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Rent a car companys often offer rates per month, though they are not cheap ($1000/month and up). If you will be in the Guanacaste area I know of some other options. Where do you plan to visit?
[quote=”costaricabill”]
I have also heard of a venue just outside of Tamarindo that has large horse shows and concerts – don’t know the capacity. I’m not sure but it may be at Hacienda Pinilla, or near by. Some friends of mine went to a concert, horse show and BBQ there.[/quote]You may be talking about Black Stallion Hills, there is a lot of area there, but nothing set up seating wise for that many people.
Im younger then most who post on here, I’m 24 years old. I find it kind of funny (and kind of depressing) when older people (60’s, 70’s +) think that they will be fine, and the shit will hit the fan later on, and it will be the younger people who have to deal with the problem. American people have been living beyond their means for so long, and they know show will end one day, and they will leave it for the next generation to deal with. But in reality, its going down RIGHT NOW. Your lucky to have your SS and your pension checks, but you really think that will last if the US is Bankrupt? Even if you have millions in gold hidding somewhere, you think life will go on as normal? NO WAY! These problems are HUGE, life changing for most everyone on this planet. Most people don’t understand what all of this will mean, what printing $9 Trillion overnight really means, but it means WORLD ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.
The thing is, SS and Pensions will be gone not because of “a political decision”, like you mention, but a “economic consequence” of being Bankrupt! N
And as far as Elections and politicians caring about anything of that sort, ITS A JOKE! Look at Obama! Hes doing the same thing as Bush, Change? What change? Every single promise he made has been broken, there’s still war, there’s still massive spending, loss of civil liberties every single day, its the same thing with a different name. Its a show for the American people to “feel” like they still have democracy. When the politicians on the ballot ALL have corporate interests in mind, what choice do the people really have?
As to SS, when the US defaults on its debt, which could be very, very soon (within a year), that will be the first thing to go. Its all invested in government bonds, treasuries, when the US defaults they default on the debt owed to SS as well, just like the debt owed to China, Japan, etc. Every month the US is going more and more into debt, with a shrinking economy, how long can that be sustained? When it can’t be sustained or when some people want their money back (sell treasuries, ie. China), what happens?
Of course they are on a scale “to large to comprehend”, do people really know how much 9 Trillion dollars is? $9,000,000,000,000.00 the amount of money authorized to be “created”, and given away to banks overnight.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/01/news/economy/fed_reserve_data_release/index.htm
Also, according to the Fed, the money thats being created is not “going into circulation” , its being created out of thin air, its numbers going from one system to another or being created outright. How does that work? Do you know who is buying US Treasuries?? THE FED! Its insane.. Destined for collapse..
Whats really sad, is that people can still have faith in a system that is screwing them over in so many ways. The war in Iraq/Afghanistan giving money to the Corp. War sector, the “Bank Bailout” giving money to the Banking Sector, Politicians are working for the Corporations, not the people. The monetary system is such a joke right now, the only reason why its still going on and China, Russia, etc. are allowing things to go on.. is if the Dollar collapses, everything will go along with it. The US has made the world dependent on the Dollar, and thats the only way they are getting away with this stuff.. For now.
Um, Im not sure you understand. The 35% “gain” would be made mostly by keeping your money in colones instead of dollars, as if you hold colones and the exchange rate goes to 400/$1 anyone holding colones made 25%, (or kept from losing 25% by owning dollars), the rest would be from interest paid by the bank. Go to BCR or BN and have them show you the interest earned in one year with a 7% CD.
[quote=”Scott”]I have no doubt that the US dollar has very serious problems but what’s your personal strategy?
Are you selling dollars and putting a ton of colones in your safe? Changing as much as you can right now?[/quote]
Hey Scott. I would spread things out in a variety of things, which would be insurance against various different possible outcomes. Some would deal with a SHTF outcome, the other deals with Inflation/Hyper-Inflation outcomes, the other deals with business as usual outcomes. Depending on how you think events will be in the next 5 years; put more or less into the SHTF store of wealth;
To deal with SHTF: I would keep some wealth stored in goods such as seeds, clothes, shoes, candels, canned food, freeze dried foods, water, water purification tablets, and lots of colones in cash form, colones in coin form (500 and 100 colones mainly) some cash in dollars. Protection ( investment on property or personal protection). Alcohol, Wine and medicines.
To Deal with Inflation, HyperInflation: Gold/Silver (silver being the best), Colones in Cash, Colones in a CD in the bank earning interest, Trading international currencies.
Business as Usual: Pretty much the same as above, because “Business as Usual” always carries the “invisible killer of wealth” ie. Inflation.
[quote=”maravilla”]
What high interest CDs? The ones offering 7% with a yield of less than 1% after the devaluation, etc.?[/quote]
The 1 year CDs in Colones are offering up to 7-8%. If the colon goes to 400 in the next year, this is how the math would work out.
Put $10,000 into A colones CD @ 7% interest for 1 year right now. That buys you C 5,060,000 colones earning 7% interest.
After interest, at the end of the year you should have C 5,414,000 colones. When you trade those to dollars at a C400 exchange rate, it would then be $13,535.00; or a gain of approx. 35%. A lot better then a CD in dollars @ 1% that is losing value against the colon.
[quote=”Scott”]
Remember?“Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event––like a new Pearl Harbor”
Or at this time, more likely Iran…
Scott[/quote]
Scott, Don’t you think that the Project for a New American Century (PNAC) which you just quoted, referred to 9/11?
