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It has NOT been a great deal to be a U.S. citizen for a long time. Anybody on the planet with a pulse can become one. At least in that respect, we are all indeed equal because we belong to the most UNexclusive club on the planet right now. The real owners of the U.S. are just making room for more cheap labor.
Look at the differences between Costa Rica and the U.S. on this point. I can NEVER become a Costa Rican with voting rights even if I were to marry a Tica and have children with her. Costa Rica pretty much only grudgingly gives us permission to live and spend our money here. They don’t want us meddling in politics or taking jobs from any of its citizens. How do I feel about all this? It’s like the line from a Woody Allen movie…”I would never want to belong to any club that would have ME as a member.” So, if all Costa Rica will do is let me sit on the sidelines, that’s fine with me.
Edited on Jun 07, 2007 10:36
Edited on Jun 07, 2007 12:48
Apparently, the more dangerous and deadly hemmorhaging Dengue is a recent development. I don’t know whether lessened government attention to this matter is partially or wholly to blame and it’s hard to see if effective efforts are truly being made to stem this problem.
Nature reacts to human caused imbalances in ways which aren’t usually in sync with our intentions. Dengue reappeared after 1993 but the last two years have seen explosive spread of the problem. I can’t help thinking that population growth in the affected areas is a major contributor. I only briefly considered the coastal area as a place to live. Besides the high cost of land and increasing population, I am tired of heat and humidity and find the Central Valley a much more comfortable and safe place.My plans are the same as yours. Last year I had 6 years to go till retirement. I made the judgment call to buy at that time rather than wait. I am no Costa Rica real estate expert by a long shot but I believe it is a pretty safe bet land prices will continue to rise as more baby boomers begin to study their retirement plans and opt for Costa Rica.
The annual cost of maintaining the property is not that much and I calculate is far less than the property appreciation for the same time period. Add to that currency appreciations. I also have the opportunity to make some improvements to the land during the next five years.
The big question you have to answer is whether or not you will like living in Costa Rica. My take is that as americanized as it is, day to day living experiences in Costa Rica are going to be quite different than they are up north. I am looking forward to the adventure.
Edited on Jun 04, 2007 08:33
Ha! My old home town many years ago…actually it was Westerville, Ohio.
Ohio weather “inspired” me to move further south….much further. :-}Edited on Jun 03, 2007 11:03
Edited on Jun 03, 2007 11:05
I am an american male married to a latina for 25 years now. I live in Miami and this city is a latin city. It is my impression that generally speaking, latin males here have adapted to our cultural preference regarding gender interaction in public here in Miami. There is still a bit of the latin male bravado, though, and part of the latin culture of “piropos” involves also some very negative aspects. Insane male jealousy and other negatives of machoism far out weigh any other consideration. The latin male ego is a very delicate thing and easily bruised. I intend to stick with my anglo saxon cultural instincts and stay clear of public flirtation. Unless you have romantic intentions, their are other, better ways to positively interact with women the public arena.
very simply, what calls ME to Costa Rica is the absolute stunning beauty of the landscape. Perhaps over time, I’ll see the other things you guys are talking about. This is not the first place where I have read about people living in Costa Rica who developed similar strong urges to be helpful to others. Maybe it’s the weather, or the culture, or the scenery or all of those things. But even if I don’t get that urge, I am sure just living on the side of a mountain surrounded by waterfalls and singing birds will be enough. It also is hopeful to see that some expats are able to shrug off the influence of years of living in the States.
In no way would I want to see Costa Rica become like “home”. I have decided to leave “home” for Costa Rica precisely because it is not like home. However, I also am pragmatic enough to not gloss over the negatives that I encountered in Costa Rica. Dealing with those problems is part of the experience and part of the adventure.
But taking on a prideful attitude that ignores problems in Costa Rica is the same as sticking your head in the sand and not much different than those who insist on seeing 100% of their culture wherever they go. Both attitudes are missing out on reality.Thanks for the correction. Of course, I was not being malicious. I love Costa Rica just the way it is. The term “Third World Country” is widely used in general language to describe a lower standard of living relative to countries which are industrialized and enjoy the highest standard of living. Political correctness now dictates that “Developing Country” be used in place of third world, however, both terms refer to countries like Costa Rica.
It feels to me like somewhat of a personal affront when anyone else refers to Costa Rica as a third world country. They usually use the term when spotlighting negatives as do I. But I have chosen Cost Rica OVER the United States despite all the negatives, and I do not consider economic development the only standard of measurement for quality. I guess I should listen to HOW I speak more closely in future. :-}Car rentals always turn out to be the biggest expense when I visit. This is a third world country and I see so many people walking along the roadsides. (Costa Ricans must be some of the healthiest people on the planet)I see others peddling their bikes in the mountains around Palmares and I am astounded as to how they make the uphill grades. Buses are supposedly abundant but, as a spoiled gringo, I need my own car so I will just have to pay the premium.
The cheapest I have seen SHORT TERM car rentals has been around $35 per day all inclusive. Monthly rentals don’t seem that much cheaper either.
Good luck.Gravamenes are NOT always bad. My property had a gravamen and it was no big deal. I had a service road going through my build site. 6 months later, through an agreement, I moved the service road to a more convenient location still on my property. Yours may something similar.
While you are waiting to get proper legal assistance, you should be able to find the property at the national registry website. All you need is the correct property number (numero de finca) or condominium number. Choose the correct provincia, and the property will pop up with a brief history and name of current owner as well as any “gravamenes” asscociated with the property. Be sure to ask the lawyer about the gravamenes, if there are any. Those can be very serious property restrictions and represent hidden problems that only a good attorney can suss out.
On my last visit to San Ramon, I walked around after dark till about 9 PM. The streets were active and people of every age group seemed to be present. I still felt no sense of danger but, again, I am not 100% sure of my senses here, especially in a foreign culture and country with a much higher level of poverty than what I am used to seeing. I don;t believe ANY town or city is safe enough after most of the businesses close down. At that time, there aren’t too many good reasons to be out and about and I would be highly suspicious of those that are. Why visit a park at midnight?
I have been given warnings from other north americans about driving after dark. I assume that is because of the bad roads, but there could be other reasons. I drove to the airport from San Ramon before sunrise. No road lights anywhere, but the Panamericana is pretty decent even with no lighting.
If I stay away from airports, big cities, night time driving in these areas and strolling in parks after 9 PM, I don’t see any safety problem. And if I mUST do any of the above, a few precautions and extreme alertness should be enough.are all posters here talking about airport areas and population centers like San Jose, Jaco etc? My visits, of course, take me through Juan Santamaria airport but I never hang around after I get my car. It may be a false sense of security, and I always keep an eye open anyway, but I don’t feel any sense of threat in San Ramon and certainly none at all in the surrounding small towns. I live in Miami so I like to think I have developed a sense for possible danger. I feel it in San Jose but not in San Ramon. Am I wrong?
If the Terios and RAV4 models are targeted, what other options are there besides the larger more expensive models? I have used both models on my trips. I tend to feel like a target most of the time anyway when I am near San Jose or around Juan Santamaria, whether in a car or not. No way I can blend in to the general population.
