Boomers In Costa Rica's Real Estate & More

Green Countries!

Here's another great reason to consider Costa Rica for retirement.  A new study by Yale University lists Costa Rica as the 5th greenest country on earth.  The US is #39.  Only Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Finland are considered greener.  Not bad for Costa Rica, still considered a developing countries with much more limited resources than the others.  Here's an article on the recent study:

Green Countries List

Reminder, free B&B promotion & viewing real estate!

Just a reminder that our friends at CR Communities, based in San Ramon, are offering through February a free two-night B&B stay to look at ocean-view properties in the San Ramon area.  To view details of this promotion, click here:

Free B&B Stay!

Please take a look at BuySafeCostaRica.com!

Below is an article written by our friends at BuySafe Costa Rica, a company that helps its clients find real estate and prides itself on transparent and SAFE transactions through an objective process in which properties, real estate agents and developers are carefully screened.  They cover all of Costa Rica and handle rental properties as well.  Here's the scoop:

It’s no secret that the U.S. real estate market has fallen on some troubled times. The combination of mass foreclosures and falling housing prices has created quite a dilemma for consumers and investors alike. However, these factors have shed new light on various foreign real estate markets. With Central America in the forefront countries like Belize, Nicaragua and Costa Rica have seen an increase in American buyers. It seems as though their purchases have gone beyond the standard vacation home. Many have taken on the role of investors and are purchasing multi unit complexes and raw land. This growing trend has not only transformed the foreign market it have also changed the once familiar landscape for purchasing real estate.

Currently, Costa Rica is the most popular location for those interested in foreign properties and this fact has not gone unnoticed by those in the real estate industry. As a trend setter, BuySafe Costa Rica  is strictly in the business to provide both buyers and sellers with a safe objective website for listing and purchasing properties. They are committed to making real estate purchasing in Costa Rica an easy and safe process.

Since BuySafe Costa Rica is not a real estate company, buyers can find solace in the fact that they only provide listings from reputable agents and owners. As an objective listings web business BuySafe Costa Rica  is able to gather an extensive variety of residential homes, commercial property and undeveloped land from all five regions in Costa Rica. For those who aren’t interested in planting roots in this beautiful country, they also provide rental properties listings for the perfect vacation. Those that visit their website can even find geographical information, travel tips and interesting facts regarding Costa Rica.

Sellers have also found BuySafe Costa Rica is an asset to the world of real estate. By allowing approved owners and brokers the ability to post pictures and descriptions of their properties they provide them the opportunity for global exposure. Their website is extremely user friendly so even those who aren’t computer savvy can easily upload and manage their properties online.

Overall, BuySafe Costa Rica is quickly proving to be easiest and safest way online today to find the best deals on Costa Rica Real Estate

Finding Friendship and Fun in Costa Rica

So, you're about to make the big move to Costa Rica (or you've already arrived).  You have a place to live, you're utilities are on and your house is furnished.  You even have a car and almost know your way around your new town.  So now what?

Many people move here and oftentimes cannot figure out what to do once they get here.  They realize that living a tropical paradise is no more fun than living where they came from without things to do or people to do things with.  Fortunately, there is a rather large ex-pat community with even some of the smallest towns having its share of ex-pats, many of them retirees looking to relax and enjoy the good life.  The fact is, there is plenty to do in Costa Rica, if you know where to find it.

For starters, check out some of the more well-utilized online message boards to seek out people with interests similar to yours.  Two of the more well known ones are:

WeLoveCostaRica.com
Costa Rica Living

These two boards have forums where people come to chat about Costa Rica, discuss their daily lives, announce activities and just share their experiences about living here.  If you have a particular interest and want to find others who share your interest, this would be a great place to post a message.

There are many clubs in Costa Rica such as "Democrats Abroad," or "Surfers," and much more.  A great place to find clubs and associations that might interest you is to check out the TicoTimes.net.  In the Tico Times you'll find a wealth of information not only about various organizations but also about activities geared to foreigners.  While you may find information online, it is best to buy a copy of the Tico Times which is issued each Friday.  In the paper edition, you'll find a list of activities for the upcoming weekend and a list of organizations you might contact.

Getting to know your neighbors is a great way to make friends and find things to do.  Learning a bit of Spanish and interacting with your Tico neighbors is an excellent way to learn what is really going on in your community and to find events often not publicized within the ex-pat community.

Finally, most towns of a decent size have cafes and oftentimes they cater to ex-pats.  For example, in both Grecia and San Ramon, "Cafe Delicias" has become the place for ex-pats to hang out, particularly in the morning over breakfast or in the late afternoon.  Stop in and say "hola" and you're bound to find someone of interest!

Tips on Living in Costa Rica

Below is an assortment of tips on living in Costa Rica.  These are some handy things we've learned by living here.  Enjoy!

How to call the

U.S.

for 10 cents a minutes an

Canada

and

Europe

for 10 cents a minute (NOTE: This is for placing calls to land lines only. To place a call to cell phones it costs 42 cents per minute).

You can sign up for this plan with a company called Fergata Verde out of

San Jose

. You must be referred by a member in order to sign up. Call 220-4594. You can ask for someone who speaks English, if necessary.

