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[url=http://issuu.com/el_residente/docs/residente_2014-05/1?e=3794147/7730209]ARCR is no longer accepting new members[/url], (Pg.4, bottom right side, last paragraph) so the premiums they posted regarding increases are for [url=http://www.usexpatcostarica.com/arcr-rate-hike-for-caja-plan/]their existing members only[/url]
Note: there has been [i]another[/i] increase since these rates were posted.ARCR offered ‘set rates’ while CAJA has set rates only for [i]Inversionista[/i] and [i]Rentista[/i] their Pensionado are reached by a percentage of the documented pension you used for your Residency application, from 7-18.5% and that seems to be determined which office you apply at.
To get current information it is advisable to go to a CCSS(CAJA) office, although they may not provide an answer unless you are going to join, right then and there.
The premiums are [i]usually[/i] less…[i]at least at this time they are[/i]… but if you are still under 55. your payments will still be higher, [i]possibly double[/i], than someone who is over 55 and will continue to be so, until than you are 55 😉
Not sure what you are referring to [i]’…* 24 * 2 is quite substantial'[/i] but that premium will cover you both, although it will only provide a pension for the principal account holder.
Note: A second $60K is required to be deposited, two years after the first, and this should last you, if you then apply for Permanent residency at the beginning of the 4th year.
Another important note: if you are under 55 and a Rentista, your CAJA will be [i]quite[/i] high, possibly, $400-450 per month, as part of the premium will go towards a small pension. CAJA fees have risen twice this year…:cry:Obviously ease of changing countries and crossing borders, should be considered. Lot’s of English spoken in Tenerife 8)
Paying $100K in town will not provide you with much.
Have you read the [url=http://www.costaricalaw.com/Immigration-and-Residency/residency-general-information-and-summary.html]financial and legal requirements[/url] for living here?You would be advised to rent in your chosen area for an extended time until you decide whether [u]you[/u] feel it is safe.
An American friend and former neighbor ‘has sort of’ adopted a Costa Rican child….[i][i]but his spouse is Costa Rican citizen[/i][/i], although in reality it is a ‘long term lease’ by PANI. They had previously met the baby’s mother, who is a drug addict, before the baby was born, and she ‘agreed that these friends could adopt her baby’. Of course, it is not so simple as that, as the baby had multiple medical problems due to the mother’s drug use. PANI has the last say in every aspect of this baby’s life.
I do think that you are required to be a citizen.
[i]Red tape covers the whole country[/i] and starting this procedure could break you heart…Maybe you won’t find orchids but if you are in a rural area, walk around looking very carefully and you will be surprised with what you can find….although you may have a hard time identifying them.
[img]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/costaricafinca/More/IMG_3297cr_zps8761e88a.jpg[/img]Is this an orchid? No, it isn’t. It is a weedy ground cover with individual blooms that are under 1/8″ each.
Check out Wilson Botanical Garden, San Vito de Coto Brus, CATIE Botanical Garden, Orchimex located near Puntarenas and Elsie Kintzler botanical garden near Sarchi.
Costa Rica’s national flower, Guaria morada blooms around February.
Of course, what species will be flowering will depend on when you actually visit.On [url=http://www.qcostarica.com/2014/09/14/costa-rica-a-country-without-an-army-harbours-half-a-million-guns/]todays [b]’qcostarica'[/b], [/url]an article saying that Costa Rica: a country with no army harbors 500,000 guns…even more than Colombia and El Salvador.
I know many [i]Ticos[/i] who have unsuccessfully applied for a visa, and it seems for no good reason. They have supplied info on their bank account, have family here parents or children, own a home, have successful careers but they were denied. Helping to obtain one for a ‘friend’ who hasn’t much in the bank, and no real estate in their name may be next to impossible….but you never know.
I don’t think one needs to have an ‘issue’ with this particular realtor, but we are bombarded with websites telling us that there are [i]soooo[/i] many unlicensed realtors and that we shouldn’t trust them…and we all [i]probably[/i] have dealt with some of them in the past.
Thanks Scott for following this up!
An added thought: In Dennis Easters article, [i]’5 reasons NOT to sign with an exclusive listing agreement…'[/i]he writes in paragraph #4 [i]”Lack of agent experience/ethics- Unfortunately, real estate licensing does not exist in Costa Rica. What does that mean to you as a seller in Costa Rica? It means that anyone can open an office, put out a shingle and be a ‘realtor’. It is very possible that your sales ‘professional’ has never worked in the real estate field. It may also mean that your agent does not have sales experience of any kind, and may not have taken a real estate sales or ethics course”[/i].
This is not to say that the other realtor is not experienced, capable or reliable.
