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David, things have changed here since both of us made the move to Costa Rica.
Material ‘things’ are more available than ever, and yes, the availability of American-style/American-quality homes to rent are few and far between. But, while one decides on the next step, isn’t it better to ‘rough it’ than to purchase in haste….
Just yesterday, I heard of two Canadian Club couples have returned to their home bases, for different reasons and we know that between 50-60% of ex-pats do eventually leave Costa Rica.The ‘withholding tax’ seems to vary from ‘0-3% depending on who you are talking too.
Again, applying online for your OAP, could be easy….
It is advisable to make 2-3 visits [b]before you make the move[/b]! Also, [b]consider renting[/b][i][/i] in the area you are most interested in to check out the weather systems to see if it is what you like, but more important, what you can live with.
It is so easy to buy property but [b]very difficult[/b] to sell.Articles are on all the Costa Rican ‘news online’ website regarding Gun Permits. Here is one, [url=http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/november/05/costarica-091105-03.htm]Your text to link here…[/url]
I don’t totally ‘not like it’ but just certain features.
I like to read or go back to certain peoples posts, and it was easier to find before. Now, one/I would have to check out every ‘topic’ to try and find what I had read before, but not necessarily in the ‘same posting’ or even a similar vein, so it is now much simpler that a ‘search’ feature has been added.
Another thing I would like to have seen changed, was [b]all the posts be displayed[/b] in the thread I am replying to, instead of having to open up a new page to find different peoples point of view that I can ‘copy and paste’ into my response, although now with the ‘reply with quote’ option I can respond to a particular person reply.
This site and others like will never please everyone, no matter how many people ‘give’ suggestions that would be impossible to achieve.[quote=”Gary Savage”]My second question is, and maybe it is a stupid one, let’s say you have a property, has a house (value 175K) and two cabinas (value 40K each), is each building valued separately, in regards to the luxury tax? If not, what if the house is on one piece of titled property and the two cabinas are on an adjust, separately titled property, both in your name (but separate)? Does in make a difference if one is in your name, one in your wife’s or say different corporations?
Thanks for any insight
Gar[/quote]
Has anyone any more info on this, for both Gary and others who may in the same position?I think they do well most places, if out of strong winds. Maybe different if it was a commercial endeavor.
Hotter is OK, but the humidity could be a problem. We grow avocados in the interior of Guanacaste, where the temps. are in the 80-90F range, most of the time.
Orotina is one of the best places for growing Avocados, but many folk grow them in their gardens. Mostly grown throughout Costa Rica are [i]’Aguacate criollos'[/i][b][/b] which is a much larger/cheaper avocado. Once used to the texture/flavor you’ll like it. Hass avocados that you se at the markets are usually imported from Mexico, although you can buy the grafted trees here. All varieties are best protected from the wind and like a warm climate.
axelgil, we met with a representative at the ‘Clima Ideal’ office just outside Liberia last week, also looking for info on units available. I would suggest you also check out the Frigidaire dealer in Liberia and the other company (can’t remember the name right now) there, and hopefully get a better deal…
Yes, expect wash outs and road closures!
Sorry, don’t know much about the area to divert you to safer routes, though.Like you, David, I don’t believe what Tom was told. And as Tom posted, he wasn’t really concerned about the info.
We had contact with Del Oro, Guanacaste, one of the largest producers of OJ in Central America regarding our participation with them, as they have many ‘fincas’ under contract around the area. For one thing, the oranges wouldn’t be producing in the same area, every month, which is why they purchase from other areas of the country.
And what they paid, was minimal, especially considering the initial output. I can’t remember the exact figures, but it wasn’t worth us participating with them. We just grow and enjoy 3 varieties for our own benefit.Bananas plants are actually herbs, not trees! And, depending on the species, the one ‘hand’ could possibly weigh 200lb. Then that plant dies….
Good news, is that it will have a youngster to take over, growing alongside it.
There should be three plants per ‘planting’, grandmother, mother and daughter…
If there are more than that, the small daughters, should be transplanted, elsewhere. Some ‘daughters’ are no good though and these are called ‘water babies’.They grow like weeds though, so you probably have more than three….
Yes, you must get permission to use the spring.
We had problems on the farm when transferring ownership…it took 2 years…mainly due to ‘officials’ saying we had a year round river/springs on the property, which we didn’t. We ran out of water, in the previous years
They said we had to ‘give them’ that block of land for public use.
They eventually realized, that they were wrong…Edited on Oct 30, 2009 09:19
David, I don’t think you are often ‘wrong’.
And as for bringing a family member to stay in a facility here, it may be be less expensive than a similar assisted living home in the USA, but what I had read on the proposed sites, they were still very expensive, considering the lower labor costs. Home care, seems to be the way to go. I had occasion recently after an accident, where I was required to spend 6 weeks, immobilized in bed, and needed ‘home care’ but this was provided by our workers wife who would not hear of paying ‘anyone’ to provide it and did it herself. It was as professional as I could have received in Canada and I will forever grateful.
As I mentioned, if one has to pay for their own care, it may be cost prohibitive, costing much more than the required pension that someone with ‘pensionado’ status is required to have.
If someone opened a small, no frills ‘home’ with good care, it would probably be successful. For most ex-pats, their Spanish is less than perfect, so for the staff to speak English, would benefit everyone.
