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[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”][quote”davidd”]imxploring
MATE !!!! PLEASE dont mention anything about CHILE.. for the love of god man.
This may be my next move.. and we dont want to give sweikert any ideas..
let him believe what he wants to believe..
living here will cure him of that soon enough
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]CR is really not for you.[/quote]
So because you are an expert – not only on everything having to do with Costa Rica but also what is in my best interests – I apparently have to reconsider my decision to relocate to CR.Sorry. Isn’t gonna happen.
However if you prefer I no longer respond to any of your posts I can easily do that and maybe you should do the same for mine.[/quote][/quote]
Sorry…. Perhaps Argentina…. they need a man of common sense and logic! I was going to recommend Venezuela but the utopian socialist plan down there isn’t working out as our friend might think it would… might be too big a shock to his system![/quote]
“[i]Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.[/i]”
Eleanor Roosevelt
[/quote]What kind on mind enters an existing conversation under the premise of learning and then goes on to try to re-educate those already within that conversation about a subject they have much more experience and knowledge about?
[quote=”Kwhite1″][quote=”Scott”]It all depends on the location, a serious problem can be lack of water in some areas.
This is NOT always due to a lack of rain – although Guanacaste does get less – it’s often due to bad water management.
And if you are one of those Gringos that can’t live without air conditioning, you will pay a steep price to be comfortable in Guanacaste.
Hope that helps.
Scott
[/quote]
Thanks Scott, another question, you may or may not know the answer. Is there a student residency or visa provision when my daughter is enrolled in school? Would that help in helping us obtain rentista status?
I am not of retirement age, so I do not get US government checks on a monthly basis, I can prove income of $2500 USD monthly through my company I own in the US. I didn’t know if having my daughter enrolled in school would help or does that become irrelevant.[/quote]
The rentista status requires a large cash deposit and projected monthly draw of $2500/month to obtain that residency status. I don’t believe they will accept future monthly earnings from employment/business ownership as a provision for applying under that status. You might also want to check into what the required CAJA paymemts (now required) will be as they seemed to have been increased quite a bit since you last looked into CR residency.
The tax increases are only going to get worse. As with all governments out there they have all now engaged in the big money grab from those of us that have worked, saved, planned, and supported the “system” to pay those that have done nothing more than expanded the pool of takers now overwhelming our society. It’s not going to be pretty!
[quote=”davidd”]is this true??? interesting I was not aware of this..
so technically you only need the U.S. passport for rentry to the U.S.
which makes sense .. I remember the days I used to come to costar rica.. only with my U.S. drivers license.
I think you will still need it to fly out of the U.S.
[quote=”Jerry”]Now, correct me if I am wrong (as I am sure someone will), but the US passport is NOT for entry to any foreign country. Any country can allow or disallow entry to anyone for whatever reason, passport or not. Except that a passport (valid of course) bearing US citizen cannot be refused reentry. The passports purpose is to validate your right to enter as a US citizen. The older passports even had a statement saying it was not for ID, but for US entry only. My answer to this post is to obtain CR citizenship, which I initiated some time ago… before the “crisis” OR any banking BS.[/quote][/quote]
Interesting point and quite correct! Having been on a couple of cruises the last few years I was able to enter a number of countries without ever showing my passport. The only time I needed it was when returning to the US…. isn’t that interesting? Seems when it benefits other countries to have tourist, and more importantly their money stop in, the whole passport thing is immaterial! Countries are free to apply their own rules when allowing folks to enter and stay… passport or no passport!
[quote=”davidd”][quote=”sweikert925″]So in a contest between the US government and the Cuban government and another between the US government and the Russian government you guys are siding with the Cubans and the Russians? Really??[/quote]
sweikert
I do not understand your post.. are you saying you agree with this behavior. and we should take sides because its cuba or russia or whoever..??
so just because your an american you think its ok for the U.S. to engage in this type of behavior.. and using Costa Rica as a base to deploy this??
for what
FREEDOM!!! the american way???
this comment actually reveals your ignorance and at this point you lost all credibility.
incredible..
