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just returned from a long vacation.
[quote=”waggoner41″]Those of us who are here are enjoying a life not possible for those who are holed up in the U.S.[/quote]
me, my family and friends live well in America. we do not feel “holed up” at all to my knowledge. we live in the 945xx zipcode and love it.
[quote=”waggoner41″]We do have all those things that typical Americans possess but we have no bars on my windows, no steel portals and no iron gates or fences on my property and have never been robbed. [/quote]
my friends in CR speak of a completely different experience. my friends, who live in CR, are extremely concerned about security. i’m the careless type so i leave my car unlocked and my house unlocked so i’d definitely have to live “holed up” (behind a gate) in CR to be comfortable. most of my friends, if they live in a house in CR, hire a fulltime maid so someone is always home to avoid having to lock down everything when they leave the house.
it is good that you are not so concern for it truly makes life much less stressful.
[quote=”waggoner41″]The men came here mainly for plunder and sex or to live off the fat of Costa Rica.[/quote]
basically an issue with the CR gov’t *and* culture, not the men that come to partake. for every plundering and sex crazed american man in CR there are 1000 ticos who are the same so what gives? men are men for the most part so to single out any group is unfair. CR gov’t could change this aspect of CR over night, if they so choose.
[quote=”waggoner41″]or to live off the fat of Costa Rica.[/quote]
for american men, what fat is there to live off in CR?
great reply 2BNCR. i liked this part best “Why am I buying, because there are other “depressed” property that are magnificent that will never be seen at this price for a long time if ever.”
i don’t know about CR because there is no systematic valuation for RE in CR, but in the US market, in some markets, housing is priced lower than it would cost to build the house. this is an amazing time for buying. you can also buy, then rent, and rent will actually cover mortgage, insurance and taxes.
with that said, i’m still favoring stocks. considering the DOW was at 14000 not so long ago, getting back to 14000 once the economy picks up, shouldn’t be that difficult. of course, i can’t say where the market will be in 5 years, but i’m thinking it will be beyond 14000 so i’m willing to stay put in stocks (less work, less hassle). i don’t want to be a landlord, because as i said before, for me RE is about buying to living in. i really can’t get passed this feeling toward RE “the more you own, the more it owns you”.
Versatile, i honestly think the author of the article got it right and wrong (no one is perfect). i think you should do as you have been doing, gather your information from multiple sources. of course, feet on the ground in CR is a must.
the main question in your OP, “are there huge discounts on coastal properties?” in this market, it sure seems there would be especially since they had to turn jaco-one into some sort of hotel. i’m thinking the level of the discount would depend on the owner’s situation so it could seriously be huge whereas some might be the typical 10 to 15 percent. for me, if i see jaco-one become something other than a hotel, i will feel the market has truly turned.
many will probably disagree with me, but i think whatever the discount is now, it will get even better with time. just my own opinion based on my own general knowledge gained through listening to people in CR talk as well reading.
[quote=”clayton”]Jaco and downtown SJ are about as bad a reflection of CR as one could choose. You take your money and your life in your own hands in those places. Now if you are in the market for casino’s and ho’s you’ve found nirvana, or L.A., NYC, Motown, South Beach, etc.[/quote]
the reflection is that in which the gov’t of CR permits. it isn’t fair to blame people for coming when all they are doing is completely legal. if CR wants a better reflection, they have every right to make illegal what is currently legal.
and you are right, one should be very careful when walking just 1 block alone after dark in the downtown. one’s chances of getting murdered are slim(i think), but chances of getting roughed up and robbed are much greater.
Imxploring, you are judging. the guys that hang out in the downtown and in jaco, they are still experiencing CR. some more than others, for sure. some are “ALL” about what happens downtown, while others use downtown when they need it and then they go back to their CR home or apartment not to return to downtown for 5 or so days. some drink like fishes while others don’t touch alcohol at all. in the downtown, it is easy to find guys that have residence in CR and have bought a condo or house so they’ve been through the process and are actually good sources of information.
it sounds as if you’ve not been there yet at the same time, you are judging their knowledge of CR and experiences in CR. is that fair?
it is likely that none of the members here haven’t been downtown for more than a beer and gambling?
i’m not sure how to reply scott.
soldier makes some statements that are quite amazing so i reply accordingly. if the statements were not so over the top, i could let them go, even agree.
gdocop asked me where i got my information so i told him. he put me on the spot so i replied.
i’ve been coming to CR for the last 6 years. I spend my time between downtown SJ and Jaco and talk with many expats. My first name is Garland. I don’t think my last name is important. In the 6 years i’ve been coming i met many people (full timers in CR, half timers, renters, owners, vacationers). i’ve heard it all.
i love CR, but my position is that america has everything and more than CR so be careful in your “reason” (can’t say how very important this is) for choosing CR. i might move there one day and i might buy a home to live in one day in CR, but i’m not leaving america with any ill feelings and i’m not coming to CR as if it is better than america or as if i’m escaping from america.
