Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
I would think that beach property values are much more volatile, something that gives banks the heebie jeebies.
Boy, you guys are something. Even when things go your way you think it’s a conspiracy. Such deep and widespread distrust is indeed an grave indictment of our system of government.
Why on earth is it so hard to give electronic voters a paper receipt? They could verify it’s correct, then deposit it in a ballot box should it be needed in a recount.
But this is a mere detail. Given complete confidence that everyone’s vote will be correctly counted does not increase my confidence in our government one iota. The electorate is ignorant, and until that changes our government will reflect this same ignorance.
Any attorney can perform the ceremony, and the marriage is legally binding, supposedly the world over. If I remember correctly, the only document you need is a certified birth certificate (which you can get through the mail in the U.S.) OR your passport. The attorney will take care of the rest. You’ll then want to attach an “official” translation in English to the document (I did it myself) should you need to present it for something in the U.S. Funny thing is, in 20 years I don’t think I have. As a matter of fact, I wonder where it is???
Hey, if you can’t produce the contract, is there a contract? Sounds like that feminist joke, “If a man yells in the woods, is he still wrong?”, or my favorite bumper sticker, “My wife says I don’t listen to her…or something like that”.
To be certain, check with a CR attorney.
Jim,
Your Franklin Translator translates Spanish and English, but not Costa Rican. It gave you the true meaning of the word according to the “Real Academia Española” (Royal Academy of Spanish). This is the group that decides what is proper Spanish and what isn’t. Why, just a few years ago they decided that “ch” was no longer a separate letter, and so all the Spanish dictionaries, encyclopedias and phone books in the world had to be re-alphabetized. I wonder how you get that kind of job? I also wonder whether they solicit contributions from printing companies. Can you imagine the ridicule Gringos would offer up to such a panel if it were to exist for English?
Sometimes the very language one speaks is a reflection of one’s culture. English is dynamic, with more exceptions than rules, and always naturally evolving. Spanish is static, with strict rules and few exceptions, and amendments must be blessed by the Royal Academy.
Anyway, in any bar in Tiquicia the “zarpe” is the last drink of the night, as both of you indicated. However, the typical Tico (and Gringo) will actually have several “zarpes” before finally leaving. That’s why everyone laughs when you call it a “zarpe”.
There are a string of very interesting and unique words and phrases in Costa Rica, either in Spanish, or the local “underground” language, called “pachuco”. It’s not a dialect, but a “street” language made up of homegrown words that you won’t find in any Spanish dictionary. Here’s another one for y’all to guess the meaning and origin. This one is much harder because there is no official root word in Spanish from which it originates:
“Tuanis”
Pura Vida!
There’s one in La Sabana park. It’s a big place, used to be the airport, and the track is on the south side towards the east corner of the park. There’s also a track in Zapote (on the east side of San Jose). If I remember right it’s called the Centro Deportivo Zapote.
It is not uncommon, especially, as you said, because the financial system in CR is so underdeveloped. I would even go as far to say that it may be easier for a Gringo to get the seller to finance a portion of the purchase price than a Tico, because Gringos are perceived as honorable, and financially qualified to pay the loan back. A Gringo can even print out his or her credit report to show the seller a copy.
That said, the seller should take every possible measures to insure payback.
I financed 15% of the purchase price of my property for my buyer (reluctantly, and with a healthy dab of paranoia). A lien was placed on the property, and the buyer paid off in full, albeit a bit late.
Marcia,
Your budget sounds very reasonable. I’m sure you’ll be able to find lots of acceptable places to live for that amount of money.
Is there anything special that you’ll be doing there that would impact where you’d want to be, like attending Spanish classes, traveling to the Pacific or Caribbean beaches, or the like?
If you like going to the Pacific beaches a lot, you’ll want to live on the west side of town so you can avoid going through downtown all the time.
As far as congestion and noise are concerned (don’t forget exhaust smoke), the farther out of town the better. The best places to live in Costa Rica are the well-established small towns, like Barva, Santa Barbara, Atenas and the like. This is the “heartland” of the country. You’ll still have to go into San Jose once in a while to get some things done, but you’ll spend most of your time in a more rural setting breathing fresh air. The farther out, the less options you have for housing though, particularly because you’ll want to rent in a secure complex, one that you’ll be able to leave unattended.