[/quote]Don’t argue with him Dave…. after all the American way seems to work… $17 trillion in an acknowledged debt we will never be able to pay back. Countless more Trillions in promises we can’t fulfill. A shrinking working class…. expanding welfare class… We should be the model for all modern democracies worldwide!
Fire away Steve! LOL
Didn’t always like her politics but her wonderful view and insight of even the most mundane of experiences in CR was wonderful and refreshing! I always enjoyed her work! RIP Jo…. you will be missed. Time for that next great adventure!
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Kwhite1″]Florida holds a fair amount of positions on this list!! Yet another reason I bailed…..my home city is ranked 15….not good!![/quote]
…and so you departed for Belize, of all places.That saying about frying pans and fires seems to come to mind.
[url=https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=14034]Belize 2013 Crime and Safety Report[/url][/quote]
Come on Steve…. you have to look at the positive things…. they have some of the most beautiful beaches in Belize for your loved ones to sprinkle your ashes after some local kills you for your bicycle! You have got to start thinking outside the box and look for the positives!
[quote=”sweikert925″]I thought this site was called WeLoveCostaRica.com. When did it get changed to WeHateGovernment.com? Was there an announcement I missed?[/quote]
You missed the inference in my posting…. think about my words Steve…. where have you seen similar wording used? Did the folks that used those words…. and those that signed on endorsing those ideals hate government? Or was it that they disliked an overbearing unfair out of control government that was taking away the rights of it’s people and felt the need to free themselves from what they felt was oppression? If in doubt look in your passport (a newer one) it has the quote I’m referencing on page 10.
The original posting in this thread had to do with the statement that governments felt they had the apparent unlimited right to take away your passport at will and thus limit your movement and control your ability to leave your home country, as is also the case with a US passport. NOWHERE in that statement does it LIMIT the government’s ability to simply take away that right. It simply states it must be “surrendered upon demand made by an authorized representative of the US government”! That’s a pretty vague and broad statement. And one which contains NO provision for due process of law, appeal, or limits ! Had the statement included the statement that should you be charged or under active law enforcement investigation for a crime perhaps we wouldn’t so concerned.
Sheep will be sheep…. remember the NSA is spying on 300+ million Americans because there’s 10,000 terrorist out there plotting to do folks harm…. yet more people die every day from tobacco use then have ever died at the hands of terrorist…. and who’s the biggest recipient of the money folks spend killing themselves…. yep…. the same people telling us there doing everything they can to keep us safe!
If being free to pursue my happiness involves visiting or relocating to another country why is it that the US government can stop me from doing so by revoking or refusing to issue me a passport if I’ve committed no crime?
Seems more like being kept prisoner than an administrative issue. Being FREE to move freely is a right…. not a privilege as some here have implied. There’s quite a big difference between a medical license and a passport. That was a silly comparison.
The trickle down effect from these job losses (and the others to come) will have a very noticeable impact on CR.
There’s a great song that, when you apply the lyrics to the way in which most governments (very much the case in CR) treat businesses that create jobs, makes so much sense!
The song is “All I need is a miracle” by Mike and the Mechanics…. and here’s the line!
“I never had any time
And I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you
The one I shouldn’t hurt at all
I thought I was being cool
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it’s always the same old story
You never know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone”Makes perfect sense with the way the folks running CR are dealing with business and expats!
[quote=”waggoner41″]Mark’s response to Scott’s original post is absolutely correct.
A little common sense would tell you that any legitimate retirement funds, i.e., IRA, SS income, retirement income, 401k, etc. is easily deposited in a U.S. bank and withdrawn at the local ATM’s relieves all law abiding citizens of any problem.
Those who have a problem are the ones who are trying to hide income from the IRS in order to avoid paying legitimate taxes.
[/quote]Isn’t it “Innocent until proven guilty”…. seems I now have to prove I’m not guilty of some illegal act without even having been involved in anything other than opening a bank account.
