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[quote=”sweikert925″]
…… If this Villalta fellow does win the presidential election next year he won’t have an army available to maintain power – but lucky for him neither will there be an ambitious right-wing general or colonel around to topple him.[/quote]Sweikert – if Villalta does win and he does turn out to be a communist or a socialist, would you still plan on moving here?
[quote=”lyncota”]I am reactivating this thread. In response to the original post, I just went to pay my annual corporation tax at BCR. The last 2 years, no problem. Both times, I payëd the reduced inactive corporation rate. This year, for some reason, they have us listed as an äctive corporation and say that we owe the entire approx 400.00. I am getting nowhere with the links listed when I plug in my corporation number. Any ideas as to what is going on- Thanks.[/quote]
I just checked as well, and one of my corporations also went from inactive to active status!
[quote=”Scott”]
…… If you don’t like the hot weather too much then you should probably stay away from the coasts and try finding your little slice of paradise in the Central Valley area…..
Scott
[/quote]Scott – there is “hot weather” and then there is the “heat in the summer” that Tom refers to – the coasts of Costa Rica don’t come close to comparing “Texas hot” and especially “Dallas hot”.
How about over 70 straight days in Dallas’s 2011 summer with temperatures of 100 degrees or higher; or, an average daily high in August 2011 of 104.3 degrees; 55 nights in the summer of 2011 with a LOW temperature of 80 degrees or HIGHER!
And the old timers in Dallas say 1980 was even worse – and the recent news for the summer of 2013 says that it approached the torture of 2011.
Global warming you say? Try doing a little research on the Dallas ice storms of 1978 & 79, plus the one in 2011 (yes, the very same 2011) and the recent ice storm that paralyzed the metroplex for several days in early December, just a few weeks ago!
I read Tom’s comments to say he looking for something that is a great deal more temperate, and especially without the drastic highs and lows that seem to focus on the DFW area.
[quote=”sunnytom”]My wife and I are planning a trip to CR. We live in Dallas and I don’t care for the weather. Hot in the summer and can get cold in the winter. I love to scuba dive. I like Thailand, but it is so far away. Can we live a nice lifestyle on $5000. a month in CR? We would like to rent long term. One or two bedroom with a pool, or condo with pool.[/quote]
Hi Tom –
As Scott says, you can live very comfortably on $5,000/month. Before taking the plunge, you should make a couple of exploratory trips and try out different areas.Much to the surprise of many people that do NOT live at the beach in Costa Rica, not all areas are as hot, humid and buggy as they think (and say).
My wife and I moved full time to Playa Samara, on the Nicoya Peninsula. We have been here 5 years now, and we spend more days and nights WITHOUT air conditioning that with. We returned from the States on 2 Nov, and since our return we have not used any of our air conditioning units for 1 minute, day or night! We are fortunate to have a refreshing sea breeze most of each day, and a very cool breeze off of the mountains every night. We are at an elevation of only 300 feet or so, and our friends that live less than 10 minutes away at 1200 feet elevation enjoy 5-7 degrees cooler temperature than we do – so there are “micro-climates” within each area to investigate.
Last night the low in our area was 66 degrees F, and the high today was 86 – and this is SUMMER. For most of the last 2 weeks I have been sleeping outside (by choice) on our terrace enjoying the stars, and I do not have one insect bite to show for it. Everyone of those nights has been in the high 60’s.
Are there nights and days during the year that are warmer and buggier? Sure, but unlike the Central Valley and many of the mountainous areas we VERY RARELY (if ever) suffer from floods, mudslides, sinkholes, road closures or bridge outages during our comparatively brief rainy season. And before any of my good forum friends point to Samara’s 7.6 earthquake in September of 2012, I will point out that buildings in San Jose, Puntarenas and Liberia and elsewhere suffered much, much more damage that we had in the Samara area. Fortunately (for us) the quake was 40 miles deep and the shock waves resonated outward, rather than upward. Anyway, I think it is safe to say that no place in Costa Rica is immune from those frequent “tremblors”.
