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We just returned from a week in south Florida. We watched two relatives find out that their properties (in “excellent” areas) had dropped respectively 67% and 40% in value. I had urged them to check Zillow and request “recently sold” data on both their neighborhoods and they found out their worst fears were FAR worse than they realized. This was unbelievably painful to watch. The economy there and in so many other areas of the States are completely moribund. Even Canada is beginning to show cracks in their system.
Here in Costa Rica, the economy is cooking along at a decent rate. Many Central and South American countries have robust economies. What we are seeing here in Atenas is an amazing rental market with expats who are living here but no longer can afford to buy. The rents here are really high and occupancy is very high. For those who still have investment monies, owning rental properties here has proved attractive.
We constantly meet folks from Canada and the U.S. who are here trying to figure out how to “make it happen” after big economic losses. I for one have certainly not seen any signs that Costa Rica is falling out of favor.
We have met a couple of folks who are looking at Ecuador for a cheaper lifestyle!
Hi:
Let me start with the paint shop question….we didn’t bother to have the whole car painted, only the top which had rust. The gentleman then really thoroughly touched up each and every little spot, repainted the little things that were originally black and after a couple of days, hi-buffed the whole thing to shiny perfection. They also detailed the interior a bit and buffed all the years of crud off the original windows. So the $270 was for the above work. Also, they had the car a week so that the touch-up paint could dry thoroughly before the buff. This is a little barn behind somebody’s house but if you contact me by private message I can see if I can get a phone contact…Spanish only. AND the place is in Atenas.
As to the purchase/shipping questions: We bought the ‘Cruiser for $4K in excellent condition in the states and put maybe $1,00 in there. The additional charge to ship was $2350 which was for the tax but that tax amount also included all of our household goods charges, so don’t know the actual amount. Please remember the older the car, the less the tax. We were already shipping a container and the difference between the 20′ and the 40’ is probably less than $1,000. Also, we had to pay for a catalytic converter before it would pass Riteve which I believe was about $350. In Atenas, I have seen two ‘Cruisers of similar vintage go for upwards of $9K, so we feel that we made a good financial decision. Our ‘Cruiser will gain value as the years pass BECAUSE it is vintage. Here might be a fly in the ointment: we have heard that they might be getting ready to restrict the importation of older vehicles…check with Arden @ ShipCostaRica who was our miracle worker for all things shipping!!
Very importantly, this car was (for the bulk of its life) an Arizona vehicle. These cars have NO big rust issues, etc.
Since we have arrived, we have a few little things done which have not been very expensive, but more “wear-and-tear” issues which we would be doing on any vehicle. As stated by other posts, this vehicle is stupidly reliable and pretty powerful. 70-75 MPH may be the top speed, but when can you ever go FASTER in Costa Rica??
No, we aren’t considering a propane conversion as we considered the extra cost of gas in our initial purchase decision. Our experience is that we go somewhat often in Costa Rica, but never far….everything is so close together….just the roads that makes each trip seem far!
We have so many friends who have had NIGHTMARES with the cars they purchased here (of later model). And I mean just pouring money down ratholes! Our mechanic told us something interesting: the tropics just EAT electronics on cars….in the engine and auxilliary equipment. The ‘Cruiser has virtually no electronics…yep we have to crank the windows by HAND…OMG!!!
Hope this answers more questions! Sue
AND the “forests” of English ivy that are choking whole forests in the Pacific Northwest. The list is endless. So for all of us on this Forum who love Costa Rica….keep looking for local seeds. Also ask your neighbors if they would do some seed exchanges with you..the very best way to grow plants from seed which are uniquely suited for your area.
When we first arrived I was sort of grumbling about not being able to find certain kinds of produce for recipes. Then one day while walking thru our truly amazing and abundant farmer’s market I had an epiphany!! I rolled up a La Nation and smacked myself with it! Then I started asking how to use COSTA RICAN vegetables and fruits both in old recipies and new ones. “Adapt woman” I said…and so I have.
Thought I’d post an update about the 1984 Toyota Landcruiser that we shipped (see first entries on this thread). It has just been AWESOME!! We drove it for several months before we left the States and had some good maintenance work done by our mechanic before it shipped. Once here, there was something to do (catalytic converter) before we passed our first inspection, but at a low cost thru the shipper Barry.
Since arriving we have had our great local mechanic address a couple of small things that were more “comfort” issues…again at a very low cost. Also, the old girl looked a little tatty with some worn paint and a little roof rust. At a nearby shop the workers touched up every little spot on the entire body, repainted the roof white (for a more “vintage” look) and then completely buffed out the entire body AND the original windows and headlamps. The ‘Cruiser now looks like a competition vehicle…all for $270 US. Whew!
