New members of the Costa Rica forum, introduce yourselves here – June to December 2017

before you get a lease or stuck in Puerto Viejo...first stay for a month and see the crime there I have friends who bought and cannot get out fast enough..even trying to get HALF price for their property.I
have lived here 26 years in Heredia Hills...THEN  PV it was "sorta" safe Alas  NO MORE!
Same with ALL the Caribbean Costs used to be SO SO NOW it is outright Dangerous COPS will not work there, I still have a well known guide book with heading title for Caribbean Coast . "DRUGS. SEX AND CRIME"  ,,since then it is WORSE. For fear of ruining tourism Crime is often swept under the rug.
Heavy drug cartels now,,, it's a little better on the Pacific Coast.BEWARE .Don't let the palm trees lull you to a false sense of security...

A little late but DITTO DITTO DITTO  ,,oh and many of my guests say the BELIZE  especially the city,  (worse than San Jose  IS VERY DODGY ..

Beerguy wrote:

Your post seems disparaging.

Were you referring to my post?
And did you mean to say my post was disparaging, or "discouraging"?
I may have disparaged San Jose but ...

If you're a City person you may not find San Jose that bad but the diesel fumes and traffic are bad by almost any standards.

Hi, I'm planning to retire in 2019 and had 4 trips to central valley and Pacific coast this year.

There is crime everywhere ,every place on the planet.Every barrio has its problems.I agree to stay away from the Carribean side,unless it's a quick trip to surf.Everywhere else in C.R.,you will be fine if you don't stumble home drunk from the cantina,or start asking  around where you can buy drugs.or a prostitute.Don't flash your money around.It's actually pretty safe,just use your head.

Well Surffeaver !!
It would appear that WE will be fine, We don't surf ! We don't drink, We use No drugs and I don't chase wild women, My wife would KILL ME, HAHA, And it is for sure I don't have money to flash,  Just a simple family wanting to be together.
Thanks for the thoughts..
James Darling

Unfortunately, you do not have to be involved with any of the above mentioned activities to be the victim of crime.

Petty theft is a continuing  problem here....whether you are rich or poor.

Don't presume that because you don't flash your wealth around, you should take your safety for granted

Yes, Thank you, You are correct, This is due to the world economy, Lack of employment and sorry to say but loss of respect,  We are not wealthy by monetary means, But filthy rich of Love and we have enough to give, You should remember my Sarah is from the Philippines where the poor are in mass, People sleep in streets, and yes sorry to say, they have there game. You are right SIR, But one must use common cents as well, Thank you again
Your's
James Darling

Hello, first timer here.  Been looking for a semiretirement country for about a year now,  considering the DR, Costa Rica, others.  Have a teenage daughter and wife.  I'm in my mid 50s and financially stable.  Not looking for a second career but would love volunteer/missionary work options.  I do love the idea of living near enough to the beach to partake but not fulltime.  We still like shopping, restaurants, a major airport, quality hospitals/schools and cultural events.  I know this question is broad but...where should we start looking in Costa Rica.  So so many options it seems from reading these forums.  Thanks for any help and direction.

Hi TexasBorn, you've requested a tall order.

You might look into the Liberia airport which is much closer to the beach than the San Jose airport.

I don't think there's much in the way of shopping and restaurants, quality schools and cultural events etc out that way though. Someone else with more knowledge might post about that.

Ask specific questions in the main forum for more exposure and responses.
Some volunteer work requires you to pay them. Dave can explain more about that.

But you can create your own volunteer efforts for free, like helping local families or schools.

I would suggest you consider the area around Escazu which is reasonably near the airport in Alajuela. Since you mention cultural activities, and that is where you will find them, throughout the year. There too, you will find many churches, a wide range of good restaurants, and possibly the better Internationally accredited schools for your teenager so that her education will be credited to her, if she returns to the USA for further studies.

You can get to some good  beaches within 2 hours.

Residency information

Newbie Here.  Hi All. I'm considering purchasing retirement / investment home in CR. I'm just beginning my research and this looked like a good place for info. I'm looking at a particular area and developer. I'm planning a visit within the next month.

Hello! I'm helping my Dad retire in Costa Rica!

DragonFly Lady wrote:

Newbie Here.  Hi All. I'm considering purchasing retirement / investment home in CR. I'm just beginning my research and this looked like a good place for info. I'm looking at a particular area and developer. I'm planning a visit within the next month.

Hola DragonFly Lady,

Welcome to Expat.com!

