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One of the nice things about Costa Rica is they change thier laws or they dont follow them. Nothing is written in stone but the pensionado status. Your income has to be coming from a guaranteed source. The type of income that comes from an investment is not a guaranteed source. That is unless it is coming from an investment that is non-revocable. Sort of like an insurance annuity policy. If you can go in and cancel or take your money out that is not considered as a guaranteed investment. Then also if you are coming in two years they may change their requirements, for Pensionado as well. One never knows for sure.
Many people are purchasing property because everyone says how fast it is going to increase in value. I am waiting for our place to be worth a cool million and, then we will get a little apartment and just count our cash. No, that is just a joke, we have lived in Costa Rica for 4 years and we have seen things peak and then fall and peak again.
These things are attached to the peaks, many people coming to purchase property. These things are attached to a fall, earth quakes, high crime rate, and poor blending of new visitors into the Costa Rican culture. We US citizens have a way of wanting to take over and make the changes we feel are necessary. Well Costa Ricans are just as stubborn, they are not interested in us taking over. Now, the Germans, French, Canadians and Russians may do the same thing, I can not speak about them because I am not one of them. The person from the US is a countryman of mine.
So, my dear trying to get a jump on things for two years down the road can be both smart and dumb, it is just according to what happens. It is a gamble, but the one thing we can guarantee is that prices are going to sky rocket, for building materials and other construction cost. They will sky rocket probably much faster then the cost of land. The land that is costly is the land which is located in the places people are flocking to there is other land available.
My husband and I came during one of the peak times and if we would have purchased our B&B at that time it would have cost us over $100,000 more then we paid for it. We purchased it during the time of the fall. So who is to say what would be the smartest thing to do.
That is about as unpredictable as the law in Costa Rica. So, trying to save today to spend tomorrow may be effective, and then maybe it will not be effective.
Currently in Costa Rica, we are at a stalemate, the country is growing, but only surface changes are being made. The need to grow, to advance is very important, but Costa Rican’s are trying to figure out how to do that without spending money on things they really need. Such as better communication systems and making them available to everyone. If they make the changes that are needed then we will have a boom, but if they do not make the needed changes, such as new roads, better telecommunications and job opportunities for the thousands of young people that are getting their education, Costa Rica will have some big problems.
Do not let me discourage you from coming to Costa Rica. I just want to encourage you not to make a mountain of problems out of a mole hill. Many people are living here for a few months a year then applying for pensionado, after they start recieving social security. You can purchase land, start a business, and buy a house with out being a pensionado or residentista. They will let you spend your money. I lived in Costa Rica two years without status, and many others do the same. You have to leave town for a few days but then most of us travel to other locations or return to the US.
Relax, Costa Rica is not going to leave the Planet, it will be here for a little longer.
This is just one womans opinion
It is not the truth it is a grapevine lie. The retired military and the disabled vet and some other vets do receive medical care through a program for retired military called TRI Care for life or Tri Care. If you are over 65 you have to be paying the medicare premium to be eligible for the TRI Care for life. Medicare does not pay for anyone outside of the US or the territories of the US.
So, that tale is a lie and a big myth. You had to get that from someone that is neither a vet or a military retiree
The program Vets are covered under is the VAdministration overseas medical coverage for disabled veterans because we have veterans who have served that live all over the world.
Hello,
I have been in Costa Rica for 4 years and the laws never change the conditions change. They can announce on the TV and in the newspaper one thing then turn around and do another. This is the only country that we have been in that disrespect their own laws. Im Not talking about the general population, the ones who do not maintain the laws are the people that make the laws. If the new immigration law cost them money then they bend it a little.
Our local newspaper the TICO times make money selling papers and the lawyers at ARCR make money every time they publish that changes are coming. Then every one rushes around with money in their hand trying to hurry up and get their residency or pensionado paper work processed.
You have to remember TICO Times does sell newspapers, it is a business, just as ARCR is a business. Almost all businesses here profit from what they know and what you do not know. Get all of your papers and clear up everything that needs to be cleared up prior to your leaving your country.
Follow the guide lines in your Countries information that is reported on the web or by calling the main Embassy in your country. Some of the smaller Embassy offices do not have the updated information. If you get a lawyer prior to coming to Costa Rica you can have your papers sent to him already prepared for submission and all you will have to do when you get to Costa Rica is take pictures and finger prints. If you have one paper missing or need to get your police report, or you do not have papers regarding your divorce, that will hold the process up.
