New members of the Puerto Rico forum, introduce yourselves here – June to December 2017

Welcome to the forum and hopefully Puerto Rico soon.

Most of the island meets those needs, but it all depends on the life style you want to live in PR. Also what sort of company you are starting or bringing with you.

If you need to impress visitors, probably I would add Fajardo, Condado and Isla Verde (by the Airport) and Hato Rey to the list provided by KW, but if you don't then there are a heck of a lot more places.

You can live in the mountains in a semi suburban or country setting, live by the beach or a metro type environment. It just depends what you think will be best for your family and business.

You may want to consider a condo if you do not want to deal with yard work, I say this because you will probably be busy with your company. A lot of condos have swimming pools, some have Gyms also and some may have different types of courts.

Good afternoon Everyone, Thanks for having me.
My name is Rasmus Norling and I'm from Sweden but lived in US since 2006 and i lived in PR for 3 years now as a ACT 22 and i love it here. Me and my Business partner running several businesses here but mostly focusing on water treatment for killing bacteria such as Legionella in Cooling towers and drinking water. This is a very big problem here as in any warm climate. Trying to figure out how to help PR as much as we can but still run a business.
Working on finally bring my family here so they also can enjoy this lovely Paradise.

Welcome to the forum RasmusN. Great group to be part of. The members here are very helpful so feel free to ask questions about  PR.

Welcome to the forum RasmusN, glad you are enjoying the island.

Welcome RasmusN, it is great to read that you have been enjoying your time living in Puerto RIco. It is also to wonderful that you are trying to make a positive contribution to help the island.

Hi! I am planning on relocating from Nashville, TN in September. I have been practicing massage and bodywork since 1998 and am hoping to start a practice in PR. I'm hoping that getting licensure will be simple. I speak beginning Spanish and learned mostly from Mexicans (grew up in Southern California), hopefully the accents are similar   My friend Lindsay is planning on coming with me and has some Spanish education as well. We are both independent contractors and have created our own businesses, so it's exciting to dream of being in a new place with a new community. We are wanting to live in a smaller city, outside of a big city hustle, is there any places you would recommend?

Is it relatively easy to find a reliable car? Or is public transportation a reliable way to get around?
My hope is to live close to where I work (and the ocean so I'm not driving much.

The rentals look pretty great, do you all have any recommendations?

Thanks!

-Julia (and Lindsay by proxy)

Also, I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right area! Lol.

GoldenJulia wrote:

Hi! I am planning on relocating from Nashville, TN in September. I have been practicing massage and bodywork since 1998 and am hoping to start a practice in PR. I'm hoping that getting licensure will be simple. I speak beginning Spanish and learned mostly from Mexicans (grew up in Southern California), hopefully the accents are similar   My friend Lindsay is planning on coming with me and has some Spanish education as well. We are both independent contractors and have created our own businesses, so it's exciting to dream of being in a new place with a new community. We are wanting to live in a smaller city, outside of a big city hustle, is there any places you would recommend?

Is it relatively easy to find a reliable car? Or is public transportation a reliable way to get around?
My hope is to live close to where I work (and the ocean so I'm not driving much.

The rentals look pretty great, do you all have any recommendations?

Thanks!

-Julia (and Lindsay by proxy)

Your introduction is in the correct place.
Welcome to the Forum and to Puerto Rico soon.

I am not familiar with the requirements for your line of work, but getting permits of any kind takes time, sometimes 3 months. We have people that are facilitators, for a fee they can help you set up your business in PR and get you going sooner.

The San Juan metro area is very large and has many areas where you could potentially operate, Condado, Santurce, Hato Rey, Isla Verde. There are buses in those areas but once you have to leave the metro area for anything, you need a car. There is also a metro type train "Tren Hurbano" with several stops but I am not familiar with it.

For vehicles you have 3 options, drive by and check cars with a for sale sign "Se Vende", or use the classifieds http://www.clasificadosonline.com or go to a dealer. It would be best to have somebody that knows mechanic or bring the vehicle to a mechanic to check it out.

Correct Mexican Spanish is the same as Puerto Rican Spanish for the most part, this is as long as both stick to CORRECT Spanish and not lingo. Most of the difference is a choice of words, for example in Mexico they say coche in Puerto Rico we say carro. Both are correct. A cake in Mexico is Torta in Puerto Rico is Bizcocho, again both are correct and both are in the dictionary. Beans are frijoles in Mexico, in Puerto Rico they are Habichuelas. As to accent, they are very different but not enough to really cause any problems, but you will stick out due to your accent. Once you get out of correct Spanish all bets are off. I am a Puerto Rican that has traveled to different countries including Venezuela, Spain, Mexico and others and have spoken with people from most of central and South America and I can tell you we understand each others just fine if we stick to correct Spanish.