First suggestion - DO NOT BUY UNTIL YOU'VE LIVED HERE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR - PLEASE.  I cannot stress enough to anyone considering a move here, it is so important to rent for at least a year before you even consider purchasing.  And your mention of the word "developer," run, run as fast as you can.  😱

The majority of people that move here return to their home countries within a year.  That is IF they can sell the home that they purchased.  It can take years to sell a house here.  There's an elderly lady down the road from me that's been trying to sell her home for 7 years.  If you're thinking of purchasing a property as "investment" property, don't.  Anyone who has lived here a while will tell you, it's very easy to buy and very hard to sell homes here.  Don't purchase a property thinking that you're going to make money.  CR is not the place to think that.  I'm sure there are some people who have made money on homes, but they are the exception not the rule.

I live in a popular Gringo area just outside of San Ramon.  I've been here a little over eight years.  Every single Gringo except one that was here when I moved in has returned to their home country or another country.  The only reason there is one that has not returned is that they have not been able to sell their home.

That said, at the same time don't let this discourage you from visiting and exploring to see if there is a "fit" for you and your lifestyle.  I like it here and don't ever plan to return to the States.  Again, I am in a minority.

Best of luck to you on your search,
- Expat Dave
Expat.com Team Member

Thank you for the reply. I'm grateful for your advice and value it highly, since you have much experience (8 years) there.. I'm curious. You said that Most people have returned to their countries. ?  If you have the time, can you explain why they left?  Were they expecting to live the same life as before, but were disappointed?  Was it health?  Was it bugs or wild life?  Transportation? Weather?  Any other insight would be most appreciated?

I am a super easy going person and am tired of city life, traffic, politics, and all the other trappings of the city. I've traveled a bit to other areas in central America such as Honduras, Mexico, etc.

I think I'm drawn to CR because it sounds "slow" and "easy"...  the thought of fresh veggies and fruit and local meat is attractive, as well as nature.

I'm not a city girl (naturally)..

Is CR over-run by drug lords?  Years ago, a friend mine purchased property in Honduras, but that was back in the 90s.  Since then it became overrun by druggies (major ones).

Any other info would be very much appreciated.  Thanks Dragonfly

p.s  The area I'm looking at is near Nosara..  It is close to the water...  about 4 hours from you.

You will see many, many posts saying "most" people return to their home countries.  Please ask for factual links before you read and believe this.  There are many of us who have survived the "return to nest syndrome" and are happy.  Tis sad but only "boots on the ground" can work for most.  Unlike Dave's experience our community has only lost one family.  An entirely different perspective.  I am also in the minority as we built here and LOVE it!

DragonFly Lady wrote:

Thank you for the reply. I'm grateful for your advice and value it highly, since you have much experience (8 years) there.. I'm curious. You said that Most people have returned to their countries. ?  If you have the time, can you explain why they left?  Were they expecting to live the same life as before, but were disappointed?  Was it health?  Was it bugs or wild life?  Transportation? Weather?  Any other insight would be most appreciated?

I am a super easy going person and am tired of city life, traffic, politics, and all the other trappings of the city. I've traveled a bit to other areas in central America such as Honduras, Mexico, etc.

I think I'm drawn to CR because it sounds "slow" and "easy"...  the thought of fresh veggies and fruit and local meat is attractive, as well as nature.

I'm not a city girl (naturally)..

Is CR over-run by drug lords?  Years ago, a friend mine purchased property in Honduras, but that was back in the 90s.  Since then it became overrun by druggies (major ones).

Any other info would be very much appreciated.  Thanks Dragonfly

p.s  The area I'm looking at is near Nosara..  It is close to the water...  about 4 hours from you.

My personal belief and what I've seen is that the majority people that are not happy with life here are those who fail to assimilate.  So many people seem to want to come here to experience Costa Rica but then talk about the things that they want to change once they are here.  To live here happily I feel that you have to accept life here the way that it is.  It's not going to change, you have to accept things for what they are and change maybe who you are.

It's something that has to be experienced in living in other countries to understand.  Wherever we are born that is "home."  It's the life that we grew up in and are comfortable with.  If you come here with an open mind and a willingness to change to live life the way it is here, then you will most likely enjoy it and appreciate the life here - as it is.

When you ask about "...drug lords...." I would say and have always said that I feel MUCH safer here than I did or do in the U.S.  Yes, there are of course drugs here as with any country.  The over the top druggies are in worst parts of San Jose, Limon and other cities.  They are not areas that an average person would venture in to.  Same as you would not in any large city in North America or Europe.  If you're not involved with late night drugs spots wild nightlife, etc., life here "is" quite mellow and relaxing.

Nosara is a nice area and you may like it a lot.  Everyone has their own personal taste for the "right location."  Just start there, rent a place, and explore!  Most rentals are furnished so if you don't like one place it's relatively easy to move to another.  If nothing else, just for the experience.

Best thing that you can do now, if you haven't already, is learn espanol.  You need at least the basics to really enjoy the people and to get to know the culture.

- Expat Dave  🌴☀️