Of course, the gas mileage is not great but we knew that going in. The car was comparatively so cheap to begin with that we figure it would take about ten years of extra gas cost to even out the purchase/shipping cost disparity.
Plus, we look SUPER COOL in our vintage CostaRicamobile. AND, all of the local hombres just love our ‘Cruiser. We were amazed to find that similar vehicles sell for between $9,000 and $10,000.
I don’t know if this is coincidence, but several of our friends who have purchased much newer SUV’s of various makes here in Costa Rica have had some hair-raising mechanical expenses on their vehicles.
All-in-all we are pretty happy with this decision!
Just a thought….governments control plant/seed importation for some very good reasons. Plants that may be quite benign in Canada or the States could be terribly pernicious in a tropical climate and vice versa. What is a well-controlled flower in Arizona/Oregon/Pennsylvania can act as an out-of-control monster in our climate.
Yes David, the house is held in a corporation. From what we have heard from the locals (who are in a position to know), taxes NEVER go down here…..only up! Again, everyone but everyone has advised us never to call attention to ourselves with the municipality. A fool’s enterprise!
Our home in Atenas is worth approximately $275K and our yearly taxes are just under $400. We found out that if there has been a mortgage on the property (under the previous owner) the taxes are likely to be higher.
We have friends with properties worth far more who are paying 1/2 of what we do. We asked our attorney if there was a way to “challenge” the current taxes. He nicely told us that he could certainly ask the municipality to do so BUT…..that there was a good chance that our taxes could go higher based on the new inspection. We wisely left well enough alone. We also feel that our taxes are SO fair and are happy to be contributing to the community.
If you are buying a home, check with the municipality for the actual amount of property taxes.
David and Lynn:
This forum is exactly the place to “bombard us with questions”. Most of us received immense kindness and generosity of forum members when we were researching a move to Costa Rica. We have now been living here in Atenas for a year and traveled extensively in Costa Rica for nine years previously.
We live at a lower elevation than David and do get a few days during Summer when the middle of the day can get a little “toasty”, but we love the town, its proximity to the beach, the airport and Escazu.
As to the cost of living here, we have lots of friends and family in the States that have been hammered by cost-of-living increases (food, fuel and more) in the last couple of years. We would NOT have been able to enjoy the lifestyle we have here on our retirement income had we remained where we were. You can see that many folks on the Forum have different expenses and incomes here in Costa Rica. But I think that the point is that most of us are really enjoying our lives regardless of our respective incomes. That said, I believe that it is important to have at least $2K per month income to cover emergencies that may arise. I know folks here living on much less, but they have literally no safety net.
We also really like San Ramon and have good friends there! I hope your trip is wonderful! Sue
Here is another questions regarding the new service Telephonica: When, exactly is their service planned to start? Will they offer wireless email service to the house? We have a private company and have just been having fits with them and their service for the last two months. They were great until then and then they changed hands.
Our service has been wretched for almost two months and was never more than 1mpbs before that….any hope for coverage with Telephonica??
A succinct reply David! My terrific, sharp and progressive 90-year-old Mom reminded me yesterday of all the craziness that has always ensued around bad financial times in the States. She gave so many well-informed instances (which she personally observed) that I was able to see come of this nonsense and meanness in a more reasoned light!
The tiny/small house movement is really gaining momentum in the U.S. An absolutely terrific book regarding this excellent lifechoice is “Little House for a Small Planet”.
Hey Bob: We live in Atenas and there are at least two property managers here that we know who are great. We originally dealt with them before we bought this house and also have heard many say that they give excellent service. They are both expats. I am guessing that they would give you frank information about their occupancy rates, etc.
Rentals in Atenas are hard(er) to come by and rental rates are higher that many other places in the Central Valley. Both of these managers keep their clients properties pretty rented. PM me if you would like to have their contact info and I can give you more details!! Sue
Well a grim topic, but sure am glad to have this information. End of life planning is crucial because we are all headed the same direction. If someone dies at home (and cremation is desired) what official should be called? Should we first contact our doctor? Do they help?
We have also heard some horror stories about folks who were unprepared and the lack of planning caused so much extra grief to the survivors.
We also are asking trusted friends to be our “interim” representatives in case we both go at the same time. That way our only child has some help if the worst were to occur.
Yes, the highway is finished and from Santa Ana to the first beach is probably just about an hour! It is a great road unless the rainy season causes mudslides or there is a construction slowdown.
But again….if a primary property (house, car) are held in corporations and the ADULT heirs are named as officers of said corporations, they may then sell the properties with only their own signatures…..yes? Our attorney says that this is a perfectly valid way to transfer major assets.
As to furniture, etc., why couldn’t the heir just dispose of what remains on Craig’s List or a yard sale? Who would have the authority to dispute their right to sell these miscellaneous items?
