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Most of the previous members of the Canadian Club that returned to Canada had legal resident status, and some of the had obtained Permanent residency status.
Paradise – just exactly what is that? I’ll tell you what it is – it’s what you make it. Sure, there are various versions of paradise that we all have in our heads, but what we make, create and live is the real version.
David’s point about living here without a net is important for physiological reasons.
H Richards remark about Americans screwing up Costa Rica resonates with me. They disregard the social customs by acting as if US big brother is watching their every move. They spread government paranoia when all around them most Tico disregard the rules and try to keep government small by contributing as least as possible. Aw but the American are sure that if they “Pay their fair share” that the potholes will disappear. Money solves all problems, right? (LOL) Why don’t they just buy a shovel and fill them. Cheaper and faster.
Countdown’s data collections from the movers is very insightful.
The indomitable Maravilla – The Molly Brown of Costa Rica, makes great points. Especially this:
“The unrealistic view of paradise and how it is sold as a concept to people who refuse to do their own research on what the reality is here.”
Doom the deal to failure? There are some common threads like not speaking Spanish, but I know people that live here for years and speak very little.
Soldier alluded to character traits.
I think what dooms the deal is the inability to reconcile your character with the culture. If you are an isolationist, then it’s easy to live here and not speak Spanish.
If you are extroverted then you will want to take part in the culture. That means speaking the language and doing as the Ticos do.
The character issue probally explains why some people can come here, buy property on the first or second visit (I did), and prosper. These people know their character.
If you want to win, you must know the enemy better than you know yourself. The thing is that many times we are the enemy. Therefore, you have to know yourself before you know the external enemy/challenge.
I put forth that the people who make it here first know themselves. As such, they have an intuitive knowing that they can make it here.
Next, you must know the challenge. That means reading, research, and not being too cheap to pay someone to do investigation before buying a property (in a land without property disclosure laws, it paramount to investigate).
[i]Phil Baker’s Costa Rica Now / A travel Guide to Living and Owning in Paradise[/i] is a great planning tool. It takes a realistic look at living, buying and owning here. Baker hits the nail on the head when he says that the three most common mistakes are not knowing the geography and what area might suit you best, not knowing the culture, and “buying a problem when you thought you were buying a property.”
If people pick a suitable area, know what to expect from the culture, and then buy right, I believe that there would be less people returning, and less people coming here in the first place. Investigating the culture and all that can go wrong here would discourage many. Although the book uses “Paradise” in the title, it is still by far the most realistic look at living here.
Baker reveals a lot of negative aspects about Costa Rica, and does not follow the just don’t say anything bad about Costa Rica mindset that most authors use when writing about Costa Rica. It’s a realistic view of paradise and not “the unrealistic view of paradise and how it is sold as a concept to people who refuse to do their own research on what the reality is here” to which Maravilla alluded.
So according to that line of thinking, the most important aspects of a successful transition to Costa Rica living are:
Know the land
Know the culture
Know the rules of buying and owning real estate hereAnd most importantly… know yourself
2BNCR,
Very well said, right on point. I have always believed: knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom; mastering others is strength and mastering yourself is true power.Countdown’s data collections from the movers is very insightful.
The indomitable Maravilla – The Molly Brown of Costa Rica, makes great points. Especially this:
“The unrealistic view of paradise and how it is sold as a concept to people who refuse to do their own research on what the reality is here.”
I consider that a real compliment!! jejeje and thank you very much for your personal note, which i will add to my ever growing research file on paradise. The Molly Brown of Costa Rica — that made my day!!
Wow, I just started researching moving to CR. So far this is the best thread I have read so far. It is great to read all your post on the skinny of living in CR. Most of the information available is sale oriented advertising selling dreams that may not quite stack up to the realities.
I’m already retired and looking forward to a trip down for one of George Lundquist tours this year. I have to admit it sounds like a lot of work to retire here. I will see if I’m cut out for this adventure. Thanks for all your great insights.
I don’t know if this will help anyone but a hundred years ago when I trained dogs we used a fence charger to discourage the K9 from taking food from a stranger or eating found food. We used hot dogs as bate and after a few shocks the dogs learned quickly.
jfself, you’re taking a great first step by signing up for George Lundquist’s tour. If you’re lucky, he’ll bring you to our home on Sunday morning as he has other groups from time to time. He, some of his guests, our rental house guests and others can attest to the fact that I am not a four hundred pound Filipino woman sitting in an Internet cafe in Manila despite what you may have read elsewhere in these pages. Too bad we cannot say the same about so many others.
You are right that relocating here takes a lot of work. I’m a strong advocate for bringing most of your belongings in a container. That’ll be a lot of work. And getting settled here will keep you occupied for a year or longer.