JDOCOP…. i got one more for you on the petty crime.
the bars on the windows and doors and walls with barbed wire around the top …. that’s a sign of the times and the place you live.
gee soldier, i know philly is bad in “some” parts… sounds like you live in the most dangerous area. i seldom hear of anyone arming themselves just to go to work. i mean, most people go to work in broad daylight. it is that dangerous in your neighborhood? wow!!!!
you sound extremely paranoid. do you have bars on your windows and doors and walls with barbed wire around the top [b]like they do in CR[/b] too?
[i]”As a seasoned three time combat vet, I feel and see the fear in everyones eyes, each day.”[/i] [b] that’s quite a statement. i’m not sure a trained professional psychologist (PhD… what do they know) could make such a statement purely based on one’s eyesight. [/b]
[i]”My son, currently on duty in Iraq, is safer that I am in a major U.S. city.”[/i] [b]this seems a over the top! the media and human aid workers can’t roam free in Iraq.
[/b][quote=”jdocop”]garland said, in part: …..”but crime is actually worse in CR especially alloying petty crime in the city and remote areas, corruption is worse at every level, and i can’t imagine negative politics do not exist in CR”.
And, I have to ask him: upon what do you base your statement? How do you know that ‘alloying[sic]’ petty crime’ is even present anywhere in the country? Didn’t you say you still live in the states? And, why are you so sure that corruption is worse? Worse than what? Worse than where?[/quote]
how many presidents has CR sent to jail before the current one came to office?
“Worse than what?” – worse than the US, England, and 40 other countries, if you care to take a look: http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table
caliskatari, if you had read more carefully, you would have saw where i said “i read this on another site” so the coldwell banker deal was not something i personal stated.
[b]caliskatari said:[/b] [i]”I am not a professional involved in Real estate and any viewpoint offered would just be an opinion.”[/i]
don’t feel bad, ALL viewpoints on CR real estate are opinions and subject to BS for there is no reliable data to support any viewpoint. this is why and how “professionals” in CR real estate can make any claim in any market they want, there is nothing to prove them right or wrong. they like it this way.
[b]caliskatari said:[/b] [i]”Though its obvious that no part of the world is “uneffected” by the current economic crisis, Costa Rica included, Costa Rica is far better off then many pats of the world, for many reasons.[/i]
you stated that you were not a “professional involved in Real estate,” so please tell what qualifies you to say that CR is better off than many parts of the WORLD, for MANY reasons.” surely, you would have to be an expert in RE around the world to make such a claim.
sammy made it! congrats.
i might consider it with some of my very big buddies, but i’d never ever drive through mexico with any female onboard unless i wanted to risk witnessing a rape right before my very own eyes.
the cons have to out number the pros, no doubt in my mind.
oh scott, i thought everything related to RE in CR was based on generalities and assumptions equating to a certain level of BS since the gov’t nor anyone else keeps accurate records. even the author of the article generalizes: [i]”There is no hard and fast rule for negotiating in Costa Rica as every seller and situation is different, but our [b]general observation[/b] is that…..”[/i]
the coldwell banker claim did seem a bit over the top, i agree.
“i bet the price is down 40%” — why can’t he make that bet? it is just a bet. in my opinion, 40% in times like these is realistic especially for a condo project in a 3rd world country aimed at foreign buyers. not a whole lot of foreign buyers out there these days.
and no doubt a loan is hard to get in CR, even with good credit, however i was talking about getting a loan in america. if you have good credit, it is easy. i was responding to the author’s claim [i]”Lending has become nearly impossible on U.S. homes and more difficult in Costa Rica.”[/i] it is by no means “nearly impossible” if you have good credit. it actually seems as though the author has it backwards, based on what you’ve said, it should be [i]”Lending has become nearly impossible on Costa Rica homes and more difficult on U.S homes.”[/i]
i read this on another site:
I actually think now is a good time to buy in the states and CR. I know several in real estate who say its a buyers market. Signs that I see that are promising:
1. The largest condo project in Escazu is empty. El Cortijo Las Laureles. They were selling tiny first floor units for $200k. A ripoff at that…. I bet the price is down by 40%. The Spanish firm that built this DIURSA is loosing their ass very quickly. I wouldn’t want to live there, but the fact that they can’t sell them, is probably a good sign for the buyer.
2. Several condo projects up the hill in Bello Horizonte ran out of money and just stopped building. I feel bad for the investors… One project has squatters….. locals that have moved in to bare cement construction. They were hanging clothes out to dry the other day. Sort of a symbolic gesture. Its ridiculous seeing half-built luxury condos… with poor people watching TV inside… cuz there are no walls. But, its a sign that the general market is at a bottom.
3. I have a friend who works for Coldwell Banker. He sold a house in CR in 2009. In his office of 20, he is the ONLY agent that made a sale in his office ALL YEAR LONG.
