Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
[quote=”petharg”][quote=”ticorealtor”]My question is how many people have used a lawyer for the process? I am taking a quick survey to see how much people have spent and who they used.
…a related question is, “How long can you drive in C.R. on your U.S. license?” – 90 days?[/quote]
As a tourist, you can drive on your home country’s license so long as you are in valid tourist status. For visitors from the US, that is 90 days. If you overstay, your US license is no long valid in Costa Rica and that can mean big problems if you are in an accident or are stopped by the police.
[quote=”dstar”][quote=”Scott”]Just for the record, Costa Rica is NOT a “Third World Country” it is considered a “Less Developed Country” or an LDC.[/quote]
Cmon Scott, never heard of a LDC! I have been going there for 15 years and have always know it to be a ‘Third World Country’.[/quote]
Anyone who’d refer to Costa Rica as a third world country has never been to a true third world country and says much more about yourself than it does about Costa Rica.
[quote=”winoguy”]Thank you Scott and everyone else that responded. I definately need to do something quickly according to my attorney as there could be a fine of up to $800.00 if I miss the due date. I think this guy is just looking at me as an easy mark for funds in a quiet market.[/quote]
I’d be looking for a new attorney if I were you. The fines are very modest for late payment and if you need an attorney to handle it for you, he shouldn’t charge more than about $50 for this service. I’d suggest that you just wait until the next time you come down to pay (and to find a new attorney for future needs).
The first time you pay is a bit of a hassle because you have to go through the valuation process to get registered on the tax rolls. Afterwards, it’s very simple. The exact process will vary depending on the municipality.
Although some expats apparently have managed to live cheaply in CR, my experience has been that I don’t live much more cheaply here than in the US. I guess a lot depends on your lifestyle. For my family of five, our living expenses run about $4,000 per month. Yes, we could live on less but would have to make significant changes in our lifestyle.
As for medical expenses and health insurance, as a permentent resident, I pay the Caja about $15 per month for my entire household – myself, my wife, my mother and my wife’s daughter who still lives at home.
We found the medical care through the Caja to be excellent. Many of the doctors who work for the Caja also have private practices or are affiliated with private hospitals such as Clinica Biblica and CIMA. If you see them as private patients and establish a relationship with them, they can write prescriptions on the Caja and all of our doctors have also given us their cell phone numbers and never charge for phone consults. We almost never use the local Caja health clinics, EBAIS, because of the long lines. We usually go to the emergency room or call one of our Caja doctors and he either sees us at the Caja hospital or in his private practice. Often they don’t charge us even when we see them privately. When we do have to pay, the charge is about $50 to $60.
[quote=”Bret Mier”]I am curious as well about the mild climates. I also would like a moderate tempeature, but I suffer with breathing problems. Can anyone tell me how easy it is to breathe aroung the 4,700 fott mark?[/quote]
We live in San Ramon de Tres Rios, just east of San Jose, at an altitude of about 4,800 ft. Last year my 86 year old mother who suffers from chronic asthma and COPD came down from Florida to live with us. The improvement in her breathing is almost miraculous. She is now using less than half of the breathing medications that she needed in Florida.
I was a real estate attorney and land title examiner in Florida for over thirty years and dealt frequently with deeds and other instruments which had been executed in foreign countries. I’m NOT providing you with a legal opinion but I can give you my personal opinion and advice.
Legally, having your signature notatized before a notary public is called an “acknowlegment” and the requirements are governed by state law, not by federal law. Every state has its own laws and practices. All states have laws that allow instruments to be acknowleged before foreign notaries but the requirements aren’t necessarily the same, so a notary’s acknowlegement taken before a Costa Rican notary might have different requirements from state to state. To further complicate matters, the requirements may also differ depending on the type of instrument and whether it needs to be recorded (such as a deed) or accepted by the courts (such as a will).
By far, the easiest and safest way to have an instrument acknowledged is to go to the US embassy. If it’s not possible to do this, you should contact the the state agency or official that you are submitting the document to and ask what the specific requirements are for them to accept the foreign acknowlegement.
If you’re dealing with certain types of instruments, such as deeds and wills which I referenced above, the requirements are very strict and you really should contact an attorney in the state where the instrument is being presented.
