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So, anybody went to BCR and tried to pay the tax ?
It is the Registro Nacional who will be collecting this tax. From what I was told by the tax department last week is that the Registro Nacional is not prepared yet for that. So nobody knows what is going on. I will definitely wait until “last minute”.
[quote=”Versatile”]Thanks Marvilla. I guess i didn’t explain myself.
The system always gives four choices. How do i know which choice to make?Most likely you need to try it out.
http://translate.google.com/#en|es|[/quote]
Google translation is great and useful for those who have a basic to advanced knowledge of the language. A word can have several meanings and it is hard to “guess” the one that fits in the text.
The problem with imported seed is that the ants take it with them. After waiting for weeks to see the grass grow in the front yard, the grass finally grew …… out of the ant piles.
Seeds in Costa Rica are covered with some kind of anti-bug powder.
The best way is to buy squares of “San Augustin” grass and plant like putting a carpet.We have a couple decent notaries/attorneys in Tilaran, for those who want to buy property in the Arenal area. No need to hire 2 or 3. Off course we also work with attorneys from San Jose.
We recommend all our home-buyers to change the whole Electric in Tico Homes, we have not seen one single Tico Home so far that had a decent electric installation.
The best result I get is injecting the dogs with Dectomax, but it is not recommended on all dogs, specially pure bred dogs. All the other stuff is temporary or partial, never eliminates all the ticks, specially those out in the yard. The dog may be clean today, but tomorrow they are out again, picking up new bugs. I spend time each day, picking ticks off the dogs. I think, living in the Tropics means living with bugs, just get used to it.
I have been living at Lake Arenal and Tilarán for 20 years, enjoying the healthy environment, staying away from unhealthy food and habits, and therefore staying away from Doctors and Hospitals. There is a basic hospital in Tilarán and another one in Cañas. For bigger health issues they send you to Liberia, and in some cases from Liberia to San Jose. I had 2 C-sections in San Jose (San Juan del Sur hospital) and my son had appendicitis surgery in Liberia at age 5, both were paid by Caja (CCSS). I had 1 other surgery at a private clinic in Liberia (clinica 25 de julio) where I paid approximately $ 300. A friend of mine died last year from a heart attack, in GERMANY, he was only 46 years old. So I think, if it is your turn, it does not really matter where you are.
[quote=”evrodd”]Approximately how much would you expect to pay a caretaker in the Lake Arenal area (outside of Nuevo Arenal)? We wouldn’t need much more than a presence for security purposes, and I don’t really know whether we’d need that if we were permanent residents. Are burglaries and home invasions a problem in this area?[/quote]
Unfortunately yes, there is a certain crime rate in the Nuevo Arenal area.
Expenses also depend on the size of the property.
I am property-managing two neighbouring properties (2 homes plus 2 utility buildings on a total of 9 acres), they have a fulltime gardener and a “sleeping-guard”.
The gardener gets 440 $ per month, the Guard 490 $ per month. You may add another 50 % to that for social security, insurance, end of year benefits etc. Makes almost 1400 $ per month. Plus expenses for home insurance, repairs, tools, fuel, weed quimicals etc. Plus property management fees 😉Never hire a Tico for anything ,nore let him live on the property, without a written agreement or contract drawn by a lawyer and signed by the labour department !! I have learned a lot in 19 years in Costa Rica about the Ticos and their “helpfulness”, and come to the conclusion that if I built a house again I would prefer a high security system (bars, alarm system, 10 pitbull dogs) or anything else but a Tico on my property.