One advice, make sure you have sufficient funds for your business to survive a year or so, it will not be easy getting stablished and your clientele will be mostly those that follow a healthier life style which is not all of the population.

Please do searches on the site, you will find that we have answered most questions. After that create individual subjects and ask your questions there, that way it will be better organized and others in the future can search the answers we gave you.
Rey

PS. I lived in Clarksville TN for 4 years long ago and visited Nashville many times.

Welcome.

Welcome to the group! Every town has different requirements. For a extra fee there's companies that help you with paper work and permits.

Hello,

Found this site researching on PR. I'm from NY & My family is from Fajardo. Reading some negative post of some members and others so encouraging & uplifting. Relocating to PR but need guidance. I have a online business and love to surf, looking to purchase real estate property close to the beach but in a exclusive high end neighborhood any suggestions?

Nice property in Las Croabas right across the marina. Not sure of the name but it is a gated comunity of higher end homes.

Your family should be able to give you the name.
BTW welcome to the forum Surferboy

Hi & welcome.

My wife is a massage therapist trained in the states.  She looked into the license question some time ago.  I believe she was told that in PR certification or license  was not required. 

Things may have changed since then, best to check with officials in PR.

Hi - I am a newbie Vieques born but traveled the world and now ready to go home to PR and try my luck! I have lived in California ( Silicon Valley )  the last 15 years and refuse to pay 1 million$$ for a 3 bedroom ranch house.   My Husband and I ( Irish) and 2 kids plan on moving to PR and starting our business. He is an IT consultant Big Data and Analytics and I sell the hell out of Software to facebook and google people. He is scared! We make a great income but want the  kids to speak spanish and enjoy ourselves with the beach life. We are currently trying to buy an acre of land on the west coast and also a rental investment in San Juan isle verde or condado. He doesnt want to downsize on the income potential as we are still in our 40s. I say we can make money in PR if we just try. it might not be the incomes we make now but the trade off of real living vs working for others make sense. We visit PR several times a year usually staying in Palmas del Mar - all of my family is in PR.

Would their be opportunities for big data consultants? maybe to start his own business as he did in London.   I don't worry about myself I am bilingual and owned several successful businesses in Hawaii and California. No fear here I looove PR.

I need good english speaking private schools on the west coast. I know there are some threads to go trough with vital info

I also need a good agent to help us find the properties/land. We have been in touch with a few. Thanks Rey I lurked and found your friend Carlos other agents simply never called back and we are paying cash!

i also have Mim ! already looking for my next business permits so I can get started.

Thanks for the great posts and I look forward to connecting when we get there. Thanks all for reading and letting me lurk 

Deborah

Hi Solgirl, Welcome to the forum and Puerto Rico soon,

Looks like you are on your way and been doing a lot of searching.

I can't speak about the IT Opportunities in big data but your husband may be able to work remotely and visit the clients for a week or so then return to PR.
Talk to Carlos and see if he will help. On this forum there is information about English schools in the west of the island do a little search you will find plenty.

As to investment in the East while living in the west, I hope you realize you are talking about a good 3 hours each way to greed your customers. Maybe you should consider something closer to you maybe in Dorado?

If you and your husband can work from home and dictate your own hours you will be in double heaven.

By the way we also started a FB group mostly for people to meet each other and have get togethers and fun. It is called "Expats in Puerto Rico". The forum is for heavy duty information and help and the FB for socializing.

Your husband will probably qualify for act 20 as an export of services company which has huge tax breaks. Talk to Mim about that.Talk to Carlos about your ideas for an investment property.

solgirl wrote:

Hi - I am a newbie Vieques born but traveled the world and now ready to go home to PR and try my luck! I have lived in California ( Silicon Valley )  the last 15 years and refuse to pay 1 million$$ for a 3 bedroom ranch house.   My Husband and I ( Irish) and 2 kids plan on moving to PR and starting our business. He is an IT consultant Big Data and Analytics and I sell the hell out of Software to facebook and google people. He is scared! We make a great income but want the  kids to speak spanish and enjoy ourselves with the beach life. We are currently trying to buy an acre of land on the west coast and also a rental investment in San Juan isle verde or condado. He doesnt want to downsize on the income potential as we are still in our 40s. I say we can make money in PR if we just try. it might not be the incomes we make now but the trade off of real living vs working for others make sense. We visit PR several times a year usually staying in Palmas del Mar - all of my family is in PR.