For general information only, here are the requirements under Florida law for foreign acknowlegements of deeds and other instruments conveying an interest in real property:
“An acknowledgment made in a foreign country must be made before a commissioner of deeds appointed by the Governor of Florida to act in such country; before a civil-law notary or notary public of such foreign country who has an official seal; before an ambassador, envoy extraordinary, minister plenipotentiary, minister, commissioner, charge d’affaires, consul general, consul, vice consul, consular agent, or other diplomatic or consular officer of the United States appointed to reside in such country; or before a military or naval officer authorized by the Laws or Articles of War of the United States to perform the duties of a notary public. The certificate of acknowledgment must be under the seal of the officer. A certificate authenticating the signature of a person executing an instrument concerning real property and to which a civil-law notary or notary public of that country has affixed his official seal is sufficient as an acknowledgment. For the purposes of this section, the term “civil-law notary” means an official of a foreign country who has an official seal and who is authorized to make legal or lawful the execution of any document in that jurisdiction, in which jurisdiction the affixing of his official seal is deemed proof of the execution of the document in full compliance with the laws of that jurisdiction. See Section 695.03(3), F.S.
“As with acknowledgments made outside Florida but within the United States, it is irrelevant whether the law of the place the acknowledgment was taken authorizes other officers to take acknowledgments; that is, Florida law governs what instruments are entitled to be recorded in Florida.
“NOTE: An instrument containing a certificate of acknowledgment in a foreign language should have recorded with it a certified English translation of the acknowledgment.”
Since your dog is small and is traveling in the passenger compartment with you the process is very simple. Call your airline and they can advise you on the entire process. Continental and American have specialists who deal with this and they are very knowledgeable. I haven’t dealt with any of the other airlines.
There is no consulate paperwork required. We’ve always had an agent in Costa Rica handle the import process because our dogs are large and have been shipped as freight, but apparently that’s not necessary in your case. Again, the airline will tell you exactly how to handle everything (unless you have the misfortune to be travelling on one of the airlines with poor customer service such as Spirit).
Steve,
I’m really curious about the sort of problems you’ve had in Costa Rica with regard to “suport” for small businesses. Other than licensing, permitting and tax registration, I haven’t really needed any sort of support, but my experiences with the start-up process have been uniformly excellent and efficient.
It helps that I’m in the municipality of Tres Rios rather than San Jose. I couldn’t ask for a nicer, more helpful group of people than the municipal employees I’ve delt with. Since my business is a restaurant, I’ve also had extensive dealing with the Ministry of Health in San Pedro and again have had great experiences.
My Costa Rican stepdaughter also has a successful well-established small business here – a veterinary clinic, pet supply, and pet grooming salon which she started about three years ago and has never had the slightest degree of difficulty or problems with any governmental agency or process.
So, I’m sure others may have had problems doing business here but my experiences have been entirely positive.
Statistics like these can be a valuable source of information but can also paint an entirely misleading picture if not interpreted within an overall context.
For example, you comment on the comparative ranking of El Salvador being higher than that of Costa Rica. Out of context and based on the limited criteria used for the rankings, it would appear that El Salvador might be a better place to live and start a business.
Such a conclusion is so wrong that it would be almost laughable if it wasn’t so misleading. El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. Although the economy growing and the country certainly has the potential for a brighter future, it’s still politically, socially and economically one of the most unstable and dangerous countries in the region. Gang violence, kidknapping, extortion, drug-related crimes and political corruption are still major problems and the murder rate is among the highest in the world. Perhaps for some it’s worth the risk, but not for me or, I suspect, for most other ex-pats or foreigner investors.
From personal experience, I can tell you that opening a small business such as mine in Cost Rica is pretty simple and straight forward. I can’t comment on some of the factors ranked by the World Bank such as obtaining credit, protecting investors and trading across borders because I didn’t need any of these. However, construction and business permitting and licensing, tax registration and other small business start up activities were not at all difficult, expensive or time-consuming.
[quote=”GoingLikeSixty”]Hi,
How about starting a “sticky” for FAQ’s for newbies thinking about retirement in CR?Lurkers – please respond, the more opinions and experiences from different points of view are valuable.
Some background: we will be making our first trip to CR early 2011 to see if we will like retirement in CR. We are on a three year plan to make our decision. If we don’t find a place overseas to retire, it means I’ll work until I die! (Yes, we are paying now for our high living mid-life!)