I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. I mean, I could be writing along, minding my own business, about the best way to drive from Escazu to San Pedro in response to a question from Tiquicia newby Jane, when suddenly my Touretts Syndrome suddenly takes over and I blurt out, “The politicians spend more on official legal paper than they do on fixing roads”.
Knowing that the issue of official legal paper vs road repair spending is a “Hot Topic”, how will you handle it? Will you allow this unclean post it to remain in the general forum where it might give Lotus indigestion, or will you move the entire post to the “Hot Topics” forum and deprive newby Jane of her directions?
Maybe you could cut out the offending line and place it in a third forum called “Touretts Tidbits” by WeLoveCostaRica.com’s most uncontrollable VIP members.
Are you actually thinking of asking VIP members to be discreet, and voluntarily police themselves to make sure that any postings with political viewpoints go into the Hot Topics forum??? Sounds like herding cats to me.
Anyway, I’m game, and I’ll try to be tame. I can’t vouch for some of my fellow cats though, and if they provoke me, I won’t be responsible for my actions.
That said, I solemnly swear that I will not be the first one to fire off a political bombshell in the general forum where civilians might get hurt. As a matter of fact, I’ve always been in favor of political bombshell reduction. In lieu of this, I suppose containment will have to do.
Bill,
Why would it matter what you’re doing when you make your application?
I agree, he needs to talk to a professional. One of the things that stuck out when I was reading the new immigration legislation is that under no circumstances can anyone apply for residency status while present in the country on a tourist visa. That makes it hard!
Jenny,
15 years ago I heard that some people were starting to use bamboo to reinforce the concrete in houses in Costa Rica. That is the vast, grandiose, and lifelong collection of my knowledge regarding bamboo construction.
Chicmac said “I think you will find that this will affect each passengers on all flights or ocean voyages to, from, or via the USA.”
Why do you say this when the legislation clearly says otherwise? Lying about its contents, or at the very least being negligently incorrect, in the headline to your story no less, severely damages your credibility.
Chicmac: Stop fanning flames with false statements. From the link you provided, the proposed rule has nothing to do with leaving the county, just coming back in.
“Under current regulations, air carriers must transmit to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), passenger manifest information for aircraft en route to the United States no later than 15 minutes after the departure of the aircraft. This proposed rule implements the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requirement that such information be provided to the government before departure of the aircraft.”
Doesn’t anyone read beyond the headlines anymore? It must be that 5 second sound byte barrier modern Gringos run into all the time. And Scott, why did you post this article without “vetting” it???
Am I missing something here?
Sorry Jenny, I think they use the bamboo as internal structure, like rebar, then cover it up with cement. I guess you could then paint bamboo shoots on the cement though.
That’s one of the problems with CR architecture – too much cement. Of course, it’s one of the few materials that hold up, but it sure can be ugly. Government buildings are the worst.
IMHO the ugliest buildings in San Jose are the Caja, National Bank, School of Architecture at UCR, and the horrendous new AYA building in Pavas.
There are lots of new ways to use cement so that it doesn’t look like cement. Ever see the Si Como No hotel in Manuel Antonio? It has cement pillars that look like palm trees. Very nice.
Sounds like you’re considering buying a concession (i.e. right to operate a business) which does not yet exist. The seller bought it 7 years ago, and is still waiting for the final permission. Completely disgusted and frustrated, the best sales pitch he can come up with is “It is almost certain that in one year the Puntarenas Municipality will finish the concession process and the property will receive the final concession.”
I advise you to seek out investment opportunities that are less speculative. Betting on prompt government action in Costa Rica is a good way to get rid of all that excess money taking up space.
No disrespect intended, but the fact that you don’t even understand the sales pitch is a strong indicator that you’re in way over your head.
If you’re interested in acquiring and operating a B&B, maybe Jenny can help you.
I know a way from the airport to Cartago without going through San Jose, (via Heredia, then back roads to the east side of San Jose), but it’s longer, complicated, and will not save time even during rush hour. So I’d agree with the advice of going through San Jose. What way are you talking about?
I usually rent from Dollar and have never had a problem with them. Last time I rented from TriColor and that was a good experience as well.
I’ve never felt the need to rent a 4×4. They’re better for clearing potholes, negotiating dirt roads in the rainy season, and getting to places off the beaten path. But generally, if you’re limiting your wandering to the more popular destinations, it’s not worth the extra expense.