4. Chinese investors bought a condo project in Trejos Montelegre. Put up a big sign in Chinese letters… Banners in Chinese all over the friggin’ building. Three months later, the signs came down. I assume they thought they could sell the empty building to Chinese people at a firesale. The place is still empty. Either that – or the locals who dislike chinos scared them away.
Hire a good attorney. Put it in a legit corporation. Do a thorough title review. Make sure the zoning around the place is residential…. you don’t want a gas station to move in next door.[/b]
sadly, the trouble with any article when written by someone in the RE industry is that they have a vested interest in making claims that are far from reality.
better to get information from actual buyers and sellers. one should never be in a hurry to invest so there should be plenty of time to find real people who have bought and get it from the horse’s mouth. with the internet, it research, locating real people, is easier than ever before. you can also go knocking on doors where it makes sense, of course.
the article focuses on florida, however america is bigger than florida. i can get a nearly new 3bd, 2ba home north of dallas for 130K in a nice neighborhood. rural areas in many states offer the same opportunity. these days, i really don’t understand “investing” in RE abroad when there is so much opportunity at home with far less effort.
i do agree, however that buying a home to “live” in for those relocating makes sense, but still, there really isn’t any reason to rush into buying a home abroad.
[b]some of the article mentioned doesn’t make sense.[/b]
[b]article said:[/b] [i]”Costa Rica’s lifestyle benefits attract droves of newcomers from all over the world, which continues to fuel the market.”[/i]
what lifestyle, a foreign and unfamiliar lifestyle, a get it done tomorrow or the next day or the next day or the next day lifestyle? i guess that is appealing to some. america is huge!!! i can’t imagine not being able to find a community where one can not fit in.
[b]article said:[/b] [i]”Abandoned homes in Florida are a dime a dozen, while Costa Rica’s inventory of quality homes is almost a just-in-time pace (albeit a slower pace) in most areas.”[/i]
so from a supply and demand point of view, florida would offer a much better deal. quality of homes in america… come on, they are built to local codes where inspectors actually visit job sites to inspect. for a buyer, i don’t see any benefit in the “just-in-time” pace.
[b]article said: [/b][i]”Lending has become nearly impossible on U.S. homes and more difficult in Costa Rica.” [/i]
that is true for condos in america, but completely false for homes if the buyer has good credit. good credit: something that was a routine expectation in the past and now the expectation has returned as it should.
[b]article said:[/b] [i]”A $100K home in Florida might seem like a great deal, but it has a much higher cost of living associated with it with higher health care costs, significantly higher property taxes, high home insurance costs and there’s the need for A/C in a difficult climate, etc.”[/i]
home insurance rates still aren’t that bad in america. higher property tax for far greater services (get what you pay for… like smooth unbroken, handicap enabled sidewalks and bridges that aren’t made of wood planks for example…. the list is long when compared to CR). florida is a no income tax state, gasoline is fairly cheap there, many fruits and veggies are grown there so cost of living in FL isn’t so bad compared to other places in america.
[b]soldier said: [/b]”I know of veterans who are living simple lives in the jungles of southeast asia and in the woods of southeast, New Jersey.”
this is so true. i’ve always said that america is so big, if people want, they can still get lost in her and at the same time get their CNN and their american newspaper if they want. they can also live among fresh air and if they choose, eat healthy food surrounded by beauty for america is beautiful.
if they want something completely different – this list is long – then go aboard but better if they go without any ill feelings toward their homeland.
americans do get into the work, get paid, spend all the money, work, get paid, spend routine, but from what i’ve found, so does the rest of the world (those that actually have work). i think the only difference between america and some of the rest of the world is that americans, brits, australians, canadians, germans, the french don’t have to live life like this, but they do. americans do not have a monopoly on materialism after all BMWs and Mercedes and Rolls Royce aren’t made in america! paris and italy are at the top of the designer clothes, shoes and handbag list as well. i could go on and on.
[b]soldier said:[/b] I chose a pura vida life in CR, for a longer stress free life, [b]away form the constant negative american political dog-and-pony show, high crime rates, rising taxes, corrupt officials at the Federal and State level[/b],and away from the cold and indifferent people residing here in New England.
i can see life in CR as relaxing, but crime is actually worse in CR especially alloying petty crime in the city and remote areas, corruption is worse at every level, and i can’t imagine negative politics do not exist in CR. sorry, but this comment of yours is a prime example of when americans ignor the state of things in their current locale all the while bashing the same things in their homeland. i will admit america has its fair share of violent crime, however most of it is usually contained within certain high crime areas.
lots of americans seek out the country side when living in place like CR. well, people in the country side of america can and do still leave the door unlocked at night. try that in CR especially considering all your neighbors know you are american. try leaving without locking the door to go to the grocery store. the situation in CR is worse in the sense that it is actually your neighbors who are robbing you while you are away. as you drive down the street, the entire neighborhood knows who robbed you, but would anyone tell you?
even when americans leave america without any ill feelings, often nothing can prepare them for the surprises of living abroad.
“pura vida life???” maybe for some.
