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What Is Your #1 Most Important Concern About Living In Costa Rica?
This question is aimed at the VIP Members we have who have yet to make the move to Costa Rica…
To make sure that you are getting the answers to the questions and concerns you might have about living and retiring in Costa Rica, please take 30 seconds and let me know below what exactly is your #1 concern about living in Costa Rica?
If you have more than 30 seconds, why not let me know your top five concerns…
Your ‘amigo’ in Costa Rica
Scott Oliver
Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.comEven though we enjoy our beautiful simple farm in the mountains outside of San Isidro with spring water, fresh air and the absence of traffic noise, I have some concerns about our ability to continue our serene lifestyle in Costa Rica. You asked for it. Below are my 5 main concerns. They are the result of experience in Costa Rica not just fear of the unknown:
1. Security of possessions. No matter how good the locks on the doors, locals with criminal intent will find a way to break in when you are gone. We even had a vagrant enter our farm, kick in a door to break the screws holding the lock and steal food while we were gone for only a few hours doing our weekly shopping. He had to be watching for us to leave. He even passed a crew of road workers just outside our gate, as he left behind a more conspicuous item in the driveway (a large bottle of oil) and they did not question his presence. We filed a police report but the police did nothing to look for him.
2. Police target gringos with parking fines carrying exorbitant fees. They give tickets (with exorbitant fines) to gringos for characteristics about a car (such as UV protective film on back windows) that has passed the state required inspection for several years in a row. They will ticket gringos for exceeding the speed limit slightly (again with exorbitant fines) and ignore the Ticos who go whizzing by.
3. The legal system is set up to favor Ticos to the disadvantage of gringos and the police refuse to follow court orders to recover stolen property. Justice is not applied in a uniform manner and is not commensurate with the seriousness of the crime.
4. Increased influence of drugs on crime in cities and in the countryside. Ticos and police most often just look the other way.
5. Costa Rica is no longer considered a place to retire cheaply due to law changes that exclude those making modest incomes and exorbitant increases for various services, taxes and fees.Professional incompetence, including doctors especially lawyers, vetinarians and pharmacists.
The gap between the haves and the have nots
Western materialism corrupting traditional values, disconnecting more and more Tico from their historic ties to agricultural, and living off the land.
US feminism and the degradations of motherhood.
Rampant uncontrolled development that has degraded the environment through unfinished inappropriate projects that stand as testimony to greed.
[quote=”rosiemaji”] Even though we enjoy our beautiful simple farm in the mountains outside of San Isidro with spring water, fresh air and the absence of traffic noise, I have some concerns about our ability to continue our serene lifestyle in Costa Rica. You asked for it. Below are my 5 main concerns. They are the result of experience in Costa Rica not just fear of the unknown:[/quote]
Let me preface my remarks by saying that we have lived in Costa Rica for only 2 ½ years. When we first arrived we spoke no Spanish and communication was a problem. We are now able to communicate and the Ticos know who we are and treat us fairly.
[quote=”rosiemaji”]1. Security of possessions. No matter how good the locks on the doors, locals with criminal intent will find a way to break in when you are gone. We filed a police report but the police did nothing to look for him.[/quote]
Locks are, and always have been, for honest people. We have no gates, no bars and no security doors. We live among the Ticos and consider them our friends who watch for the ladrones. We had a few problems when we first moved to our home but what was taken had little value. We suspect a drunk or druggie looking for their next high.
[quote=”rosiemaji”]2. Police target gringos with parking fines carrying exorbitant fees. They give tickets (with exorbitant fines) to gringos for characteristics about a car (such as UV protective film on back windows) that has passed the state required inspection for several years in a row. They will ticket gringos for exceeding the speed limit slightly (again with exorbitant fines) and ignore the Ticos who go whizzing by.[/quote]
I have received two parking tickets since moving here. One was issued while my vehicle was unattended and the other by an officer in person. Both tickets were deserved and the fines were each 5,000 colones (under $10.00). I was treated with respect by the ofrficer.
RTV is concerned only with the safe operation of the vehicle and has nothing to do with the tinting of windows.
