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Do learn a few phrases in Spanish, but don’t be discouraged from coming due to your lack of language skills. Some Costa Rican people speak some English. All of them I’ve encountered are patient, helpful, and willing to work with you if you remain calm, friendly and also patient.
It would help to learn the names of major items on a restaurant menu (chicken, pork, fish, beef, a few vegetable names, etc.) and how to ask a few important questions and understand the answers. Most of this can be learned from a Spanish language phrase book.
Above all, keep your sense of humor and remember that the Costa Ricans won’t understand you any better the louder you talk.
If I were planning to build in an area other than one of the touristy, beachy gringo-trap areas, I’d be budgeting for about $65 per square foot. That should allow for architect’s fees, permits, site prep (if not too extensive), and good quality construction and finish components. If you plan on a $20,000 kitchen, then budget more.
You may get away for less, but if you cannot afford $65 per square foot you should reconsider your plans.
Scott, what if Sr. Byter bought the land in an IRA now, later built a house on it using IRA cash assets, and then rented it to a Costa Rican corporation to occupy? I’m thinking of him renting the property to (say) Gatorbyter Retirement Rental Corporation, S.A. which, coincidentally, he owns.
Neither Home Depot nor Lowe’s does business in Costa Rica. There is a company (based in Nicaragua, I think) called EPA which has a couple of HD/Lowe’s-like stores here, but they’re not as well stocked.
Depending on just what you want, you might think about bringing some things from HD or Lowe’s with you, if you’re sending a container. For my money, you can get perfectly adequate plumbing and electrical fixtures here at very good prices. Tile, too, is particularly inexpensive relative to U.S. prices. But if you are especially picky about just what components you want to have in the home you build, you might want to bring them.
My experience has been that some small everyday items are hard to find here. For instance, try to find something other than cheap half-inch garden hoses; five-eighth inch hoses are rare (although available at PriceSmart). And good quality 5/8″ repair parts are totally unavailable.
First things first . . . The worst place to rent a car is Juan Santamaria Airport. That’s because there’s a hefty additional tax if you pick your car up at the airport. Instead, arrange to pick it up at the rental agency’s office. They’re all nearby the airport. Some agencies will pick you up; otherwise, take one of the plentiful taxis.
We’ve had good luck with Tri-Color, Avis and Payless.
Hmmm . . . dkt2u, can you direct us to the data on the incidence of employee-organized vs. company-organized teams? My perception is exactly the opposite of yours.
And, by the way, how can you tell what “reality” has transpired here aside from whatever you can discern from your own perceptions? You’re welcome to argue any position you care to, but to discount the filter of your own perceptions is to somehow attribute an absolute value to your own experience, an absolute truth. How do you know, in absolute terms, that your understanding of events is accurate?
One of the compelling reasons for going outside the U.S. for expensive care is that many U.S. health care insurance policies have annual or lifetime caps on benefits. A million dollars sounds like a lot of money until your artificial heart valve goes bad and has to be replaced. That’s especially true if you’re still recovering from your hip replacement and your triple bypass. Suddenly, India, Costa Rica, Thailand or almost anywhere looks better and better.
That’s an incredible story, Maravilla. We got our mortgage through Banex. The day they issued the first draw (we’re building), they opened an account in about four minutes flat. Maybe that’s because they already knew us from our mortgage application, but that was processed by an bank in Texas through Stewart Title Co.
I don’t know if the rules have changed recently, but a year ago we opened dollar and colon accounts at Banco Nacional when we did not live in Costa Rica and had not yet applied for our residency.
If the “rules” seem to present a problem, one might consider applying for an account at one of the private banks. They are not 100% secure in the “FDIC” sense of the term (although neither are the nationally-chartered ones), but if you’re not keeping enormous amounts of money in your account, the exposure is minimal.
Send a message to laterrazagrecia@msn.com. These folks have access to some houses that might meet your needs.
I could probably put you in touch with a real estate agent or two in the Grecia area. You can e-mail me at: daveandmarcia@racsa.co.cr.
I certainly have to second Scott’s nomination of Grecia. We live about 7.5km outside town center and at about 4,200 feet above sea level. We have neither heat nor air conditioning and don’t need or want them. Our overnight lows are consistently in the low 60s; daytime highs in the mid- high-70s. It’s windy in January and February.
We’re 45 minutes from the Aeropuerto, an hour from downtown San Jose, Escazu, etc.
Compared to many other places, Grecia is clean and uncongested and the people have been universally warm and welcoming.
Keith,
In words of one syllable or less, we got sick of living in the United States.
Australia, New Zealand and even Canada wouldn’t have us as retirees. I did a Google search on retirement destinations and Costa Rica kept popping up. One two-week trip here and we were convinced.
Dave
You have several choices, Manny:
First, you can pay cash. Care here is much more affordable than in the U.S., and the quality is very good.
Second, you can purchase international health insurance most of which policies cover care throughout the world except in the U.S. or Canada.
Third, you can purchase health insurance from INS, the Costa Rican monopoly, with various levels of coverage, deductibles and breadths of care.
Fourth, once you are a legal resident, you can enroll in the Costa Rican Social Security system’s CAJA health plan which functions much like an American-style health maintenance organization.
If you are retired from the U.S. military and have Tri-Care, that will cover you here, as will some other U.S.-based health insurance plans. Our Michigan Blue Cross/Blue Shield, for example, will cover care for unforseen illnesses and accidents but it will not cover routine health care as it would in the U.S.
You can also purchase air evacuation insurance which will take you back to the U.S. where your existing health insurance (including Medicare) will cover you.
