[Cancertomnpdx]

Dear Lotus:

Please do post your report after you August visit. I am very interested in the prefab technology and what you learn since I am on a very strict budget. I plan to visit a few prefab companies when I visit again in March.

Thanks,
Tom on a budget in Portland

[Cancertomnpdx]

When I visited Ben Cart’s house on George Lundquist’s tour in May, he showed me a new Wi-Fi system he had installed. The unit was very small, attached to the roof of his office that was giving him faster speed then he ever had before. I think the unit was about $400 installed and then $40 per month. If I am recalling his details he told in our brief conversation his new system directly connected to a satellite. Unfortunately I did not write down the details until we stopped that evening and I forgot the name of the company he mentioned that provided the service.

Tom on a budget in Portland

[Cancertomnpdx]

This video may not be for everyone, but it is funny!

Pura Vida!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNsuirgK8gQ

Thanks,
Tom on a budget in Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

I would suspect not much has happened since it was filed only on June 20, 2008. It is probably in the federal district CT because the plaintiffs live in Connecticut and have the privilege of filing their cause of action in the federal court where they reside. Anyone who has lost money to Paragon Properties, looks like they may be a Florida corporation upon research, may want to watch this court docket monthly. The reason I suggest this is that Rip-off Report has a posting calling for a class action lawsuit posted in May. Although I am not a lawyer, this could turn into a class action lawsuit from what I have read about this company in the past. But for right now, I am pretty certain that the clerk of the court/plaintiffs are probably now only trying to find the parties that need to be served.

Tom on a budget in Portland, Oregon

[Cancertomnpdx]

In May I was on George’s tour and we stopped for his usual visit at Hospital CIMA San Jose. We fortunate because the CEO wanted to meet George for sometime so she visited with us for about a half hour or so. It turns that she was born in the US and has managed two hospitals for the same corporation in either Michigan and Texas as I recall. I asked her why US health care was costing and seemed so inexpensive in Costa Rica. She said the simple answer was that she wasn’t paying the 24.7% administrative costs that is being paid in the states to manage our health care system. She claimed that greater portion the costs in the US are centered on the administration necessary to bill all the insurance providers that every hospital, doctor, or clinic has to deal with in the course of daily business. She concluded by saying that in Costa Rica you don’t have an either industry or career field dedicated to billing the insurance companies!
If anyone is interested in understanding how stupid the US is being with what we are paying for our health care should check out this Frontline program from April 2008, “Sick Around the World: Can the US learn from the rest of the world how to run a health care system?” (the link is for online viewing: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/). This program was the foundation of several of the questions I asked her about during our interview with her.

Thanks
Tom on a Budget in Portland Oregon
“Soon-to-be the Orosi Valley”

[Cancertomnpdx]

I met Father Buck, Rector, St. Alban’s, Davidson, NC, at the airport in San Jose, Saturday, May 31st. We had a nice discussion about Episcopal churches in Costa Rica. He told there are about 8 or 9 churches besides the one in downtown San Jose. I was a bit amazed since it is so hard to find any listing on the Internet even on Anglican websites. He had just spent a week with the Bishop of Costa Rica but he didn’t have a list of parish churches with him. I suggest you contact Father Buck at St. Alban’s website for further information. His parish is trying to start a pre-school/daycare in Heredia hence the week he and his traveling companion spent with the Bishop. In order not to post the link directly here, please Google Saint Albans-Davision, NC to get the link.

Any Anglican/Episcopalians here from the Orosi Valley?

Thanks,
Tom in Portland

[Cancertomnpdx]

Dear Terry:

I will never have a budget for $595,000 condo. In fact, if I was to have $595,000 when I retired, I certainly would not spend it on a condo. I am too cheap of an American! My goal is to find a simple Tico house among neighbors that are friendly. I am taking the whole moving project in baby steps. This year’s trip is to just reacquaint myself with Costa Rica since I have not been in country since 1993. On this trip, I am taking George Lundquist’s tour to learn, educate myself on how Costa Rica has changed since my first visit. I am using the tour to help me decide if Costa Rica is still a good opportunity for me with my budget or do I look elsewhere for my retirement. This certainly is not my decision year; I have two and half more years that I want to work. I want a simpler life however, so my plans are simple, like wanting my own banana tree, a good first cup of coffee in the morning, fresh tomatoes all the time. So I am certain a Tico-style house and neighborhood will do me just fine if I finally decided on Costa Rica.

I am taking your thoughts and suggestions of trying to fit in to heart, I thank you for the reminder.

Thanks,
Tom in Portland

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Dear Terry from Texas:

Thanks for the update and current reality check on living in Costa Rica. I start my planning for retirement next month with my second visit to Costa Rica. I haven’t been in the country since 1993 and want to the additional research you have already completed. Thanks for the note of encouragement since I thought maybe a minimum requirement might be still about $1000 per month for one.

Sincerely,
Tom in Portland

[Cancertomnpdx]

Could you do any better with Frontier Airlines? They start seasonal service to CR in November. I think you might have to do it through the main hub in Denver. You might luck out since this is a new service and your could put off using your Continental reservations by cancelling them and re-booking 330 days before from this year’s flight date. Of course, when you rebook you would of course have to pay any fare increase and a cancellation fee. If you decided to cancel Continental make them tell you what the actual date by when you must rebook and pay your cancellation fee.

[Cancertomnpdx]

Did anyone else notice that the new tax system for Costa Rica is called “SAP.” How appropriate for an American company to name a tax collection system “SAP.” I am thinking may the concept of a “sap”* doesn’t translate in to Spanish?

Thanks,
Tom in Portland

*fool: a person who lacks good judgment

[Cancertomnpdx]

This is what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the USA is doing about advancing tidal energy production, see Chairman’s update at:

http://www.ferc.gov/news/statements-speeches/kelliher/2007/07-19-07-kelliher-hydro.asp#skipnavsub

[Cancertomnpdx]

For sometime I have had a bit of leftovers from my grocery money invested in Kiva.org. My original intention was to invest in small business in Costa Rica but none were listed. It would be nice to figure out how we could get established in Costa Rica the necessary organization through Kiva.org to support loans to small businesses trying to expand. My current loan to a single mother running a milk and bread shop in Mexico is being repaid on time. My loan combined with a number of others have made it possible for her to expand her inventory. It would be nice to help this way in Costa Rica, I like the Kiva concept!

Thanks,
Tom

[Cancertomnpdx]

“Who hired all those criminals?” Answer: The US Supreme Court for the first time in our nation’s history!

[Cancertomnpdx]

“According to the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), last year about 80% of electricity consumed in the country was hydroelectric, 14% geothermal and only 6% oil-based thermal.” From someone who works inside the utilities in the US, these figures are no doubt the best mix possible! You only have to look at the debate inside of the US Congress this week on gasoline mileage for 2020 to realize we are no longer the trend setters in the world. My hat is off to Costa Rica with these great figures and to think, nobody in this article mentioned how great it is to be back burning coal as part of the nation’s energy policy like the US is doing under this administration.

Tom in Portland

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Dear Alvaro:

You have made my day, my week, my month and my year! I have been looking for links to such websites for a very long time. Thank you for sharing your information with us!

Tom in Portland

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