I do not know what the law regarding darkly tinted windows is but I have pointed out before that dark window tinting presents a problem to police officers in that they cannot know what they may face if they cannot see into the vehicle when they initiate a stop. If the back windows are tinted so that you cannot see into the vehicle I would opt for a lighter tint.[quote=”rosiemaji”]3. The legal system is set up to favor Ticos to the disadvantage of gringos and the police refuse to follow court orders to recover stolen property. Justice is not applied in a uniform manner and is not commensurate with the seriousness of the crime.[/quote]
This is a matter of perspective. I cannot judge your experience not knowing the circumstances but the use of a competent attorney is always advisable. In my experience there are many attorneys who are lackadaisical in their work or downright incompetent. It took trial and error but I was able to find one who I consider one of the best.
[quote=”rosiemaji”]4. Increased influence of drugs on crime in cities and in the countryside. Ticos and police most often just look the other way.[/quote]
This is becoming a problem in larger cities everywhere due to the transience of shoppers and others there is little sense of community. In our community there is little drug use due to proactive awareness. The closer knit a community is the less this is problem.
[quote=”rosiemaji”]5. Costa Rica is no longer considered a place to retire cheaply due to law changes that exclude those making modest incomes and exorbitant increases for various services, taxes and fees.[/quote]
Inflation is a fact of life. It is no different here than it is in the US. Property taxes and the cost of services is continually rising and we expect to pay for those increases as we did in the US. We live on our Social Security income as well. What affects us affects the family that lives with us equally. We do not see the government as “out to get the gringos”. What we do see is Ticos assuming that all gringos are wealthy and trying to charge higher rates for their work. I keep a copy of the minimum wage scale and pay accordingly. If a man is well experienced we expect to pay for that experience.
[quote=”2BNCR”] Professional incompetence, including doctors especially lawyers, vetinarians and pharmacists.[/quote]
We have resolved all of these problems, some with luck.
We have a very good Caja doctor, pharmicist and attorney and a good vet.[quote=”2BNCR”]The gap between the haves and the have nots
Western materialism corrupting traditional values, disconnecting more and more Tico from their historic ties to agricultural, and living off the land.
US feminism and the degradations of motherhood.
Rampant uncontrolled development that has degraded the environment through unfinished inappropriate projects that stand as testimony to greed.[/quote]
I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment but lets lay the blame for these problems where it belongs.
Many of the problems that expats face are problems that are a result of the actions (greed) of those who have come before us and some who are still here. Some are self inflicted.This is a macho society and it is we who are guests in Costa Rica and we need to be aware of the differences in culture. If you don’t fit in with the community you are asking for problems that can be avoided.
:shock:To bar, or not to bar, that is one question. We’re in the process of selling off the valuables, even our gold wedding sets, to reduce the effect if we are targetted. I expect it, as a newbie. Everyone makes mistakes in a new place. As long as it just takes $$ to fix & not a hospital visit for GBH, it’s not much of a problem in my opinion. No, we’re not rich. We’ll have an adequate income to live modestly & be able to buy a house.
Would it make sense to leave the house open on the edge of Grecia, say, & let’em grope around w/out needing to break something to get in & have a look?
Other concerns- are the buses really good, or must we have a car to shop?
Is it easy to find Spanish classes?
How easy is it to find a non-moldy, well-sited,simple 2BR-2BA at 5,000 Ft? We’re altitude people (Denver). Boy, are we sorry we weren’t ready to hop on that great farm in Lourdes that just sold! It looked like our dream place…[quote=”Scott”]What Is Your #1 Most Important Concern About Living In Costa Rica?
This question is aimed at the VIP Members we have who have yet to make the move to Costa Rica…
To make sure that you are getting the answers to the questions and concerns you might have about living and retiring in Costa Rica, please take 30 seconds and let me know below what exactly is your #1 concern about living in Costa Rica?
If you have more than 30 seconds, why not let me know your top five concerns…
Your ‘amigo’ in Costa Rica
Scott Oliver
Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com[/quote]1. Bugs
2. Big Bugs
3. Hairy, Big Bugs
4. Killer, Hairy Big Bugs
5. Hungry, Killer, Hairy Big BugsThat’s all I can think of at the moment.
While I realize this question is being answered by some already living here which is not what Scott was hoping for…
Meanwhile, I cannot believe the response by the above poster when he states [b][i]”We’re in the process of selling off the valuables, even our gold wedding sets, to reduce the effect if we are targeted”[/i][/b]. If you feel that this is what it takes to live here, why would you want to come here?
Do you think that only rich ex-pats wear decent rings?
