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Yeah…..And George Bush engineered the 09/11 attacks. Matter of fact…he piloted one of the planes himself but secretly parachuted out just in time…BLAH…BLAH….BLAH….
This is WEIRD! The linked I posted morning when I started this topic:
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2011/march/20/costarica11032001.htm
was somehow changed (not by me) to essentially the same story but in Spanish. How does that happen (just curious)?
As much as I can’t stand the big banks I have to have my mortgage with one of them. In 12 years I have never been late on my payment. Now I see deadbeats walking away from their responsibilities and screwing things up for us honest people and we that still have integrity. Ultimately we are all responsible for our decisions whether it be taking out a mortgage or applying for a credit card. The banks may have been shady in their marketing techniques but individuals still bear the responsibility of their actions. Unfortunately, too many scumbags that can afford to pay are deciding not to pay and choosing to simply walk away. They think they’re just screwing the banks but they’re also screwing the honest payers. People like that are weak and spineless and derserve their misery. So yes…. The big banks are ‘F’d’ up but so are a lot of individuals who chooses to walk away from their obligations. Nobody put a gun to their head. They made bad decisions and are looking for a scapegoat to blame someone else.
Well…I think one qualification will be to understand Costa Rican laws as they relate to “joint property”…”child support”…”spousal and/or girlfriend support”…etc.
Obviously being [b]cynical[/b] here but only because of the countless stories I’ve read about Costa Rican women hoodwinking naive Gringo’s and walking away with their fortunes.
[quote=”maravilla”]the whole thing was weird — as though licensing standards were not important at all, and what about liability if you do this and are unlicensed? so the bottom line is that no what your qualifications in the US, you can’t just hang out a shingle here and start seeing patients. too many risks and consequences.[/quote]
We see the same thing here in the US with “Doctor’s” who are not qualified or in many cases not licensed who mostly prey on naive minorities or poorer people and often the consequences are not very pretty.
I would think that with Costa Rica being one of the Happiest places on the planet that the demand for therapists would not be that great at all.
FYI—Why Bill Gross has decided to take UST holdings down to zero:
“Bill Gross, co-chief investment officer at Newport Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Co., elaborated Friday on his recent move to sell all U.S. bonds from his $236.9 billion Pimco Total Return fund, the world’s largest mutual fund.
“It is a question of [b][u]valuation[/u][/b],” Gross said on Bloomberg Television Friday. “It is not a question of departing treasuries based on credit fears.”
The U.S. government is set to maintain its “AAA” credit rating for years, according to Gross. “
I have rented bunches of times and here are a couple of my suggestions which are strictly my own opinion.
[b]# 1[/b] PAY the extra $10 a day or whatever it is for a reliable GPS unit. Make sure the agent sets it up for you so that it speaks in [b]English[/b]. It is very much worth it.
[b]#2[/b] I would avoid the Suzuki’s especially if you will be doing a lot of driving. They can turn into a beat up old tin can very quickly (there’s a reason why they’re cheaper…). Again, pay up a few extra $$$ and get a more sturdy reliable and comfortable 4 Wheel Drive SUV like a Toyota Rava, Prado, Mitsubishi Montero etc.
[b]#3[/b] I would try and rent from one of the “majors” (Dollar..Avis etc.) that have multiple locations throughout CR. That way, if you’re near Manuel Antonio (i.e.) and something happens and the company you rented from has an office in Quepos, you will probably have a much quicker resolution to your problem compared to dealing with a smaller company that only has 1 office in San Jose.
[b]#4[/b] I have rented in the past from Dollar, Toyota, Alamo and Budget and never had any problem with any of them.
[b]#5[/b] [b]NEVER…NEVER[/b]…leave anything in your rental car if you’re going to be away from it for awhile. Always make sure your car is [b]EMPTY[/b] and even leave the windows open a crack or a little) if it is completely empty. Lots of car breakin’s in CR and you don’t want to invite that.
[b]# 6[/b] If you are using a major credit card for your car rental be sure and review the travel insurance benefits most credit card companies offer. There are certain types of “insurance” the car rental company will mandate that you have which in all likelihood is already provided as a benefit through your credit card company. Contact your credit card company for those terms so that you don’t wind up “paying twice” for something. Could possible save you $15 – $20 per day.
Have a pleasant trip.
[quote=”Scott”][quote=”bogino”]I am going to retract my offer because this new tax issue only adds another uncertainty as to whether this is the proper time to invest on a property…[/quote]
Forgive me for being flippant but if you are going to wait for “certainty”, you might as well not bother making offers to buy real estate anywhere in the world …
We are living in very uncertain times.
IMHO – There’s more “certainty” and stability in the Costa Rican real estate market, the Costa Rican economy and the overall political situation than there is in the USA.
Scott[/quote]
I thought you were supposed to have some kind of background in investment banking? If that’s the case then you of all people should understand the concept of “good timing”. The CR real estate market is an “inefficient” market and therefore makes it very easy for someone to get sucked in at a bad price. I have my objectives and on a significant investment I am going to make sure that that whatever decision I ultimately make will be strategically the best possible decision I make and if that means altering my timing or adjusting my price target based on changing dynamics then so be it.
I realize you have an agenda to tout the RE market in CR but….COME ON DUDE…..lets face it….it’s not as if the CR RE market is “on fire”. The market is soft there too just as it is in many places and if I see an opportunity to capitalize as a result of current disruptions then better believe I will do whatever it takes to make sure I get the best possible deal for myself.
I also reserve the right to change my mind without notice!
This forum is terrific for precisely the reasons addressed in this particular subject. I have traveled to CR a dozen times in the past 7 years and multiple occasions viewing properties for an eventual home. I’ve taken my time and been patient and just last week made an offer on a nice home in Grecia. I am going to retract my offer because this new tax issue only adds another uncertainty as to whether this is the proper time to invest on a property. We can all speculate and guess what the eventual outcome may be but truth is nobody really knows or has a clue and only time will tell. Therefore, prudent for me to simply remain patient until the picture is clearer. I do, however, get the sense the CR is becoming less attractive as a retirement alternative with all these new and increased fees..taxes…etc.
Click on the link above. Complete post of this very subject with lots of good input.
What did people do before Social Security existed? They survived. I have no problem having a debate as to whether Social Security should be phased out. If that were a consideration it would be something that would have to occur over a generation or even 2. It would encourage people to save and not become reliant on Uncle Government which has demonstrated uncanny ability to screw things up. I highly doubt the program will ever be eliminated though. Too many people have become too dependent. My guess is there will be changes made and even those likely “modest” changes would occur an extended period of time. Existing retirees and recipients won’t have anything to worry about.