It’s funny… Bank of America was opening accounts for illegal aliens in the US for folks from Mexico without social security numbers with no problem…. I go into a bank and I have to prove who I am, provide a social security number, and fill out a ton of paperwork all in the name of national security…. but the short tan fellow with the accent has no problem…. what a joke!
Your rights and freedom are never taken away overnight… you’re convinced to give them away slowly by politicians who make you believe it’s all for your benefit. Wise up folks.
[quote=”sweikert925″]I checked that link out and it doesn’t seem quite the same as what [url=http://www.lojack.com/Cars-Trucks-And-Classics]LoJack [/url] offers. LoJack works directly with police departments who can track signals that are specifically activated when a car is stolen.
LoJack provides that service in Costa Rica through an arrangement with [url=http://www.detektor.co.cr/personas/index#2]these guys.[/url]
Given how expensive even used cars are in CR and how much auto theft there is there should be a ready made market for this service, I would think. I definitely plan on checking out any such service when I move to CR.[/quote]
The Lojack system requires that the recovery tracking receiver be installed and MAINTAINED in the police vehicles. As is often the case in CR… the police will have little chance of maintaining the system…. they have a hard time keeping their cars and trucks running! It’s funny to see how many of their cars are parked, broken down and rusting in front of or behind their stations, sometimes for YEARS. Even the “New” Chinese vehicles they were gifted are having a hard time staying operational. When their new friends offered them the cars they should have opted for half the cars and a boatload of spare parts instead!
[quote=”johnnyh”][quote=”Imxploring”][quote=”johnnyh”]Just being curious: Are U.S. coins used in Costa Rica for change? Taking it further, are silver pre 1964 U.S. coins accepted by some for transactions? How about gold Eagles?[/quote]
They really don’t use US coinage in CR although I have come across some tourist gift shops that did give change including US coins. Most will give you the small change in colonies. Junk silver (Pre 1965 90% silver) and silver/gold eagles don’t make their way into normal daily commerce in CR but aren’t a bad way to hold some of your assets in CR should we experience a change in economic realities in the world monetary system. No doubt you could find folks willing to do business in bullion but it would take time and effort and might involve a deep discount on your metals. That would change dramatically should the monetary system fall into question and would result in a handsome appreciation of your metal holdings.
I hold a portion of my assets in metals and feel it’s only prudent based on the current state of the world economy…. face it… if things go bad that share of Google stock is not going to be much use trying to trade for the things you need to survive. Metals have had value for thousands of years. Fiat currency comes and goes.[/quote]
Thanks for your reply. Yes I’m very aware and concerned about things to come. Even those in power are thinking of devaluing our current fiat tokens from the “expensive” metals to maybe aluminum coins as the metal content is more expensive than the coin values.
Have you moved real money from the States to Costa Rica? If I may ask.8)[/quote]Yes I have. Both in bullion (generic issues), government issues (US Eagles), and junk silver. I was in CR during the big 2008 meltdown in the US markets and don’t ever plan on being in that financial situation again.
Should you plan on bringing down metals keep in mind a few things. There will be questions at the airport… I got stopped in NY boarding the plane on my last trip. There are different rules, forms, and a lower reporting threshold when transporting precious metals and commodities. Unlike the $10k regulations on negotiable instruments and cash anything over $2,500 in commodities requires a census form dealing with the transportation of such materials. My general rule is to stay under the reporting levels. But at the same time make it very clear when questioned that I’m familiar with the laws, forms, and reporting requirements. When I politely made that clear during my last encounter with the folks at TSA it went rather smoothly. Knowing your rights and the rules…. or at least having an answer seems to keep them at bay.
Good luck stacking… NOW is time to accumulate!