While our home has been robbed three times, I would never remove my rings even to feel safer. If I felt it necessary to do so, we would return to Canada after living here for nearly 10 years.
Buses are good, but they don’t go everywhere.
And no, I don’t recommend leaving any doors open….[quote=”1598ukusa”] :shock:To bar, or not to bar, that is one question.[/quote]
What I have found is that Tico friends are all important. They usually know who the local ladrones are. The problem with living in an area with a high population of expats is that it draws outsiders looking to rob.
[quote=”1598ukusa”] We’re in the process of selling off the valuables, even our gold wedding sets, to reduce the effect if we are targetted. I expect it, as a newbie. Everyone makes mistakes in a new place. As long as it just takes $$ to fix & not a hospital visit for GBH, it’s not much of a problem in my opinion.[/quote]
I brought a ton of construction tools with me, many of them smaller items. These would be easy to transport and sell and generally the target of local ladrones. These types do not carry guns as a norm.
When we had problems early on I walked the property at night with a couple of machetes. Now we have four dogs that we found needing homes and the Ticos are deathly afraid of them. It took months for the neighbors to be accustomed to the dogs responding to anyone who comes near the property.[quote=”1598ukusa”]No, we’re not rich. We’ll have an adequate income to live modestly & be able to buy a house.
Would it make sense to leave the house open on the edge of Grecia, say, & let’em grope around w/out needing to break something to get in & have a look?[/quote]David and Maravilla will probably respond to your questions regarding the area around Grecia/San Ramon. I am on the other side of the valley and we have no bars or gates. Locking the doors while you are away is always a good idea but the best prevention is your Tico neighbors. Make friends with them as quickly as possible.
[quote=”1598ukusa”]Other concerns- are the buses really good, or must we have a car to shop?[/quote]
In our area we can count on a bus every 30 minutes or so. We live 200 meters from the bus terminal in Colon.[quote=”1598ukusa”]Is it easy to find Spanish classes?[/quote]
Again, David & Marvilla know that area.
[quote=”1598ukusa”]How easy is it to find a non-moldy, well-sited,simple 2BR-2BA at 5,000 Ft? We’re altitude people (Denver).[/quote]
My wife and I are Denver natives with the last 19 years in LA. Ciudad Colon is at 2900ft. The temperature is around 70-80 year round but the humidity is higher than I like.
Mold is something you live with in the tropics. Bleach or a mild solution of Muratic acid is best control.
[quote=”1598ukusa”] Boy, are we sorry we weren’t ready to hop on that great farm in Lourdes that just sold! It looked like our dream place…[/quote]
As far as buying, take your time. Living here can tell you a lot more than we can. The culture is different. Americans are results oriented and Ticos are process oriented and everything procedes at Tico time…slowly. Documentation for everything must be perfect. If one i is not dotted or one t not crossed can cause a lot of problems.
The country is beautiful and the people are friendly and helpful.[quote=”sstarkey”]
1. Bugs
2. Big Bugs
3. Hairy, Big Bugs
4. Killer, Hairy Big Bugs
5. Hungry, Killer, Hairy Big BugsThat’s all I can think of at the moment.[/quote]
We have six cats that feast on all five types of bugs you mentioned…spiders too.
So, your cats kill whatever they like and Nature in Costa Rica suffers for your presence.
I think that is sad.I’m thinking that adopting indigenous pet lizards are the answer. Environmentally friendly and…
…while the ‘multiple cat’ angle is intriguing, as a single gal, I’m afraid I might be stereotyped as a crazy cat-lady.
Come to think of it, perhaps I need to re-think my avatar…
So sstarkey
What do you think of the beetle photograph on the portal page? Here’s another one for you ….
Scott
Hee! Hee!
[quote=”Scott”]So sstarkey
What do you think of the beetle photograph on the portal page? Here’s another one for you ….
Scott
Hee! Hee![/quote]
I think I’m going to need a bigger lizard!
if you mind cohabitating with insect life, you better not move here. it’s you against them, and if the cats eat a few thousand thumb-size cucarachas, so what?
every day is a spanish lesson in costa rica. do not underestimate the importance of being able to communicate in spanish. without the language, you are missing out on the very essence of living here.
my biggest worry about living in costa rica is that there will be way too many gringos which will change the fabric of the culture, as i have already seen it do in the 5.5 years i’ve been here. the only encouraging thing is that 40% of them hightail it home in less than two years.
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