But I had a problem. I need to sell my Vegas house before I can buy the Grecia house. With Vegas home values soaring, I could sell immediately.

But if I can just wait till spring of 2014, I could net another $40K. So, unless I can scrape up enough to buy the house in the next couple months, I’ll lose this golden opportunity on a highly under-valued home forever. The owner has to sell, or go into foreclosure, and once in foreclosure it would become a nightmare to buy.

Brooke, being her resourceful self, offered a solution: get a loan, buy the house, and rent it out until I sell the Vegas home. This way the Grecia house would remain occupied and even generate some income.

Sounded good, so Brooke referred me to Melissa Hayes, an English-speaking Tica, jungle canopy zip-line guide, and rental specialist. Together we did another tour and concluded that the house would easily rent for about $1,000 a month. So that’s the plan as of this writing.

I could expand upon other key elements of a move to Costa Rica: shipping, the wisdom of importing a vehicle, bringing in firearms, the residency process… but that’s expertly covered in the countless articles available to VIP Members of WeLoveCostaRica.com.

A few final comments.

In-depth research before a visit is crucial. Tedious at times, it is highly enlightening, and can save a lot of grief and money. Anyone really serious about a move that is life-changing will spend hundreds of hours at this, coupled with establishing live contact with current residents and bloggers. Due diligence pays off!

Knowing Spanish is the single biggest advantage when making The Move. If you don’t know the language, yet intend to live there long-term, you must make the effort. For me it instantly opened doors and minds. You can actually see the point at which Ticos make the mental click to accept you as one of them, and not just another gringo.

The good news is that Spanish is phonetic: if you can pronounce a word you can spell it, and vice-versa. It’s a helluva lot easier than trying to learn English, which I will abolish if I ever become World Dictator for Life. And while I’m at it, I’d make the entire world go metric!

Unsolicited tip: most young people take English in school, but are torn between trying to speak it and being embarrassed by their mistakes. Warmly encourage them to try, and speak clearly while avoiding a barrage of slang which they never learn in class. They will love you for it and you’ll have a new friend.

Wrapping up, I must confess to one special tool in my bag of tricks for winning over Ticos… well, at least the men. It’s my recently-published Stryke’s Buns Guide: A Field Guide to Buns of the World, a fun, light-humor parody of popular nature guides available on Amazon.com, but instead of featuring snakes and birds it focuses solely on female behinds.

Since pert buns have replaced bananas as the national product, this small tome was a huge hit with the guys, and served to instantly bond me with fellow buns connoisseurs. Call it unfair, but it definitely played a role in helping me find my Costa Rica home.

Once again, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” So buena suerte in finding your own Costa Rica dream home!

1. How I Found My New Home in Costa Rica: Research, Spanish and luck. Part III/III
2. How I Found My New Home in Costa Rica: Research, Spanish and luck. Part II/III
3. How I Found My New Home in Costa Rica: Research, Spanish and luck. Part I/III

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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.