We will be living a modest standard of living: probably spending no more than $150,000 on a home and will be Pensionados that would like to integrate.
Please help – and be patient with my simple-minded questions. I truly have spent a lot of time on the forum to try to find these answers…
1. What are your guilty pleasures in CR?
2. What do we take for granted in the U.S. that might be missing in CR?
3. How do you connect with expats and locals? (We are not church-goers.)
4. Do you go to the local market everyday?
5. Is internet shopping viable? ie: Amazon.com? I’ve read their Global Shipping FAQ’s but do fees and duties make it not afforadable?
6. Is “tico-time” real? ie: “I’m on my way” means 2-3 days later? I’m not a Type A, so this isn’t a deal-killer.:wink:
7. Since I’m still working, our visits will be limited to a week or two at a time (or three weeks at most) per year. Is this realistic to find an area and locate a home to buy/rent?
8. What should we be doing the next 36 months to prepare ourselves for a successful CR retirement? (HAR, there’s a loaded question!:D ) so I’ll end this round on that doozie!
I welcome private messages with advice and ideas.
Thanks in advance.[/quote]
In order, here’s my input:
1. Although most Costa Rican food is nothing special, fresh local fruits and vegetables are wonderful and inexpensive. Also, I love the Afro-Caribbean food in Limon province (pollo caribbeano, rice and beans, rondon,etc).
2. Personal safety and security.
3. My first couple of years here, I taught English at one of the private universites. The pay wasn’t great but it was a wonderful way to meet people. There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities in many areas of the country.
4. We go to the feria most Sundays. It’s fun and the prices and selection are better than in the supermercados.
5. Internet shopping from the US is expensive and unnecessary. Go native! Find what you need locally or learn to do without. (The one exception, for me, is reading material. English language books are hard to find and expensive. I have an Amazon Kindle and download new books over the internet.)
6. Tico Time is very real, but you’ll adjust.
7. Once you’ve decided on an area, you should be able to find a place to rent without too much trouble. Don’t consider buying until you are more familiar with the country.
8. The most important thing to do now is to begin learning and speaking Spanish as much as possible. Yes, you can live here without speaking the language but you’re really short-changing yourself if you do.
Good luck and best wishes!
Jeffrey,
Not to be rude, but it would be a good idea give a little more thought to your questions and do a little more of your own research before asking for advice.
Many of us are more than willing to help but you are asking very general questions and providing almost no information, but asking for very specific recommendations.
Where are you staying? What sort of dental work does she need? Can you stay long enough to complete the entire procedure and follow up care or are you thinking of multiple visits? Are you looking for insurance reimbursement? Etc.
Dental clinics that cater to medical tourists generally offer a higher level of service than those who treat locals. For example, they speak fluent English, schedule treatments to accomodate your travel plans and help with US insurance claim forms. Obviously, they charge accordingly.
[quote=”6katzalley”]My question is concerning cost…the cheapest way to get a small package from Costa Rica to the USA. Is there an alternative to sending it through the postal system….not because of getting “lost” but because of cost. The post office quoted me a cost of about $22.00 to send a 2 lb package. That seems expensive to me.[/quote]
There are several different postal rates depending on the class of service you request. The rate you were quoted appears to be regular “first class” mail.
The lowest parcel rates are “ENCOMIENDAS POSTALES INTERNACIONALES”. Here’s a link to the rates as published on the Correos de Costa Rica website: http://www.correos.go.cr/servicios/tarifarios/Tarifas%20encomiendas.html . For non-priority shipping to the US the rate for 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) is 5,200 colones and 1,800 per additional kilo.
If you are considering frequent shipping (i.e. exporting products), you are probably better off negotiating rates with UPS or one of the other courrier services.
Hi Jeffrey,
To me, it doesn’t make any sense to buy a house here if you’re only able to visit a couple of weeks a year. You’re much better off staying in hotels or vacation rentals until you have more time and know the country better.
If you are motivated by the investment opportunity, keep in mind that generally land appreciates, buildings depreciate. Consider buying raw land. Taxes and maintenance are fairly low here and it’s much easier for an absentee owner to watch over undeveloped land than a house and contents. You still need to be careful but its much less of a hassle.
Rent, don’t buy, until you’ve been here for at least a year or two. If you don’t, you’ll probably regret it.
