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I loved the comment in your video as to why you decided to leave the US. I could not agree more with the sentiment there. We may have had a change in the white house and even a change in attitude with a lot of citizens regarding the morality of so called free market economies, but I believe it is way too late to bail out this sinking ship. Americans have ignorantly and stubbornly hung on too long to wrong minded ideas and the fate of the US is already baked in to the pie. And now Costa Rica is considering closing the door effectively on further emigration into their country. I wish I had been able to move down there in 2006 when I first bought property.
I know a few expats who have been in CR since 2005 and do the Nicaragua weekend routine. As far as I can tell, they are not hard up for cash either. For whatever reason or reasons, they continue living this way. I suppose it could be a small aggravation after several years of taking four week end get-way trips. It is not cost prohibitve if several are taken as car trips to Nicaragua. I would plan a trip back to the States once a year anyway..perhaps two. It is not convenient to have to do it at specific times, though.
Tell me how you know that the authorities frown on this. Is it illegal? Is there talk about closing the borders completely to all but the wealthy while letting who knows how many illegal Nicaraguan workers in? This sounds like a major economic policy adjustment.
Permitting cheap labor to enter the country illegally to compete with Costa Ricans for jobs which will be decreasing due to turning away foreigners who would bring investment and cash into the country doesn’t sound like a sane plan to me.Edited on Nov 15, 2008 09:17
what is wrong with simply leaving the country every three months for several days? Why would I have to sell my property just because I might not get residency status? I am not moving to CR for affordable health care anyway and I would be criticl of anyone who used that as the main reason.
I am not poor and from what I have been reading, many expats simply pay cash for the inexpensive medical care they require so they are not a burden on the health care system. Besides eligability for national healthcare ( a dubious benefit anyway) and avoiding the obligatory three day week end vacationevery three months, what are the benefits of residency?
Also, I would choose to live in Costa Rica over France any day regardless of how wealthy I was. The main reasons I come to CR are the weather, the beautiful countryside and the people. Costa Rica is NOT a choice I make based it being a cheaper brand.Edited on Nov 15, 2008 08:11
I was told I had to pay my taxes in the municipality to which my property pertains by my attorney. I did no further research to confirm that. It is my undrstanding that the taxes are a resource for the municipality so it does make sense.
My piece of land is north east from Palmares…about an 8 minute drive from the Red Cross station in Palmares.
My land is not contained with a gated community. I do employ a local fellow to keep the weeds down and do some planting for me but until I am ready to move, I have no way to guard an empty house so I must wait a bit longer.
George and I spoke of relative land values in my area. I paid $4.35 a sq meter 3 years ago for 12,000 sq mtrs right off a good paved road with three large build sites and two large waterfalls. Electricity and water are about 70 meters away on the pave road. George estimated land in my area is selling right now for between $10 and $20 per square meter depending upon many factors. I paid a fair price for land but construction costs are what concern me right now. WHat are your per foot estimates?
The Posada. It is the only place with three computers in the lobby area and it is the closest to my property.
The weather is THE best in Novemebr. Cool nights with occasional rain and pleasant sunny mornings.That would pretty much eliminate early retirement single pensionado applications. The average early retirement amount is between $1000 and $1500. Who knows what inflation will do to change that number upwards? Only some combined early retirement Social Security pensions could meet a requirement of $2,000 per person or per married couple.
That leaves rentista as the only route open which will also weed out a considerable group of Americans who cannot come up with 5 times the current requirement of a $60,000 deposit. How many Americans could afford to buy property, build a house and still have cash available for the $600,000 deposit?
For those who do not have that kind of cash, is there a third legal option? And what about those who habe already purchased property but who thn would not be able to use it except as a three month vacation home? What would that do to real estate values? Lots of stuff in the mix her to consider. It just somehow all sounds a little preposterous to me. Perhaps a smaller change might take place but the above proposed changes would only be considered if the governmen believed there was a big problem with current immigration.
Yesterday I spoke at length with the Tico who cares for my property when I am not here.He is quite poor. We sat on his front porch and a neighbor joined us. Both made note that things were tougher now and referred to the increased cost of the commodities they need to buy in order to carry on with their farming. Fertilizer, pest control agents, seed…everything is getting close to being cost prohibitive for them to continue.
There are far right contributors here as well. Both sides come to Costa Rica for their own reasons, some of those reasons may even be political.
We should never have a problem,as Americans, talking to each other. But lately,after eight years, and some could say it has been 28 years, of flag waving, finger pointing, radical right wing, fanatically religious,thieving, lying republican rule, I have to admit I am discouraged and p***** off at fellow citizens who support all that.
I apologize if my previous comments are taken as a personal attack. They were a reaction to the politics which I and miliions of others have been punished with for so long. I hope it is coming to a temporary end Tuesday.
Countdown sounds like an irrate republican. They are losing their death grip on my country at long last and there are bound to be some sour grapes among them. But that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. Butch up and get used to the political talk. There is nothing wrong with it and it does belong here in this forum. Just look at how popular those political threads are.
If you do not agree with socialized medicine, then you must be one of the fortunate citizens who can either afford health care on your own or have an employer who helps with that expense. Waiting for treatment is not an issue for many Americans because they get no care at all.
And every Canadian I have spoken with about their health care system approve of it.
Socialism’s primary aim is direct care of the citizenry, not corporations. What the U.S. is doing right now is not a turn to wards socialism. It issimply more robbing of the working people.As an American, I can empathize with your disgust and anger. But please direct it specifically at the proper target; conservative republican, pro business, laissez faire capitalists….and any American citizen who voted his unsubstantiated fear and put Bush in office twice.
And try to work up a little empathy for the blameless progressive Americans who had nothing to do with the current mess. You are still better off than most Americans in your highly taxed country. You have health care and a substantial social net to fall back on in the very hard times coming. We here to the south of you have absolutely nothing to fall back upon. Nothing. Americans have been brainwashed into believing socialism is a dirty word and they have been paying a heavy price for their ignorance. They will now pay even more dearly.
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I believe it may be safer to drive in Costa Rica as the Ticos rather than drive as an aging gringo or Canadian would drive up north. It’s all about expectations. Learn quickly how the Ticos behave on the road and you might avoid a nasty surprise. You wouldn’t want to come to a complete stop at a stop sign when the only traffic is the Tico behind you who is NOT expecting anyone to stop if there is no oncoming traffic.
Actually, he has the right idea. It is kind of stupid to obey signs instead of a reality they may not be reflecting.Edited on Oct 26, 2008 14:50
I drive like the Ticos for the most part. Of course, that means that when I drive in Miami, I get more than my share of moving violations. But I have never been ticketed in Costa Rica and was only stopped once upon entering San Ramon where the police had set up to pull cars over. They only asked to see my license and passport and asked what my business was. And then we chatted briefly and in a friendly manner about an unrelated topic.
The lady in front of me appeared to have been stopped for using her cell phone while driving. I sure wish they would make that illegal inFlorida as well.