Its either his caps lock button is stuck or he is trying to look like a tough guy on the internet.. Either way something’s broken!
That kind of decision depends on your personal needs and what your long term plans are in Costa Rica. Why did you originally buy it?
No matter what you do, if you rent it out or if you sell it, its going to be very hard to sell a unfurnished Condo right now. You can get bargain deals on Condo’s in many places.. I think if you were in a situation to rent it out, that would be the best idea, to establish rental history and to help pay it off/cover the costs, then after a few years you can see how it works and then sell it as a functional rental with rental history, furnished, which is a lot more desirable then a bare Condo.
If you want to furnish your condo for a reasonable cost and yet still get very nice furniture – You may want it made. I can recommend a great woodworker in the Coco Area who does everything from Beds, Kitchen Tables, barstools, Desks, Entertainment centers, Sofa’s, Outdoor furniture, etc. Very affordable, for example he charges $500 for a hardwood, 6 person dining table with chairs, all hand crafted from local tropical woods.. If you buy anything here in Costa Rica for that price at the stores it will be chinese, fake wood, not good quality and not very nice. Plus that way you can make anything you draw up and design, if you want to check out his wood shop or have me send you some pictures of his work let me know.. He’s done the furnishing’s for hundreds of homes and Condo’s in your area.. having custom furniture made is usually you best option in Costa rica because of the cheaper hardwood available and the low cost of labor.
The larger then normal rock slides are probably not harming too much wildlife, they should be smart enough to get away.
I can only imagine how you feel about what’s happening in the Gulf of Mexico right now..
[quote=”GreciaBound”]Doesn’t appear that Puravidas will be a customer for Cali, but that’s OK. Cali says “The question asked by PuraVidas was “Construction Cost”, which is different and separate from Site Prep, Design, and Furnishing the home.” Who cares about this opinion when the bills keep coming in? Final cost is what is important. You really dont want to fool yourself into thinking that Site prep and Design are not part of the real construction costs. You really want to have enough money to add furniture when you are done…
Cali says “Actually construction costs in Guanacaste are more expensive, so if anything costs in the rest of the country should be lower…” so costs in Guanacaste can be closer to $100 per square foot, no? What really matters is quality of living at a reasonable cost, yes?[/quote]
Obviously, No he would not be a client of mine as I do not do work in that area, like I said before I only do work in Guanacaste. I don’t know what that has to do with anything anyways nor do I understand why you started off you post like that.. I don’t think your post will help PuraVida’s at all.. but that OK.
Whats the difference between building a home, designing a home, furnishing, landscaping a home?? Everything. Are you going to ask your contractor to buy your TV’s? So why would that be included in a home constructions cost???
The question PuraVidas asked, plain and simple was the cost of BUILDING a Tico Home. Not the cost of Planning, Designing (maybe he already has those things done?) and eventually furnishing the home.. Nor did he ask about building an American style home (like David is trying to convince him to do).
As to your final comment.. I have no clue what your talking about. The price estimate I mentioned was for work here in Guanacaste.. so what are you talking about $100/foot now for? Where was this “Rule of Thumb” number pulled out of?
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]I don’t mean to nitpick caliskatari’s numbers, but as I look at the details I just wonder if everyone will be satisfied with some of them.
I wonder, for example, how the gypsum ceilings will hold up over (say) ten or fifteen years of our chronic high humidity. Every house I’ve seen has teak or laurel (wood) tongue and groove ceilings.
I wonder about the plain zinc roofing materials. If the roof is to show, will you be happy with the exposed “silver” color?
I’m skeptical about melina cabinetry and tile countertops. We have melina in our guest house and opted not to use it in our main house.
Now, all that and more won’t cause the costs to go up by $35 per square foot, but upgrading just those things will have a significant impact and get you closer, although probably not all the way, to my $100 guestimation figure.[/quote]
OK, I think you need to understand this isn’t about a Home you want David. This about a home PuraVidas was asking about – which is a “Tico Style” home. All I am doing is answering the question that PuraVidas asked; I don’t think he even asked for opinions regarding finish materials and their pro’s and con’s. He simply asked the cost to build a tico style home, and that is what I provided him.
If PuraVidas was a client of mine, I would of course explain the pros and cons of each material, and suggest other materials which may be more expensive but obtain a longer life. However I am not working with him, all I am doing is trying to best give him an idea what he could realistically build in his budget.
[quote=”DavidCMurray”]My “rule of thumb” of $100 per square foot is, as I said, meant only as a rough reality check. I also said that a house could likely be built for less.
You’ve quoted $50 per square foot plus thirty percent. That gets us to $65 without unforeseen circumstances, upgrades, etc, and I’m talking Central Valley. Maybe things are cheaper in Guanacaste. I dunno.
Point is: We’re not that far apart, and I’d rather someone estimate high and come in low than the other way around. What a mess it would be to run out of money before the house is finished.[/quote]
No I did not quote $50/foot plus 30%.. The 30% has nothing to do with the price of real construction. Furniture, Appliances, Landscaping, etc. should never be included in “Construction Cost”. I just didn’t know if the rough price you were mentioning was including those things or not, as it seemed very high, more of a luxury home’s cost. The question asked by PuraVidas was “Construction Cost”, which is different and separate from Site Prep, Design, and Furnishing the home.
Actually construction costs in Guanacaste are more expensive, so if anything costs in the rest of the country should be lower..