We have a recent case here in the neighbourhood, an american lady, because of compassion and generosity, lets a Tico family (man, wife, daughter) live in her house during her absence (3 1/2 months) because the Tico was crying her ears full that he had no place to stay and nowhere to go. They agreed that he would live in the house for free, only pay utilities. He also would mow the property with his own mashine 1 x month, her paying him 200 $ as a firm price for that job. As this job was only taking a few days, he would find other jobs somewhere else. After 3 1/2 months the owner comes back to Costa Rica, the Tico goes to court, claiming severance pay, extra hours etc. he had no witnesses, the owner of the house had 2 witnesses. Nevertheless, the judge ruled in the Ticos favour, twisting and bending all the testimonies. The owner of the house shall pay him 3000 Dollars, plus 460 $ court costs !!! For a fulltime job, extra hours as a fulltime guard, christmas bonus, vacation pay, unemployment benefits, and others.This means that someone who lives/sleeps on your property, and does some parttime work, may cost you as much as 1200 $ per month. 👿
I know an Engineer who works for Monsanto in Cañas/Guanacaste and he told me that they plant GMO-Cotton for test purposes (which I do not apreciate at all !!!!) but no GMO-Food.
I don´t know about other places growing GMO-Stuff in C.R. but am sure that at least the importet veggies in cans, specially corn, and the soy products(oil) are pretty much GMO 👿About the quimicals used on veggies and fruit, I have read an article some time ago that stated that tests made on “fresh” supermarket veggies showed that 20 years ago the contamination was 80 % higher then now, hope it keeps going this way 😀
I am a builder too and, personally, I would never build prefab. Maybe a bodega or laundry shack.
I am under the impression that the Tico-Type Prefab was ment to be used on those “Bono-Houses” that the government donates to poor people.
It is just too far from my European sense of building, I would not feel that I am IN a house knowing that the walls are maybe 2 inches thick, would be more like camping in a tent 😕
I have also friends who have built prefab, and after “completion” they had to invest a lot of money in order to convert it into a (sort of) finished home.“I dont have to leave the country every 3 months because I have a costa rican son”
this is not quite true, as long as you do not have Residency you HAVE TO leave the country after 3 months, no matter you having a child or not, and you are not allowed to work until you have your residency in hands.
In your case, you CAN’t leave the country because of the Court order.
You need to decide what you want to do, stay in Costa Rica, get residency and try to find a job, even being paid as a Tico. OR deposit the 13 months of child support, go back home to Florida, and support your child from the U.S. if you are a responsable Dad.From my experience, contracts can be in any language, but whatever goes to the public registry has to be in Spanish. Private contracts in other languages have to be translated when it gets to fight legal issues.
The mentioned case is not a single case, many developers get into financial problems and are not able to finish their projects, and the first lot buyers are those who are waiting for years in order to get their amenities (pool, club house, security etc.), if at all !! Buyers have to understand how a development works. The developer buys a big junk of land (often with a mortgage) and off course many of them do not have the cash money to fully develop it immediately. This money comes in from selling lots upfront. The more lots are sold the faster the project gets completed. Due to greed (overpriced lots), and now the economic crisis, many developers are sitting on their land without selling anything. Or cut back expenses by putting powerlines on poles instead of underground, blaming it on ICE or the contractors. Other lot buyers are trying to find their water connection and then find one single pipe sticking out of the ground for 25 lots !! My advise is, if somebody buys a lot on unfinished development property, put every single detail in the contract (underground power and phone lines, paved roads etc.), including a decent time frame (pool, clubhouse, roads, security completed and provided in 12 months !!). Don’t buy undevelopped land paying the price of developped land. Hold money back and pay the balance when the project is completed to your satisfaction. Or negotiate more land for the same amount of money in case the development gets stuck, do whatever you feel happy with. But do it in writing, in Spanish, and have it registered !! If the developper refuses to sign, then don’t buy !!Maybe some developers do not like what I am writing, I am a realtor and my opinion is that realtors represent not only the seller, we also want our buyers to be happy with their purchase and with our services.
I remember the times before Price Smart even existed and PALI did not have frozen turkeys. So my friends from Oregon broungt their frozen turkey for christmas every year. Others have brought smoked meat and cheese in vacuum packages.
It is just a question of luck. One time the bags got lost and arrived a day later at the airport, customs called us and told us that they had to open them before sending them to Tilaran (very nice service) and they kept all the food that came in the bag. Another friend prefered to eat his cheese and smoked sausages right at the airport, did not want to share at all!! don’t try that with frozen food!!
