Costa Rica

[Stinky The Clown]

Some time ago I read that Costa Rica is a desirable place for American expats to retire.



Stable government

Financially advantageous for those with fixed incomes.

Nice weather

Friendly toward Americans




Anybody have any thoughts about/experience with this?



http://www.infocostarica.com/retirement/

[panader0]

1. I'm going when the kids get out of high school.

There is also fabulous surf there. Prices are going up rapidly. Commune anyone?

[Mike 03]

2. I've been thinking about this every day for three years.

BTW, I didn't realize you were Hubs! Good to see you.

It sounds like a great place to own a second home. Honestly, I think about it all the time. There are some tremendous opportunities there.

[MercutioATC]

3. I retire in 7 years, and I'm going to Costa Rica.

It's not for everybody, though. It has a completely different culture that many Americans find extremely trying.

Somebody seeking to live as part of a different culture should put Costa Rica on their list of places to look at. Those who want to live like Americans should stick to Florida.

[DesertFlower]

5. i agree. nt

[DesertFlower]

4. we checked it out a few years ago.

it's gotten kind of expensive and you have to put bars on your windows because of the crime. there are a lot of gated communities where expats live. they say to never take your money out while in the city of San Jose. that surprised me. i'm originally from NYC and took my wallet out there.

[marybourg]

6. Try to google for an expatriate forum,

preferably specifically for Costa Rica or a general one where some Costa Rica expats hang out. You'll learn things you never considered. I don't mean to be negative; I considered Mexico and Panama for a while and lurked on country-specific expat forums. Result: I'm still here in the U.S. There's a lot to consider. It's a very small country with limited amenities and will require a huge change in almost any American's lifestyle. Also think "earthquakes". And good luck!

[DesertFlower]

8. and volcanoes.

[Demobrat]

7. It's beautiful but you have to be careful.

Over the past few years they started throwing up houses/condos left and right to take advantage of the real estate boom - and some of these structures have started to crumble already. The country is also crawling with rip-off artists who will happy to sell you a place they don't own, especially near the coasts.

[Mike 03]

10. This is exactly what I've been worried about and was hearing.

The place is gorgeous, but that the builders have tried to turn it into a scam, and that it might not be as great as some of the realtors pushing these properties in the U.S. make them seem to be.

Thanks for adding this. It's a very important point.

Some of the deals being offered here sound way too good to be true. Beachside properties for three hundred and fifty grand? That sounds too good to be true. Five bedroom, three bath homes with views of mountain ranges and oceans for four hundred thousand or less, that sounds too good to be true.

[DesertFlower]

9. you can get the Tico Times on line.

it's one of the english language papers. it's interesting to look at the classifieds. something i read in the times a few years ago was that expats were buying up all the land and there wasn't going to be anything left for costa ricans. when will these peaceful people start to rebel?

[SoCalDem]

11. Get a local paper, and RENT a place during the RAINY SEASON

That will give you time to look around and drive through the countryside to determine where you would like to live permanently, and time to sort out the con-artists from the legitimate realtors..and if you rent for a while, and speak Spanish, you might be able to negotiate like a "local".:)

It's a beautiful place, and the climate is wonderful, but if you have long-standing health problems, you have to take that into consideration too..Flights back and forth to the states can ruin a budget:(

Rent out your USA place, and "go native" in central america, to see if it's really for you:)

[donco]

12. You might want to try Belize instead. nt

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Why?

[donco]

15. In my case

English is the only official language and I don't speak Spanish.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. Is English acceptable/used in Belize?

[Zywiec]

19. It is the only country in Central America where English is the official language.

La Isla Bonita!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

14. I'd be concerned about hurricanes. nt

[shanti]

16. no thanks

poisonous snakes and beef worms - nuff said!

[Judi Lynn]

18. You might want to ask DU'er "arcos," who lives there. He seems to love his country.

I just saw a thread he posted in the Latin America forum regarding a Costa Rican politician:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x11911

Arcos has kept DU'ers informed on Costa Rica politics, including posting great photos of demonstrations they had there on at least two occassions regarding the FTA _Bush arranged with their President, which the people themselves didn't want.