Would their be opportunities for big data consultants? maybe to start his own business as he did in London.   I don't worry about myself I am bilingual and owned several successful businesses in Hawaii and California. No fear here I looove PR.

I need good english speaking private schools on the west coast. I know there are some threads to go trough with vital info

I also need a good agent to help us find the properties/land. We have been in touch with a few. Thanks Rey I lurked and found your friend Carlos other agents simply never called back and we are paying cash!

i also have Mim ! already looking for my next business permits so I can get started.

Thanks for the great posts and I look forward to connecting when we get there. Thanks all for reading and letting me lurk 

Deborah

Hi Deborah and welcome. Wishing you and your family a smooth transition and many more beautiful memories to build on la isla del encanto!

Welcome to the group Solgirl

Ray
There are issues with that type of dog most airline will not fly them due to the liability it is to them
I suggest checking with all the airlines about there policy and see if you can sign off so you can get them here
Good luck

Eagle81954 wrote:

Ray
There are issues with that type of dog most airline will not fly them due to the liability it is to them
I suggest checking with all the airlines about there policy and see if you can sign off so you can get them here
Good luck

Not sure what you are referring to, please expand on that.
Rey

There have been in the past dogs that have died because of there restricted breathing so the airlines have a problem with flying them due to the liability issues
They can also talk to there vet and get a sedative to relax there breathing and settle the dog out for the flight we used to use benidril
I also suggest flying at night due to the lower temperatures on the tarmac while they wait to be loaded on the plane

Eagle81954 wrote:

There have been in the past dogs that have died because of there restricted breathing so the airlines have a problem with flying them due to the liability issues
They can also talk to there vet and get a sedative to relax there breathing and settle the dog out for the flight we used to use benidril
I also suggest flying at night due to the lower temperatures on the tarmac while they wait to be loaded on the plane

I agree 100% on talking with the airline but I am still curious.

Are you referring to a particular breed having the breathing issues?
The vet should advice if a particular dog health is in condition to travel or not also.
Yes airlines do not transport when the heat is going to be too high at the destination, but that is for dogs not transported in the cabin with the passengers. They do the travel at night to arrive in the very early hours of the morning.

All short nose or pug nose dogs are subject to breathing issues and of course check with your vet but what I'm saying is that some airlines have stopped transporting those dogs due to the health issues because of the liability to them
Also you can google the problem with the dogs to find which ones are subject to this condition

Ill add it to the list of items I tell new members, Thanks Eagle

I'm not in PR yet but was just doing research for dog travel as well.  United has an excellent dog flying program called Petsafe, and many airlines will let you carry on a dog the size of yours (I'm assuming based on the mix you said it was).  So he could just be with you in the cabin in a carrier.  Ours is bigger, so we'll be flying United when we bring him.

I was on a recent United flight (July 2017) to PR and there was a gentleman with a medium size dog on a leash in our plane.  Not sure if it was a service dog.  He did not have anything on that said he was a service dog.  And he was able to sit with the young man in the cabin.

I was reading a day or two ago about an airline being taken to court about animals dying en route or at their holding facilities in the airport. I think it was United but not sure. You may want to check on that. These were animals not in the cabin.

Service dogs travel with the owner in the cabin.  A service dog typically wears a vest that identifies it as a service animal.  They sit on the floor of the cabin at the owners feet out of the isle.   They are highly trained and generally extreamly well behaved and unobtrusive.

Hola ,
I am a mixed Mexican/Caucasian from Northern California in my mid 40s.
Been visiting Aguadilla area the past few years and love the island.
Discovered the area through friends who are from there originally.

Loved it so much I purchased a house in the Aguadilla area as a vacation home and eventual retirement home.
For me the weather, beaches, ocean, sunsets, and culture were what made me want to buy here.
And the current relatively cheap real estate is a big incentive as well.
I know several people from my area in California that have purchased homes in Aguadilla area as well.
Some are retired and spend half the year in PR.

This island is a gem, and I sincerly hope that it can get on the right economic track through strategic planning, perseverance , and ingenuity.

Hi Elcalipocho,
Welcome to the forum, glad that PR suits your needs.
Rey

Welcome to Isla del Encanto, Borinquen, Puerto Rico. Will you be on the Island full time?  What sort of activities do you plan on being involved in? You will find a wide range of interests on this site with a lot of practical information.  I have been a part time resident of PR for about 15 years and will shortly be moving hook, line and sinker to the Island. I am moving not just a residence but also a business with equipment and materials involved . I will also be working with Act20/22 so I will have a lot of personal experiences to share on this site within the next few months.