Those requirements have not changed, the lawyers for ARCR are great but you need a lawyer for other legal assistance while living in Costa Rica. Almost everything is done through a lawyer here. If you are going to be driving a vehicle you need to have someone you can call that knows you and will represent you. So having a legal team with ARCR in San Jose is not really what you need. You will need a lawyer that will be available to assist you. Some people have been successful by using ARCR but then they use another lawyer for purchasing a house and another lawyer for other problems. It is good to know the people in the area you will be living in and build a relationship with qualified, honest legal and medical professionals.
Stop reading all the information others have published get the correct information from the Costa Rican Embassy in the US or contact a lawyer who comes recommended here in Costa Rica.
My husband and I three years ago read an article in the TICO Times we rushed down to San Jose to get our papers submitted for residency, the office was packed full of people who had read the same article. There were so many people until we almost hade to take a number. We came to our senses and contacted the Embassy in Texas, they told us what papers we needed, we went to Houston took all of our papers to the Embassy they prepared them for processing and sent them to our lawyer. We know our papers have been handled correctly and feel secure with the fact we have a personal lawyer. He has helped us with many other things. He keeps us informed on all the new laws, plus if we have difficulty he is just a telephone call away.
Immigration and the proper paper work is very important but setting up a legal relationship is more important in Costa Rica then anywhere we have ever lived.
Just follow the general rules they have established. Costa Rica is not trying to keep people with money out of Costa Rica. The immigration laws that are published apply to everyone.
SGU,
Here in Costa Rica we have the pleasure of settin our own price and hoping someone is smart enough or silly enough to purchase it. Most Costa Rican houses that are for sale are looking for Foreign purchasers, the reason being we do not know the value and we are willing to pay the price if we want it bad enough.
I for got to say that if you rent a place that has telephone lines there will be no problem with internet. If you are located where there are no lines some people are having wireless installed then they do not need a telephone line. That is okay for a house you have purchased but I do not know if I would go through the expense in a rental. Of course my knowledge on wireless is limited to a couple Saturdays with my computer guy. Jeanetta
I have had several friends that have shipped their things and all of them said the customs charge is nothing on things like clothing or antiques and art. The customs charge is on electronics, tv wide screen digital, those fancy things. Your electronics. So if you are going to ship them that is what you can expect to pay customs on and the real well known price electronic have the higher charge. If you are interested write me directly and I will send you several e-mail addresses and you can ask my friends directly. Or as we say get it from the horses mouth.
We started all over if we had to do it again we would have paid to bring some things you end up paying for it one way or another.
The rewards of living here are worth weathering any fear. Come on the water is just fine. You will love it life is an adventure and you meet such wonderful people. Charles and I have a big Thanksgiving every year and maybe we will see you at one Thanksgiving.
The difference may be in taste. I looked at the cast iron and it was not the quality that I wanted. Plus they did not have the stew pot or the roaster, nor the larger skillet. Just like it is hard to find a large crab cooking pot. In the area that we live in the Costa Ricans do not eat crab. So if you want or need a large crab cooking pot bring it.
I’ve lived here four years and finding things have been an adventure but if I were going to ship things my kitchen items would be near the top of the list.
Foam padding for the bed soft comforters, great bath towels. I paid a lot for Cannon here and they did not last very long they started coming apart. That has never happened to me before.
One womens opinion. One more thing spices, such as Old Bay, file, put it in the box and bring it.
I went to tips and they did have many items but not tons and the prices are crazy. The difference in the prices will more then offset my trip home. I purchased some nice things and some emergency items but the supply and demand and competitive edge is just not here. Tips has no competition.
If you are going to live in an area away from San Jose and the surrounding areas then bring your stuff.
Maravilla,
Personally I love the N.American sofa’s. Now other furniture here is nice but the N. American sofa beats any country that we have lived in. If a person is going to ship things that take a container, which is large they may as well fit as much in as possible.
Finding good cookware is an adventure trip. I still would have preferred to bring my good quality things with me. Waterless cookware is probably here if you know where, please tell me. Caste Iron , I love, if you know where good quality caste iron is please let me know.
Such insight. I need a new refrigerator and stove. Golfito will not be the answer because both items cost more then $500.00. Maravilla’s information regarding Rojas y Monge is a good example. We just purchased a new TV and if we would have gone to Golfito to get it the cost would have been more and the headache.