There are so many areas of Costa Rica with varying climates, and by and large, the people that live in each area will tell you that their climate is the best and you should live there. They all have the privilege of saying that because that is where they chose to live and the climate they chose to live in.
You didn’t mention your like, or dislike, of wind and/or rain. Many areas of Costa Rica get an inordinate amount of one or the other – or both. Temperature is not the only determining factor in one’s comfort level. If it stays in the 70’s but rains 75% of the days of the year or the wind blows 30mph on most days, then that can get old pretty fast.
Air quality is another factor. Any area that has 3 million people or so (and almost as many cars) will have concerns with air quality – especially if it is surrounded by mountains (like a “valley”).
So don’t take my word for it, or anyone else’s word for it.
A little internet research on the different areas of Costa Rica will get you started in the right direction, and then go visit those areas of most interest and see for your self. Spend a few days and nights or more in each area and ask a lot of questions – then take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Sift through what you are hearing, and search for the truth.
There are a lot of other considerations as well when relocating. Creature comforts, access to stores, health care, crime, airports (if you are traveling often), etc. If you want Dallas-style mega-malls, theaters, U.S.-based fast food and chain restaurants, etc., then “the valley” is probably best for you; but that is not what many of us were looking for when we chose Costa Rica.
The good thing is that you are fortunate enough to have the means to pick up and relocate (or return to the States) if you find yourself in an area or areas that don’t meet your expectations.
And one more great thing about Costa Rica – it is so small that if you live in the mountains and want to enjoy the beach, or vice versa, within 2, 3, or 4 hours at the most, you can be in just about any other part of the country enjoying someone else’s self proclaimed “perfect climate”.
http://dgt.hacienda.go.cr/tiposimpuestos/Paginas/Impuestosolidario.aspx
call off the dogs! I found everything I needed at this link.
Call Jacqueline at 8878-4932, 2271-1844 or 2271-1845. Her husband operates a very professional garage in Curridabat. He is not cheap, but they are very professional and both speak English.
[quote=”sprite”]Check out “Techos Siglo 21 & Montana Paraiso at
http://casasenescazu.com/Let me know what you think.[/quote]
Sprite –
after following Scott’s tip I read some of the posts that he pointed to. I was just wondering if you did the same and if so,“Let me know what you think.”
I have heard both pros and cons of the Lundquist tours, but have never been on the tour myself so I will leave that discussion for those that have.
Other than PuraVidaTexan and maybe a couple others on this blog, I am confident that I am one of the very few who know where Fairfield TX is – having grown up in Houston with relatives in Dallas I remember passing through it many times.
Whether you should go to the Caribbean side or not is purely a matter of choice. All I will say is that it is harder to access by roadway and there are fewer locales to choose from. Let me just say that there is a reason that the beaches of Guanacaste have become home to far more relocatees than the beach areas of the Caribbean side.
As far as your first visit, see as much as you can, but don’t judge any area without giving it a fair amount of time. On some tours, you see 4, 5 or 6 towns in a day – and that’s not fair!
The best advice is to let the climate you seek be your guide. If you ultimately decide to live at elevation you can always visit the beach, and vice versa.
If you decide to visit Guanacaste, I always suggest that you visit our little area of Samara and Carrillo, and of course I suggest that you check out our guest house at
Good Hunting!
[quote=”costaricabill”]http://www.amcostarica.com/morenews2.htm
Can you imagine the chaos and anger that will be generated at the fronteras over the next month and the accompanying holiday period? Another tax, but with limited places throughout the country to make payment and absolutely no place to pay at the border!