[quote=”johnnyh”]Just being curious: Are U.S. coins used in Costa Rica for change? Taking it further, are silver pre 1964 U.S. coins accepted by some for transactions? How about gold Eagles?[/quote]
They really don’t use US coinage in CR although I have come across some tourist gift shops that did give change including US coins. Most will give you the small change in colonies. Junk silver (Pre 1965 90% silver) and silver/gold eagles don’t make their way into normal daily commerce in CR but aren’t a bad way to hold some of your assets in CR should we experience a change in economic realities in the world monetary system. No doubt you could find folks willing to do business in bullion but it would take time and effort and might involve a deep discount on your metals. That would change dramatically should the monetary system fall into question and would result in a handsome appreciation of your metal holdings.
I hold a portion of my assets in metals and feel it’s only prudent based on the current state of the world economy…. face it… if things go bad that share of Google stock is not going to be much use trying to trade for the things you need to survive. Metals have had value for thousands of years. Fiat currency comes and goes.
[quote=”waggoner41″][quote=”Imxploring”]“Violent variations in the exchange rate leads to sharp movements in prices, costs, and income, increasing the degcylindrical uncertainty about these and other variables, which is detrimental to the wellbeing of Costa Rican societ”
Se believe a rising dollar will have an impact oncoloni(inflation). In many cases prices are “sticky”… that being when they rise because of some short term localized event they tend to be quite slow to retreat… if they do so at all!
What makes CR unique and perhaps more vulnerable to this problem is the parallel use in daily (right down to that local mom and pop soda) commerce of their own currency as well as the dollar.[/quote]
Referring to the link I provided earlier
[url=http://insidecostarica.com/2013/10/08/central-bank-raises-exchange-rate-ceiling-dollars-%C2%A2800/]Central bank raises exchange rate ceiling for dollars to ¢800[/url]
“Those holding or earning dollars, however, shouldn’t get excited. Experts said the move is simply to reassure certain sectors in the economy, such as exporters, and wouldn’t affect the actual exchange rate.
The dollar has remained near the bottom band of ¢500 all year.
Experts said that the consensus is that the colon should always gradually weaken against stronger currencies such as the dollar. As a result, experts said, there shouldn’t be the need for an upper band at all.
Exporters and other sectors become more profitable – and their goods more attractive on world markets – when the dollar’s purchasing power relative to the colon increases, effectively making their products cheaper in export markets.
Experts said that the Central Bank’s movement of the upper band is simply to reassure such sectors that there is plenty of room for long-term – and gradual – devaluation of the colon.”I see uit as making my purchasing power greater.[/quote]
A weaker local currency will make exports more attractive. And while the recent increase in the dollar will result in a better exchange rate when shifting to colones from dollars we’ll have to see how it impacts local prices. My feeling is we’ll see more locals (as was David’s experience) wanting dollars as payment instead of colones. As is often the case… the actual cost using dollars is higher thereby nullifying the gain you might think the shift provides you.
[quote=”puravidatexan”][quote][/quote]The rules require reporting it… they don’t prohibit it. I’ve transported both cash and negotiable instruments in excess of the $10,000 threshold several times in the past without issue. Unless the rules changed within the last year the form and an answer for the use of the funds is all you need. I’ve used the wire transfer route as well on one purchase but if you don’t have a bank account in CR you’re sending your money to someone else (attorney, broker, or seller) before you actually close on the property…. a bit uncomfortable depending on your level of trust and the amounts involved.
I also transported metals (silver) in January without issue although the reporting requirements are lower ($2,500) and required a different form. Once again… no issues… paperwork completed… and an answer when questioned by authorities on both ends of my trip to CR.[/quote]
[b]Thanks for all the advice. It’s just a little unnerving to think about consequences of a misstep. I’ve told the seller that I will deliver the cash balance in a cashier’s check. If that is our chosen route, I will declare it at the airport, and fill out the needed paperwork. I have documentation for the origin of the funds, if necessary.[/b][/quote]
Don’t worry about it… even if you go the route of not declaring the checks…. just put them between the pages of a book like “50 Shades of Grey” and pop it in your carry on… it’s unlikely they’ll touch the book!!!! LOL
