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And their residency status is??? Great article but I have to wonder how it is that these two 30 somethings are apparently living and working in Costa Rica without having legal residency of some type. It’s nice to share a story about people’s dreams about escaping the rat-race but please give us the whole story or perhaps the complete picture of how that dream is possible. It’s funny that educated 28 year olds give up and bail on life, but perhaps that’s what we all should have done.
“Brian, Melissa, and their dog, Pancho, have found that Atenas is home and they have no plans to leave.” Does that mean even if their new life in their new found home is not a legal one?
Or is it their plan to start that family they dream of… drop an anchor baby and live the Pura Vida life into the sunset? Just give us the whole story.
yeah, I had some questions about that article as well. I also find it very suspicious that two people who were apparently hungry enough for the good life that they finished college and began working hard to attain a functional living situation, for which they planned and DID attain, to throw it all away. It is not ipmossible, just unlikely.
And their legal status was not explained.
Scott:
I am also perplexed about this young couple’s legal status. Since you featured them on the site, could you perhaps elucidate? We will be in CR in the next couple of years and are looking at our best residency options, but we are near retirement and will have guaranteed income.
I continue to be interested in how people are “working” in Costa Rica, whether part or full time. Are they telecommuting back to the States? Are they selling real estate there? Do they have rental income from a Costa Rican property. Sometimes, the above income streams are referenced on the site, but their legality under Costa Rican law is not explained. It would be very helpful to have your insight.
I’m not sure what the story is with this young couple. As someone that’s always lived my life on the up and up and played by the rules I don’t like to see information or stories shared that tend to encourage people to do otherwise. The time and effort I made on investing and making Costa Rica a place I enjoy being was time well spent and required getting information from many sources over 10 years. And I accepted the laws that would guide my adopting this place as a place I can call home.
This site is a great source of information for people taking the time and making the effort to do the right thing. As much as I enjoy the shared experiences of others it’s important that this information doesn’t become nothing more than a sales pitch. People reading these stories need to know the whole story and how these dreams are made possible…. and why in some cases they are not unless you wish to bend or break the laws of your newly adopted home.
I’ve often seen such conduct defended with excuses like “he’s applied for residency and the system is holding up his application” to explain why someone is going ahead and breaking the current residency laws or work rules. Using that logic one could “apply” for a drivers license and start to drive… or “apply” for a weapons permit and start to carry one… or perhaps in this case… working on having that anchor baby with the idea that simply trying to have a child in Costa Rica entitles you to thumb your nose at the laws of your new home. I don’t think that attitude is one that will ever help to improve the country we all claim to love.
If they bought a house in the Bay Area and sold it at the height of the market, they would have conceivably pocketed some serious equity to live off of. They could well be silicon valley computer types than can consult from afar, but that still does not explain residency status.
I think the article mentioned that they were renting…. so much for that big nestegg! Still…. my best guess is the anchor baby plan! I guess what comes around, goes around… folks have been playing that game for years in the US! But then again… that was when there were advantages to being a US citizen! LOL
For the folks using this website to research CR, they should know the whole story and the realistic/proper ways of legally relocating and living the dream. After all… it’s “We Love Costa Rica” not “We circumvented the laws of Costa Rica and came in the Side Door, and you should too.”
Did anyone else notice that Jeff Hickcox’s company Paradise Profits has a Melissa working for him as the marketing director? It’s amazing how a site can promote workers who have yet to receive residency. We love Costa Rica should screen recommended persons and their articles before this site looses its integrity.
Boy oh boy… it seems that somethings and situations just won’t go away…. I for one hope this Melissa is NOT the one mentioned in the article we’re discussing! But it all makes a lot of sense. I’m starting to think all the time and effort I spent on doing things the right way and playing by the rules was all a waste… or is it I’m just old school and hold myself to a higher standard then the latest wave of folks relocating to CR who never apparently learned what the word NO meant! This new breed is the reason for a lot of the problems in the real estate, mortgage, and banking industries. Perhaps there’s a very good reason they’re looking to revamp the rules on residency here in CR…
I’d REALLY like an answer to this question… I wasn’t all that happy with the last effort made to explain why someone recommended on this site was residency challenged… the old “I’ve applied but am waiting for my application to be processed”….But I went into business anyway! But what really has my knickers in a twist is that this same person may have the gaul to now post an article highlighting two other people breaking the law as well!!! I really don’t want to hear “They have a baby on the way and therefore will be getting residency via the anchor baby angle!” The bobbing and weaving is getting old… folks like this like to paint the world and all it’s issues gray… but for those of us that have our eyes open… it’s really all quite black and white!