There are many details and procedures to attend to. None of them is more onerous than what you’re used to, but done in a language in which you are likely not totally fluent, and in bureaucratic systems (public and private) that are different from what’s familiar, and all compressed into a relatively short time, you’ll find the transition exhausting.
I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but be warned . . . it’ll be a challenge.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]jfself, you’re taking a great first step by signing up for George Lundquist’s tour. If you’re lucky, he’ll bring you to our home on Sunday morning as he has other groups from time to time.[/quote]
David, I would be disappointed if I missed that opportunity. What is the best time of the year to come for a look see in CR ? I haven’t traveled since the US government started requiring a passport so thats my first step. I understand from friends that the process exceeds the experiences some have encountered getting a drivers license in CR.
I can’t speak to the passport hassle issue.
Costa Rica has two seasons — summer (dry) and winter (wet). Temperatures are virtually unchanged year ’round.
If you’re coming as a tourist, just to enjoy what the country has to offer, summer is best, but it’s the “high” season when prices are higher. If you’re coming with an eye toward relocating, you really should see Costa Rica in the “winter” when it’s at its worst (which is still pretty damn fine).
Generally, the rains begin in May and extend into December. Your mileage may vary.
In the past, we have offered our hospitality to George Lundquist’s guests and others whenever they like. That’s an open invitation. I have to dispel this rumor that I’m writing all this from Manila.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]
In the past, we have offered our hospitality to George Lundquist’s guests and others whenever they like. That’s an open invitation. I have to dispel this rumor that I’m writing all this from Manila.[/quote]I will make sure I get the opportunity to dispel any rummers to the contrary. July through August in Texas is a wonderful time to be some place else.
My thanks to you and the others on this board for their experiences and candor. Your information and experiences are priceless. I wish you all a happy healthy and prosperous new year.
Jamie
I am also a newbie to this forum, having just joined this evening. I got a smart smack in the face as I read every single entry of this thread, although I had read these same things in the past. I started by researching and reading three years ago, and just renewed my interest because I am so fed up with us Americans… and reading about Escuza- that was the last place I would ever pick to be as well. I know my husband’s and my next step is to visit, and I am assuming this George Lundquist is the way to start out to see if we really want to proceed on this path?
Also , in “The Planning” part- what is a good resource to use to identify what it really will cost to live there? Thanks- and Happy New Year to you all.
I don’t think we ever talked on that subject,? did we David.
There is a very large amount of info in this web on cost of every thing. Pending if you like to cook at home and live in a 800 sq ft home or go for the gusto. 😛
willemLauressa, you couldn’t spend four days and whatever the current cost is better than with George Lundquist. If your interests are in modest-cost and comfortable living, George will give you the grand tour of the Central Valley where about three-quarters of the population resides. What’s more, George is a fountainhead of information. Even if you never look out the window or get off the bus, just having the chance to pick George’s brain for four days is worth the price.
We don’t agree with every bit of what George advocates and some of our experiences have been different from his, but if you just took careful notes and did everything he suggests, you’d do very well indeed.
The cost of living here has been discussed in this forum (and I’m sure elsewhere) at great length. There’s no easy answer, and peoples’ estimates vary widely. Just don’t underestimate it. Locally produced things are cheap by U.S. standards, but anything (and everything) that’s imported is expensive. And some things (the annual [i]marchamo[/i]* and car insurance, and fuel, for example) are more expensive that what you’re used to.
From the literature, folks get the notion that you can live here on a shoestring but that’s only true if you’re ready to give up a lot that you’re probably used to. Personally, I think that giving up too, too much is one of the deciding factors in whether people remain here or leave.
*[i]marchamo[/i]: The annual levy for the mandatory (and negligible) public liability insurance on your car, the road tax, the personal property (or maybe sales) tax, etc. It’s payable every December, but first your car must have a current safety inspection.
[b]Lauressa,[/b] here is more discussion [url=https://www.welovecostarica.com/members/cfmbb/messages.cfm?threadid=A248ED30-24E8-5ED2-F184A38BA899C4AE]here…[/url] regarding some costs involved in living here. Every area differs, and I would think that the cost of electricity and the amount one uses makes the biggest difference.
But take a tour, than pick an area you think you may like and spend as much time as possible before you decide to take the plunge. Others don’t necessarily agree with the decision to rent first, but to know an area, one [i]must live there[/i] and see if the local conveniences such as [i]CAJA[/i] clinics, hospital, supermarkets or just the weather is to your liking, be it too windy, too hot, too wet, too foggy but remember it [i]probably[/i] will change tomorrow.I should have said above . . .
Don’t let anyone fool you, either, about the cost of building a home here. While it is certain to be less expensive than anyplace in North America, quotes of $25 or $30 or so per square foot are wildly misleading. If someone quotes you a price like that, first ask to see the last three houses they built for that price. Then ask to see the records of the costs. And finally go talk to the owner or occupant about their experience living in the place.
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