I think I don’t want to be a border guard, especially at Penas Blancas. There will be thousands of angry Nicas trying to get home for the holidays!!![/quote]
As predicted!
http://insidecostarica.com/2013/12/03/new-border-tax-causing-chaos-nicaragua-border/[quote=”VictoriaLST”]And now I am hearing that even with a provisional number and a CR license, you have to cross the border every 90 days. Will this nonsense ever end?[/quote]
Where are you “hearing” that? Is it a credible source, or the avocado table at the feria?
[quote=”orcas0606″]I’m looking for info on the use of a Sling Box and Sling Player for android mobile. I am currently on Cable Tica Metro and ICE internet and am using a rather cheap wi fi router. Speed test shows my internet speed as 1.73/0.45 Mbps. A faster internet connection and better router are within my means but I don’t want to make a sizable investment and have to put up with a lot of buffering and poor video. Are there any techies out there that have any experience or suggestions re Sling Box Thanks[/quote]
I was so excited when I got my slingbox 4 years ago and had it hooked up to a friend’s cable system in the States. I used it often, and I was happy to have it even with the routine stoppages, less than desirable picture quality, and necessary calls to him to please “reboot”.
It is still in his house, still hooked up and still available to me, but there are so many better ways to get better quality now, from all around the world, and I don’t think I have logged into my SlingBox for in the past 2 years.
A VPN subscription is a much better option, and then there are many, many free access portals available on the internet as well.
[quote=”colleen.1″][quote=”costaricabill”][quote=”colleen.1″]Has anyone had experience with roadside assistance purchased with the annual Marchamo? Was wondering if it was actually worth buying?[/quote]
I have it as a part of my INS policy and I have used it three times. Twice they carried my car to Liberia and once to Nicoya (each time from Samara). All I did was call INS and they sent a flatbed tow truck, no hassle, no charge. The truck and driver showed up within an hour of the promised time.[/quote]
Thank you for the response but it still diodnt answer my question!![/quote]
Uh, I’m sorry, my response should have been limited to a one word answer that is more easy for you to comprehend and understand, so here it is – -“YES”
I think any rational person that read my response could understand that not only did I answer your question, but I gave you several reasons why, which to me is just as, if not more, important.
If I say that I have had as part of my policy and continue to do so, I have used it 3 times, all I had to do was call INS, there has been no hassle and no charge and the service was timely, isn’t that a better answer than a simple “yes”?
I don’t have a brother-in-law, but what if I just said “yes” and then failed to mention that my brother-in-law is a big shot with INS?
Which answer is more meaningful and informative?
Geez!
[quote=”colleen.1″]Has anyone had experience with roadside assistance purchased with the annual Marchamo? Was wondering if it was actually worth buying?[/quote]
I have it as a part of my INS policy and I have used it three times. Twice they carried my car to Liberia and once to Nicoya (each time from Samara). All I did was call INS and they sent a flatbead tow truck, no hassle, no charge. The truck and driver showed up within an hour of the promised time.
Can anyone suggest where to buy citronella plants/grass or the other plants that Waggoner41 suggests? The dry season is coming to Guanacaste, more time outdoors, more time for mosquito bites. I’ll be in SJO next week, and I am looking to buy plants soon for planting before the end of the rainy season.
Gracias,[quote=”wintex”]Hello all. Looking for information on border crossing, the easiest either north or south. We will be in San Jose for 4 months so need to leave the country after 90 days. Any suggestions on the easiest one or two day trips to achieve this. Thanks for any info. Cheers Derek[/quote]
You can drive, take a turismo van, fly or take a bus to either Panama or Nicaragua. If not flying, based on recent posts about the increased requirements at the Panama border, I would head to Penas Blancas and cross into Nicaragua. If you want to stay out of country for 3 days (as most people think you are required to do – not true) then I would suggest taking a cab from the border to San Juan Del Sur (for a beach retreat) or Granada (for a beautiful colonial city with many things to do and visit). Another option would be to take the cab to Rivas, then the ferry to Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua – it is very unique, beautiful and inexpensive.
safe travels,