I’m not sure who “theone” is… or how he knows all this info… or if it’s even true…. but if it’s true… there needs to be some answers given here. I agree that integrity is an issue… and I for one know that this site and Scott have made it a point to preserve that at any cost.
Perhaps someone that knows the truth can enlighten us all. I’m half wondering if the posting in support of Jeff where part of a marketing effort… Scott… Perhaps you can give us your take on this issue.
Edited on Jan 20, 2009 17:57
Interesting take on the conversation… but perhaps there’s a fox in the hen house… Hence the reason for all the quacking! LOL
Seems it’s something that deserves a look…
“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.” George H.W. Bush.
Ducks quack; hens cluck.
And the point is . . .
I guess he thinks we’re just a bunch of old biddies with nothing more to do than scrutinize everyone’s motives and intentions and residency status! LOL
Since, like most folks here, I’ve always looked to this site for honest, correct, and legal advice and information on Costa Rica I think it’s rather important that we try to keep that goal alive. The postings and stories here are intended to provide that to the people reading them. And when other VIP members have something to add or clarify… they should be doing so. In this way the reader is getting the best possible information based on the knowledge and experiences of others. It’s a pretty fantastic and cheap education and one that has benefited ALL of us many times over!
The story in question is a wonderful one… but it leaves out some important details that the READER should be made aware if reading it with the intent of following that dream. It’s intended to be informative but yet questions remain that are VERY important. If it’s nothing more than a sales pitch, please say so. But don’t put it out there as a sucess story of a young couple “escaping” the rat-race, leading by example if in fact their actions are not legal. The reader needs to know that.
If on the other hand you feel that we should do otherwise and start to provide people with stories and methods of circumventing, breaking, bending, avoiding, and creatively interpreting the laws of Costa Rica I can play that game too.
We can expand on such informative topics as “How to stay under the radar”, “Who said you can’t work in Costa Rica?”, “Tax avoidance for the expat”, “Marriage and childbirth… your first steps to a life in paradise”, “So what if she’s married to 6 other gringos, you got your residency!”, and my favorite… “It’s a third world country, laws are for suckers”…. and so on and so on! LOL It will be great fun… and WE won’t be the ones suffering the end result when people use that information and get into a jam.
But I don’t think that was Scott’s intent when starting this site, nor has it been the goal that I have witnessed in my involvement here. This is, in my opinion, the leading website for straight up information and open exchange about CR, I’d like to see it stay that way.
If we’re willing to overlook bad/questionable information and let our integrity become clouded…. let’s just be sure that the folks using this site understand that upfront and are willing to suffer the consequences of using that information when making their dream of living in Costa Rica a reality. Those of us here that try to provide honest, informative, and legal experiences can still enjoy this site… but rather than the NY Times…. this site becomes the National Enquirer… it’s still the written word, just not reality or information you can trust. I guess that’s your choice.
Edited on Jan 22, 2009 10:44
Exactly! Or so it would seem. I think you missed the whole point of the article that you so carefully scrutinized. Reminding those who care, of the legalities involved is fine,and is exactly what this forum is all about, but starting your own trial is a bit much. Yes I figured someone would call me out on the “quack”. I couldn’t help myself it just “quacked me up”. LOL ,Cluck, kluck or what ever. I have monitored this site almost daily for many years. To sit and read these digressions sometimes just gets to me.
No trial intended…. just want newbies that read information here to have the full story and not miss some very important issues that those of us that have been here a while are very aware of. I wonder how many struggling 30-somethings read that story and said “We should do that” without knowing the issues involved and possibly getting their dream started on the wrong foot.
I did however like the quack quack…. a little humor is always a nice touch!
Edited on Jan 21, 2009 19:52
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