Thanks for the welcome Mrkpytn and Rey.

That is cool you are going to move permanently to the island.
I've talked to some of my investor friends about their thoughts on the tax advantages of PR.
I'll just be coming for 1-2 week vacations for the time being, and telecommuting when possible.
My friends that live part time in Aguadilla area love it there, and are somewhat reluctant to come back to California but do for family.

Activities wise, I like to just hang at the beach , swim in the ocean, and sip cocktails at sunset.
My favorite beaches in the area are Jobos and Crash Boat.
Something about the ocean in this area , I find very theraputic on the body when swimming compared to other places I've swam at (Mexico/Hawaii).

I also like to explore the surrounding areas like Rincon , and sample some of the new unique restaurants popping up.
The area is still off the beaten track which I enjoy.

I'll be posting some of my favorite places in the area on the recommendations thread.

Welcome Elcalipocho,

You have chosen an excellent area.  We live in the NW part (Hatillo) - you will enjoy the warm water and the great beaches.  Several nice restaurants in the area and beautiful landscapes.

Elcalipocho, dont forget the cascades and river pools, they are refreshing and back to nature.

Hello Everyone,

I'm a newbie to this site but have just completed my 3rd year of living full time on the island.  I'm most recently from Denver, CO and my wife and I decided to move to PR after the birth of our first child so we could be closer to her family.  We live in Camuy, PR close to the caves as my wife's father gave her some land and we decided to build a home here. I love the peace and quiet of the area with our location being off the beaten path so to say, we decided to go 100% off grid utilizing solar energy for all of our power needs.  It's been a wonderful experience here and i highly encourage anyone contemplating a move to give it a shot.  My Spanish has improved over the past few years, but I don't consider myself fluent and even though I reside in a non tourist community I have found the people to be warm and welcoming from the very beginning and very eager to help me with anything that I have needed.  I work now as a mortgage banker here and it's been a great as I love to help others in their transition to this island paradise and show them that it's not impossible to finance property here.......with a "little" patience.

I've enjoyed reading the different topics on this site and I'm always glad to see that so many have or are looking to take that leap of calling PR home!!!

Welcome to the site

Just joined. Well traveled in lower Asia, South Pacific, USA... Dual citizen (USA & AUST). US Air Force veteran. Sort-of-retired at 75. "Ham" operator (NH7AA, VK4AN, 3D2A). Married.  We're seriously interested in relocating to Puerto Rico from Australia early next year. Would like to get 'local' information about the different locations to live. Near VA medical facility. We figure to rent initially while we search for the best place for us to buy.  Need space to erect antenna(s)... around 1/4 acre if possible. Reliable electricity, reliable high speed internet and cellphone access. Where most English speaking residents live? I have a limited knowledge of Spanish. The wife speaks English/Hindi/Fijian but no Spanish (yet).

Hi Vk4an,
Welcome to the forum and hopefully Puerto Rico.
There is no such thing as reliable Electricity or reliable Internet in the island. The infrastructure is not being maintained properly, also too many trees at the edge of the roads tend to entangle withe the wires and they don't always cut the branches. A lot of people have generators for when they loose power and use their cell phone as a hotspot when they loose Internet.
Verizon service does not exist in the island, some say the roaming on other networks work fine, I find it works very poorly. Most people recommend to use AT&T, or Tmobile, or Sprint.

Renting is the way to go.

Visit the island, get to know the towns and traffic, the need to be close to a VA hospital depends on how often you need to visit them so you may want to consider being farther but having a more relaxed way of life.

Ill let others with knowledge of VA speak to you.
Rey

Would like to correspond with other 'hams' on the island...

Guaynabo is where the main VA hospital is located. Service was fine for me there (although I never needed in-patient care so unsure about that aspect). Major renovations and upgrades have taken place over the last 8 years. There are some VA clinics elsewhere on the island but I cannot comment on their usefulness. Try the VA locator tool on their website to see where they are.

Guaynabo has some very nice parts to it. Just south of the VA, the elevation increases and there is plenty of lush foliage and I imagine more land available to rent. This is in contrast to the more northerly parts of Guaynabo, which are closer to sea level and sub-urban to urban. Generally speaking, Guaynabo has been the best managed municipality in PR and this is reflected in its relatively superior infrastructure. Nonetheless, traffic can get really crazy there (like everywhere in the SJ metro region).

Good luck!