They will tell you to go to a Banco Nacional and deposit a minimum of $10 (in U.S. dollars only, not colones) in their account, number 1026001181. When you do this, you will receive a receipt with a transaction number on it. Call Fergate Verde back, tell them you have made the deposit. They will ask for the transaction number. They will call you back in 15 minutes after they verify the deposit and give you an account number and a PIN.

To place a call, you will dial either 291-7655 or 291-7656 as an access number. You will press 1 for English, then you will be prompted to enter your account number and PIN. You will be told how much money and minutes you have left on your account and the call will be placed.

As your account balance gets low, you can go back to Banco Nacional anytime and deposit more money into the Fergata Verde account and call them and give them the deposit transaction number. It sounds more complicated than it is.

Another option is to use a calling card, which you can purchase at supermarkets, but generally they have a maximum of 20 minutes of calling time. Calls to the

U.S.

from a calling card are about 28 cents a minute.

Most all prices in almost every store are negotiable. Americans are not used to going into stores and having to haggle over the prices, however, in

Costa Rica

, you will find that most all prices negotiable. This is something that locals know, but many gringos do not until they have lived here for a while. The normal discount is between 15 and 20%. Shortly after I first got here, I bought a dresser with mirror for our bedroom and the list price was 70,000 colones (about $140 at the time). I didn´t know to ask for a discount, and, if I had, I would have been able to get it for $28 less. You should ask how much something costs, and then after they have told you, you should ask how much it is with the discount. ALWAYS ask for a discount for higher priced items such as furniture and appliances. In San Ramon, there are stores that have one price on the price tag and when you turn it over and look on the other side, it has the lowest price they will go on that item. 

If you see something you like and want, BUY IT THEN. Stores don´t stock items like they do in the

U.S.

and the inventory is always changing. That means, if you see something you like, chances are, that after it is sold out, you will never see it again, so, if you like it, buy it. And buy as much or many as you think you will need or want, because, chances are, you won´t be able to buy it later.

Companies don´t send out bills like they do in the States, so the oous is on you to remember when they are due. The best advice we can give you is to write it down on a calendar every month when everything is due – electricity, phone, cable and water.

Paying bills is not as difficult as you read on theIinternet. Actually, there are so many places that you can pay bills, that you almost never have to wait in line. Some of the places that accept payments are the Camera de Commercia (Chamber of Commerce), certain pharmacies, supermarkets and banks. You can also set up online banking depending on the type of account and bank.

There are virtually no street names in most of

Costa Rica

, particularly in towns outside of

San   Jose

. This makes it very difficult to find places and to give directions. This can be, at the very least, frustrating and could also be perilous in case of an emergency. As soon as you move, learn how to give explicit directions to your house or apartment in Spanish.

You can buy one of a lot of things. For example, you can go into a pharmacy and buy one aspirin. Or into a hardware store and buy one screw or nail. This is actually rather handy, because you don´t have to waste money on buying more than you need.

Pedestrians do not have the right of way. As a pedestrian you should be extra careful because in

Costa Rica

, cars, not pedestrians, have the right of way. So you need to be especially vigilant when on foot.

Cargo/transport/moving trucks queue up every day in the same place and are available on demand. Since many Ticos don´t have means of transport, there are cargo trucks which can be rented very easily. For example, in San Ramon, there is a street where all the moving/transport trucks line up all day every day. If you need something to be moved, you can just go to the line and find someone who suits you and for a couple of dollars, they will come and load and move whatever you need. We moved a one-bedroom apartment in two hours for $30.00.

All

U.S.

citizens must declare all foreign bank and financial accounts with a balance of $10,000 or more to the

U.S.

Department of the Treasury. If you have bank or financial accounts in a foreign country with an aggregate balance of more than $10,000 as of December 31, you must file form TD F 90-22.1 with the U.S. Treasury Department by June 30 of the following year. You can find the form with all instructions at irs.gov.

K

eep your garbage outside or take it out before you go to bed. This may sound strange, but kitchen waste attracts bugs. You can go to bed at night and wake up the next morning with all kinds of bugs crawling in and around your garbage can. Best to take out the garbage every night or either leave it outside.

Buy some Quadriderm cream at the pharmacy and keep it on hand. Since there are so many bugs in

Costa Rica

, you are bound to be biten at some point. This is a great cream, it takes away the redness and itch overnight and can be purchased at any pharmacy. There is also a massage lotion called Tei-Fu, which is also good for bites but also good for aches and pains. A good Sunblock with an SPF of 60+ is Helioblock XL Total.
Most Costa Ricans have two last names. In formal situations like on business cards and signs, you will see names like ¨Maria Cecilia Ramirez Gonzalez¨, a first name, middle name and then two last names. The first last name, in this case, Ramirez, is the father´s surname and the second last name, Gonzalez, is the mother´s surname. In an informal environment this lady would refer to herself as Maria Ramirez (using her father´s surname). Therefore, sometimes if you give someone your first, middle and last names, they will drop your last name and think that your middle name is your last name. I have had doctor´s do this when they write a prescription for me. When women marry, they may use their first name and the husband´s last name in social occasions, but all legal documents remain in the legal format that I described above.