You can think you have all knowledge in Costa Rica but there is always someone with a little more insight or with a better solution. That is part of the Costa Rican adventure.
Emily,
If you husband has a pension he can become a pensionado and there is no $60,000. in that case. Is your husband getting a pension of more the $600.00 per month? If he is then he can apply married, you and he together will get the status as husband and wife. You may want to check into that. The web has a lot of information just look under Costa Rica government or you can get online information from the US embassy.
Have you ever been to Costa Rica?
Theresa,
That word employment, if are going to be looking for employment then you should get hired in the US and the company send you to Costa Rica. You can not legally hold a job in Costa Rica unless you were working for a company in the US and were transfered here.
Hello,
When you move to Costa Rica if you want to originate loans you will have to originate loans with a bank from the US. If that is possible you should contact those who are selling properties through Remax and some of the other N.American companies that are represented here.
Most people are either paying cash or
have owner financing with 50% down. There are some private lenders and a few loans through the Costa Rican banks. Some of the companies that are developing properties have some financing arrangements. You may want to contact some of them through ads that you see online or in the news paper.In order to be a loan originator here it seems you would need to read and write Spanish unless loans are generated through a US or Canadian source
Debbie,
After 5 trips to Gulfito, some new commer came in and told me that she called the telephone number in the Tico Times that advertised appliances and she ordered her appliances through them. What you will learn Debbie is that no matter how long you live here someone can tell you something new (smile)
When she told me about that service of course I did not tell her that I made several trips to purchase appliances and all the headache, sweat and frustration that faced me. Lousy hotel room , terrible food, hot, going to get your ticket to purchase, keeping your records for check out. Going one day to look for things then the second day to pick them up, and trying to stay under the $500.00 price.
Look in the Tico Times Classified if you see an ad for New Appliances call that number tell them what you want, they will pick the appliances up and deliver them to your house. When we needed a washer and dryer that is what we did.
Hello,
Sorry for not writing sooner. Cookware is more expensive and not as good so bring your cookware and any electric appliances like waffle iron, electric skillets. In fact if I was packing things I would bring almost everything from my kitchen. We moved here with out bringing anything and it is expensive to replace a lot of things and some you have to go all over Costa Rica to find.
We do a lot of different style cooking and the Costa Rican does not normally. Now there are some gourmet cooks but such things as pasta makers, cast iron, and clay cookware are not common. Quality cookware and other kitchen equipment.
Do you have any throw rugs, your choices are not great so if you have some you really like and if they are good bring them.
You will enjoy sewing here so bring your machine and any extra material you have. The cost and the quality of fabric will amaze you. I usually go to Panama to purchase fabric or either buy it when I go to the US.
That old Sofa that you are comfortable with but think it is on it’s last leg, get the material you would cover it with and bring it. You can get sofa and love seat covered for about $100.00. The quality of the furniture is good but it is just not as comfortable as ours. Even the sofa’s people get that cost a little more are as hard as a brick. At least to most N. Americans.
If you are going to send things by ship you may as well fit as much as you can of the things you would have to replace. We have found that people paid a lot to send a little and others paid little to send a lot. You can contact the shipping company and they will come out and give you an estimate.
Bath towels and linen is expensive, no competition and plus the good quality has a much smaller market then in the US. So this drives prices up. The average Tico does not have a closet full of towels and linen. Now I am saying average. They have some rich Ticos. I have found that even some of them with money do not purchase as most N. Americans purchase.
You usually end up spending the money for buying them new or spend money for shipping them. After having a big fork I was using break at the handle, that convinced me that the quality is betterif purchased in the US or Canada.
Good quality strainers, cooking spoons, mixing bowels. The large mixing bowels are almost impossible to find. No if you are going to be living in areas close to Escazu and San Jose perhaps they will not be hard to find but if you are going to live an area like Grecia it is hard to find. Plus you know some of those seconds that are usually at reduced price at home? Well a lot of those are at the regular price here.
I purchased two electric fry pans and they both burned out or had problems within 1 year of purchase. Now when I want anything like that, guess where we purchase them from. When we go home and visit. So if you are not planning to go home much bring you kitchen with you and all of your sewing supplies. The sewing supplies are another story.
It is great living here do not get me wrong we love living here, but we just have to realize that some things we take as everyday items are luxury here.
Prices you know are driven by the market for things. You can go to Panama and purchase things in a port area pretty cheap but then you have to go to Panama City and that is about 14 hours from San Jose.
