost bought land)? … this may not have been the type of questions you meant.”

One email led to another, and ultimately to Arden’s suggestion that we create a Wish List, which was perhaps the best advice I’ve ever received. In the spirit of “paying it forward,” I’m sharing our experience in the hope that it helps you.

Your list may be completely different. The value is more in the process than the results. Especially if you’re on a budget, you’re not likely to get everything you want, so there’s enormous value in figuring out which things really matter the most and will make you the happiest.

Even having made the list, with hindsight you may find that some things were a higher priority than you realized. I was nuts to think internet access wasn’t a necessity, but fortunately we got it. And the more time we spent in Costa Rica after buying our land, the more strongly I realized how important it was to me to be involved with wildlife rehabilitation. So because there’s not a rehab center within a half hour to volunteer at, we’re starting our own. Both our house and the attached monkey cage will be ready for occupancy when we arrive in July.

Our Wish List is at the end of this article, and hopefully you’ll find it useful in creating your own. Some of our “bonuses” might even be your “deal-breakers!” (As inconceivable as it is to me, there are actually people who DON’T want monkeys on their property…)

So you’ve made your Wish List. It’s true that you can’t always get what you want — and you may NOT get what you need if you have a limited budget, which many retirees (like us) do. But…

If you’re considering a permanent move to Costa Rica, you’re already waaaay outside the box. (Although if you’re like we were, and several other couples we know, you’ve stopped telling people that you’re planning to move to Costa Rica because…

1. They invariably ask how much time you’ve spent there…
2. You admit you’ve never been there and …
3. There’s no longer any doubt in their mind about the state of your mind.

Just how much risk you’re comfortable with is a personal thing, and if you’re coming with a partner — that you want to keep — it’s probably better to accommodate the individual with lower tolerance. My husband and I turned out to be surprisingly risk tolerant (especially for a banker and a CPA) when we discovered we could have much of our wish list — including river frontage with three waterfalls; an unobstructed Gulf of Nicoya view; and howler and capuchin monkeys in the trees — for $40,000. But there was a big IF…

We were offered the opportunity to buy into an existing corporation when the owner of one of the three plantels (building sites) had a financial set-back due to the downturn in the U.S. real estate market. Co-owning land isn’t for everyone (although anyone that owns a condominium co-owns property), but neither of us had a second of hesitation. And so far so great, but ask us in ten years :-]

The point is, you may not know what you want, and there are options you haven’t even considered. Make a Wish List, take it from there and good luck! May the howlers be with you…

Our Costa Rica Wish List.

Essence: Pleasant temperatures with daily sunshine. Abundant wildlife (birds, frogs, pizote, butterflies).

Basics:

• An elevation between 3,000 and 3,600 feet (3,800 max)
• 6,000 sq meters (1.5 acres) or more
• Electricity and water available on/at the edge of the property
• Phone line or cell phone coverage available
• A town with a hospital within a half-hour drive
• One year financing (1/2 at closing, 1/2 a year later) or two-year financing (1/3 at closing, 1/3 in a year, 1/3 in two years) depending on selling price

With at least two of the following:

• Bordering a public road
• Bordering a river (with a flat building site > 15 meters from the river)
• Bordering a reserve
• Primary forest
• Territorial mountain views (with minimal grazing land)

Bonuses:

• Monkeys (howlers or capuchins)
• Internet access
• No visible neighbors
• A small waterfall
• A Nicoya Peninsula view

Frosting:

• An orphanage within a half-hour drive (for volunteering)
• A wildlife rehab center within a half-hour drive (for volunteering)

Deal-breakers

• Lots of mosquitoes or chiggers or no-see-ums
• Few or no trees on the property or neighboring land
• 4×4 required (all-wheel drive okay)
• A pig farm nearby
• Further than 1 ½ hours from the airport

Arden was quite adamant that there was a world of difference between 3,000 and 4,000 feet both in terms of temperature and being “in” the clouds. Since sun (or lack thereof) was a major “wish” for us after living in Seattle for many years, we opted for sunnier even if it meant hotter.

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Written by Michele and Paul G. who are moving to San Ramon, Costa Rica in July 2011 (at which time both will have retired, and their last name will be added to the article!).

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.