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Can any member advise, whether I can legally carry dog food into CR, such as in suitcases. My thought process is to carry enough for our three week stays, and, to stock pile during visits, until we relocate. I currently buy my Nutro on the Fort Dix military base, the pricing is 50% cheapter, than retail prices everywhere else.
Great information. My dog also has been Nutro feed since she was a puppy, now four years old. That was also a concern for us, when we relocate to CR.
I have a military retired friend who drove from Pennsylvania to Costa Rica (yea, I thought they were nuts too.) Some of the issues they relayed were: Never, never, never drive at night. Delays at the borders. Outdated maps(take a GPS device.) Dollars were not taken in some countries rural gas stations. They took along, extra oil, water, power steering fluid and brake fluid. One thing they also did not do, was to let anyone know that they were americans, except police and border officials. When in the presence of locals, they spoke german. They reported no criminal acts, accept the few corrupt police pay-offs. All in all, they enjoyed the long. long, long, long drive.
Having experienced two tours of Vietnam, one Gulf war tour and two Iraq tours; not to mention Special Operations around the world. What I have learned is take one day at a time, and, any day above ground, is a good day. I am still in combat mode here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there are three or four murders each day, and, you do not need a permit to own a gun. To extend the madness, you can buy one gun a month, without a permit. In comparison, anything that may happen in Costa Rica is a walk along the beach!
DavidCMurray,
Thanks for the insight and ICE’s rate structure information. Our home is air conditioned on both floors, we have four air conditioning units for the whole house. My wife and I are very energy conservative, and with my European background, I still open windows every morning for air circulation; even here in Pennsylvania.
Informative forum. We are currently living in Pennsylvania, with no need for dehumidifiers. We just bought a home in CR, near the beach, I will have to add dehumidifiers to my list of things to bring to CR. Thanks to everyone, for the heads-up.
As a new CR home buyer, like yourself, unfortunately, I also have to consider bars for my windows and sliding doors. My home is in a gated community in Playa Hermosa. I visted the neighbors in my community and surrounding expat home owners who had bars on windows and doors, they provided me with valuable recommendations for fabricators/installers; I also got to see the quality and various designs of the bars. We decided on steel rollbar designs, in white, to match the earthtone exterior color of our home.
johnklein56,
Be prepared for a trip to paradise. I first visited Costa Rica ten years ago, during that first visit, I immediately knew this is where I wanted to retire. Having traveled all over Costa Rica in the coming years, each location has its plus and minus. Last month, during a two week vacation, my wife and I decided to purchase a beach front home in Playa Hermosa, Guancate; which is in a gated community. We had not planned on buying a home at that time, however, the home and the price was too good to pass on. We purchased this three year old, custom home at approximately $60,000 less than the listing price. The American owners were in a divorce situation, and sold it to us as a “fire sale.” There are some very good property deals available, the secret is to be prepared to make a offer, have a quality Costa Rican attorney on retainer, have a quality broker or realestate agent and know exactly what you want. My expat friends, both whom are businessmen in Costa Rica, strongly advised me to buy now, if I really wanted the home, because property prices will increase within the next six to eight months. Enjoy your trip!
ottfog,
Thanks for the valuable information, it was appreciated. One thing I forget to mention about my new Toyota 4Runner, was that it was a V8. My concern is about being able to obtain parts and servicing for the V8. I bought the V8 with the intent of towing a boat. Any additional thoughts?
martam,
Thank you very much for the information, it was greatly appreciated. We will be bringing a four legged security system with us to CR, we also plan on obtaining a secondary four legged security system once in CR.
ticopaz,
Thanks for the insight. The more I read and research, the less I want a used car. I will probably make the investment and buy a new japanese vehicle. I bought a new Toyota 4Runner here in the U.S. last year, with the thought of bringing it to CR; well, that was before I did my research on the import tax and the trials-and-tribulations of importing a vehicle to CR.
DavidCMurray,
Thanks for the response. We have already made inquiries for metal bars for the windows and sliding doors, which we will have installed after our closing this month. From what I have gathered so far, the insurance is very reasonable; and it helps if your home is in a gated community with 24/7 security.
