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Donna,
I have been there quite a few times. As part of our mission work, we sponsor a conference there for NGO’s every October(www.projecthonduras.com). Have a great time and enjoy your adventure. Jerry

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Maravilla,

I just read the threads and have also contacted Javier concerning residency for me and my family. This type of information is so helpful and valuable. Thank you for the strong referral. Jerry

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Donna,

If you have the time, stop in Copan, Honduras. You can visit the Mayan ruins there as well as the Bird Park. Copan is a great little town. Twisted Tanyas has some great food.

You could then take the back way through Santa Rosa de Copan and La Esperanza to Siguatepeque and then down to Tegucigalpa. Conversely, you could cross the border and visit Copan and then return to Guatemala since it is only ten miles from the border.

I would definately recommend a 4wd and two spare tires for that trip. Have fun and let us know how it goes…
Jerry

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GringoTico,

Thanks again! Of the schools you listed, four show that they have some ELEMENTARY level Montessori based training. Of those four listings, three are in Puntarenas.

The one in Cobano has no website and didn’t respond to email or phone calls last Spring. The other two are actually one listing repeated and it is in Manuel Antonio and is currently closed ((from their site: This school is CLOSED temporarily A new school is rebuilt Manuel Antonio Montessori School Location Manuel Antonio, Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica Ages Pre-School thru Eigth Grade)) and one is in Heredia. The one in Heredia only follows Montessori until the age of 6 1/2 ((from the Golden Valley Montessori School site: Trabajamos con la Filosofía Montessori desde los 2 años hasta la edad de 6 y medio años)).

We were told by the founder of one of the Montessori schools that was closing that true Montessori schools in CR were closing down due to the testing requirements of the Ministery of Education. She said that they are requiring Montessori schools to do the same regular interval testing as the traditional schools which goes against Montessori Philosophy.

So, we ran out of Montessori options and fortunately discovered Talarke (www.talarke.com). It is a family run school and we are very impressed with the people, the philosophy, and the curriculum.

Thanks again for your help and research. Jerry

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GringoTico,

Thank you for your informative reply. Originally, we were very interested in a couple of Montesorri Schools but they both closed down. To our knowledge there is NOT a Montessori School in Costa Rica that goes past Kindergarten. If anyone out there knows different please let us know. The one in Manuel Antonio is closed and the one we called in San Jose has closed. We are excited about raising our children in Costa Rica. Thanks, Jerry

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If “showing” $600 per month is the requirement then I am the first one in line to get residency and get on with life. My question was concerning the statement that the law had changed and the requirement was going to be showing, in my case with a wife and three children, $210K. Have the requirements for Rentista changed or is it still $60K in a CR bank or proof of $600 per month.

Also, how stringent is the proof of $600 or more per month? I plan on having an income from my businesses of many times that amount. What proof will I need to show? Will rental income backed by a rental agreement work? Will a letter from my CPA or banker stating I have a certain amount coming my way each month from my businesses work? Thanks, Jerry

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Does anyone know if this law did indeed change? We are planning on moving down and have three small children. Under the rules described above, we would have to put aside $210K… Thanks, Jerry

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We rented a car for two weeks in June. We searched for the best deal on the internet and reserved our SUV. When we got there and got into the paperwork the insurance issue arose. I am looking at my contract with Economy Rent a Car, which is an Advantage Rent-A-Car affiliate, and here is how the insurance worked. Depending on which credit card you use at the counter, you may get your C.D.W. (Collision Damage Waiver) waived which was $10.00 PER DAY. The A.P.I. (Personal Injury) which was described as Mandatory was $8.00 PER DAY. The Liability that is Mandatory was $20.00 per day. So, if you get your C.D.W. covered by your credit card, like I did, your PER DAY insurance cost could be $28.00 or $588.00 for the three weeks. If you want to make a run at the A.P.I. and the Liability, you must have a letter from your insurance company or credit card company that states you will be covered by them in the Country of Costa Rica. When we called my insurance company and credit card company, at first they BOTH said that they would fax a letter to the agency. After waiting for the fax and calling back they BOTH recanted saying that while they normally would provide the coverage, they couldn’t provide the coverage in the Country of Costa Rica which is on the excluded list. So, upon my return, I acquired an American Express Business Platinum card and I had “rental car coverage” added to my card. At first they said that it covered EVERYTHING but now they say it covers everything but liability which means I will probably have to pay for the liability. While in Costa Rica, I checked with a half dozen other agencies and they all confirmed that the daily insurance charges were between $28 and $42 per day depending on the situation. If you plan on having an additional driver their is a daily charge as well. It was $5.00 per day at Economy/Advantage and at the other agencies it ranged from $0.00 to 10.00 per day. According to them you need to name an additional driver to even have them covered if they drive you in an emergency. Having said all of that, I agree with Dave, bite the bullet and enjoy your trip! And definately rent off site and save the additional tax. Jerry

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Scott,
Wow, that article paints a pretty dour picture of used vehicle purchase options and seems to confirm my idea. The authors of the article could have made a sound purchase decision online with an ebay power seller. Not only do the vehicles all have CarFax or AutoCheck reports, but we require a 150 point 3rd party inspection before we will finance them. Very interesting… Thanks for the input everyone.
Jerry

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James,
They appear to be used car dealers. I am suprised to hear that they are allowed to sell new vehicles. Normally, you can only buy new vehicles through a factory authorized distributor or franchiser.
Jerry

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The main reason I thought people might want to buy them in the US is that there is a much greater selection and the vehicles haven’t been subject to the roads of Costa Rica. Also, with eBay power sellers you can be pretty sure that you will get what you see online. They go out of their way to provide comprehensive photos and descriptions of the vehicles. They also bend over backward to protect their eBay ratings. As far as the financing is concerned, I am specifically talking about a collateral loan on the vehicle. The key would be my bank being comfortable with the credit risk and my ability to recover and remarket the vehicles if needed. After I relocate, I also plan on approaching a particular international bank about establishing a consumer lease program for new and used vehicles. Thanks, Jerry

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David, I dug around too and only came up with with phone numbers at http://www.costaricareisen.com/firmen/autohandel/index_eng.htm

I am in the vehicle leasing business here in the US and am moving to Costa Rica at the end of next year. My business here specializes in online financing and leasing for eBay dealers. I have two ideas that I would like to float to this group. One, would anyone be interested in being able to shop on online at eBay and other sites, find a car, and then have our company inspect the vehicle, buy it, and ship it to you in Costa Rica for a fee. Secondly, is there a market for our arranging your financing or leasing based on your Credit file in the US or Canada but for a vehicle in Costa Rica. The financing would be provided by a US Bank at competitive rates. Thanks, Jerry

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Thanks for your input!

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I changed my username from Largusmasus to OTTFOG between posts. This is my first time to post on this forum and I apologize for any confusion.

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We have found a lot in East San Jose above Sabinilla in the San Ramon de Tres Rios area.

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