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[quote=”DavidCMurray”]
While here, plan to spend colones. That way, there will never be any question about the exchange rate and your transactions will go more smoothly because no one will have to be calling the bank to get the current exchange rate information.[/quote]The only exception I can think of to David’s good advice is if you find yourself in a restaurant and their menu prices are quoted in dollars, then you are best advised to pay in dollars because they often have their own arbitrary exchange rate and it will always be in their favor.
I was in a nice SJO restaurant that quoted their prices in dollars. The exchange rate at that time was 498/1. The bill came and the total was shown in dollars. I converted the $ to colones at 500/1 and placed it on the little tray. The waiter picked it up and looked at it and told me that I needed more colones, so I asked him to convert it for me. He came back a minute or 2 later with the conversion …… and explained that they used a rate of 540/$1.00(USD) when exchanging colones to dollars!!! I questioned it and the manager came and told me that no law prohibited them from setting their own exchange rate. I asked him if I could exchange dollars to colones at that rate, and his response was “Oh, no. That rate is 460!)[quote=”DavidCMurray”]So, Bill, do you eat there a lot?
[/quote]uh, no! But I know which restaurants here in our area have “dollar menus” and I make sure to carry $ when we go there.
David, just sharing what that site said and showing how much misinformation there is out there in CYBER LAND – lol
Just never, ever, exchange dollars for colones at the CR airports. They give about 40 fewer colones per dollar. A real gyp.
Its any negotiable instrument worth 10K. That includes checks made out to yourself. It does not include [u]blank [/u]checks…. It does include cashiers check that are made out to anyone. This is from what i have determined after reading about it… Its not the gospel according to the Feds… just what I gleaned. Also bullion and anything commonly traded is considered negotiable. If you are really interested Google it – there is a lot of info available.
Now someone wrote on the web that you can hold a letter that has been mailed to you unopened with cashiers checks inside made out to you and they cannot open the letters without a search warrant.. Does that mean the will not? NO! But you can always say hay I did not have time to open my mail, just grabbed it and hauled ass to the airport at the last minute! May save you from losing your cash…
So if you think about it the best way to deliver money here is to send a bank check through Fed Ex… I mean I don’t know why anyone would do that when you can wire money.
Recently a Canadian said that he told Scotia Bank that he was wiring 50K (from SB Canada to SB CR) and that SB CR told him to get a letter from SB Canada saying where the money came from and have it notarized at the CR embassy (or maybe just notarized in Canada) – regardless is this true?!? I mean has it really come to this? If so its a sad sad commentary on the North American banking system…
Scott have you heard of having your home bank write a notarized letter stating the source of your funds????
The stories I am hearing from buyers and Realtors about the increasing difficulties in sending money from “back home” to Costa Rica to buy a property get more ridiculous by the day …
The walls are going up and I’ve said it before although I’m sure most people thought I was nuts – although not so much nowadays – I would not be at all surprised if in the not so distant future, our North American friends will have to apply to retire outside of North America “for your protection.”
Scott
You mean Real Realtors???? jajajajajaaaa
Like in those belonging to The National Association or Realtors as in the NAR, you know the association that has its own code of ethics that bind all members no matter where they sell property – as in worldwide… ???? The trademarked organization that does not call their cola drinks “Coca Cola?” You mean those members that would never infringe on someone else trademarked name have told you stories about transferring funds??? er er er er er…
[quote=”Scott”]The stories I am hearing from buyers and Realtors about the increasing difficulties in sending money from “back home” to Costa Rica to buy a property get more ridiculous by the day …
The walls are going up and I’ve said it before although I’m sure most people thought I was nuts – although not so much nowadays – I would not be at all surprised if in the not so distant future, our North American friends will have to apply to retire outside of North America “for your protection.”
Scott
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When I just closed on my property a few months back, neither the lawyer nor the realtor would let me wire the funds to them. They wanted nothing to do with it due to the difficulty. I had to send money through Stewart Title Insurance (and pay a fee) even though I didn’t buy title insurance. And, it was, in fact, ok to bring blank checks into the country.
[quote=”Scott”]I would not be at all surprised if in the not so distant future, our North American friends will have to apply to retire outside of North America “for your protection.”
Scott
[/quote]
Give it time, and likely, will have to periodically check in with them…..again, for protection and well being…..then again, some wonder why one leaves the Empire to begin with….
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