Hi! Headed down 30-45 days.

Hi Andy,

I suggest you watch the string of video's by Michael and D'Angelo, their operation on Youtube is Travel Costa Rica now.  Here is one video you will find interesting...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k9WObrEOzI

One more good video for Andy...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tgOfqM94SE

For Andy.....   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tgOfqM94SE

Hey Andy;
Don't let one person deter you.  I am ashamed to admit that I am Canadian after responding to this person's post.  This person talks about Costa Rica severely negatively but he still resides here.  Make your own decision after visiting and after talking with ALL people ....... both positive and negative.
Cheers .... Terry

It is absolutely vital that the truth be told about life here in Costa Rica, it's not all birds/animals and fine weather.  Over 75% of all expats return to their home country in less than a year, and there are many reasons why "which so many people who live in denial refuse to mention".  I will never tell a lie in this site, and if I ever do I'd be very happy to have someone tell me what that lie is.  So may people have been lured down here and lost massive amounts of money, either buying one of the many over priced homes, or trying to open a business which has nearly no chance of being successful.             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K_n0FNqDg4

"Over 75% of all expats return to their home country in less than a year," Not in any way saying it is a lie but many of us would like to see where you substantiate your figures from.  None of us want to see a UTube video with no facts.  I personally would like FACTS from a reputable source.

Tip 1: If you're going to live in Costa Rica "permanently" learn Spanish
Tip 2: "    "       "       "    "      " live there for a month or more first - renting a home, not in a hotel - to see how it actually is to live there, get things done etc. Talk to people who live there, find out the challenges. No place is perfect and Costa Rica has its share of challenges.
Tip 3: Unless you're a total beach nut (not that there's anything wrong with that!) give some mountain towns a chance, there's a whole different vibe in the mountains.
Tip 4: If you know even a little Spanish, use it; a little effort goes a long way.

Up to 80% of North American's who move to Costa Rica end up leaving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzFtSBAv-2U

No matter what area people move to in Costa Rica, a very high percentage of them throw in the towel in less than a year.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzFtSBAv-2U

I don't believe that 80% leave within a year, however I do think that it could be in the 50% range and that the time period could be extended to 2-3 years which a longer time to become disenchanted.

Of course this 80% could have only intended to stay for a year... ...then returned home after this adventure.

AndyMarine, if you have retired with a 'reasonable high pension' from the military and being under 55 you could find yourself paying a high premium for healthcare.

Cupacoffee is right - When applying for Pensionado status be sure to present a pension which is as close to $1,000US as possible.  One couple had to leave Costa Rica because their premiums for CAJA were close to $700. per month.  I guess they presented a high pension amount when applying for Pensionado status "which turned out to be a big mistake".

I agree with you Samramon, everything you've stated is true.  It's unfortunate that the authorities down here do not clamp down on corrupt developers and unlicensed real estate people.  We've not been ripped off, but once came very close with an American developer.  Your mention about rose colored glasses is so true, as so many expats "who try to justify their move to Costa Rica", due tend to glorify life here "as if they were realtors trying to con someone".  I love Costa Rica "or I wouldn't be here".

If you only have one pension, you have no choice but to present it to Immigration, if you are applying for Pensionado status.

Hello Andy,  you got good response on this.  Yes many do return to there original home land . Live is here is not all pura vida .    Costa Rica has it,s problems like every where.  Just be sure who you are dealing with . Many people here will take advantage of you.   Know the laws but that can be hard they change all the time.  I to am returning to US as I have had trouble with my immigration and Costa Rica just ain,t like America.   but good lawyers here are hard to find my was not dishonest but just did not listen to me and my situation on income.  So be careful.  Hope you like it here.

Actually the two most honest assessments of living in CR are the videos at travelcostaricanow.com and the site, therealcostarica.com. 

Almost every other website is fluff and designed for profit (clickable links) or, as I have heard, are prompted by the travel industry in CR, to publish a glossy view of being here.  Word is getting out that CR is not what it apparently was many years ago. 

I would advise anyone moving to CR to *NOT* take advice from a real estate developer.  They just have too much of a vested interest in your move that it's hard to get real answers to tough questions.  I have seen articles from them about living here that make me cringe because they are just so wrong.

I also would not advise anyone coming here to do so without knowing Spanish *well*.  Not just the basics, but be able to explain your position if you need to (not even that that will always help).  Otherwise you will be taken advantage of.  Period.  Getting our car to pass riteve has been a nightmare.  Our car is pristine but it keeps failing for stupid things, and with all the smoke-blowing rattle traps that go down the road here, it's ridiculous.  You cannot use logic to reason with them either.  This is not a logic-based culture. It's mainly reactive.  Seriously thinking of paying a tico friend to take our car next time and just hide around the corner until it passes for them. 

And if we were to apply for residency, caja would be over $450/month for us as a couple, per the folks at ARCR, no way around it.  That's cost prohibitive for a lot of people. And if you want to be a resident, you must pay it.  You cannot opt out.  So you can view that as a cost of being a resident.  But wait times for appointments within caja can be a year or more.  It's good for emergency situations, but most gringos will still end up paying separately for private care if they have something that needs attention.

If you don't speak Spanish, I think the best way to be happy here is to isolate yourself in one of the gated gringo communities where you basically live in a gringo "bubble", can afford to shop at Pricesmart and take frequent trips to the beach and stay at nice resorts.  But even that takes a lot of money and is not truly living in CR culture. 

And many of the things to do, like the various parks, clearly have 2 prices listed:  one for CR residents and one for "international people".  And they are private organizations - it's not that govt. subsidies cover the difference.  They just charge more because you're different and there's the assumption that you can pay it.  One animal refuge we were going to charges $7 entry fee for residents and $20 for non-residents.  That's a $13 difference!  I would have no problem with a $3-5 difference, but $13??  I asked why?  They said "because it's more for international people." But I'm driving on the same crappy roads, paying the same crazy prices for food, dealing with the same day-to-day issues with living here, etc.  Plus we are dumping foreign "investment" money in this culture by being here.  All of our money is generated outside of CR, so we are putting cash into their economy, but they don't see it that way. 

At restaurants, we ordered food that came to a total of 6500 colones.  No note on the menu about tax or gratuity or anything. I go to pay, he gives me a higher amount.  I asked why?  We negotiated it down to 7100 and I got tired of dealing with it so agreed on that amount.  That's not a lot of money, but it's just that they know they can do it and get away with it. It happens at almost all restaurants here.  So we don't go out much.  It's stupid business though, because we liked the food and if they had been honest, we'd have gone back over and over and they would have gotten far more than the 600 colones out of us and we would be repeat customers. They just don't view it that way.

One of the basic problems with Americans coming here is that we have a certain assumption of "law and order" that just does not exist here.  Cops stand on the side of the road and watch illegal stuff going on all the time.  In the states, the police sort of have a military-esque presence - if you see blue lights, your heart kind of skips and you do a quick scan to see if you're doing anything wrong that you could get pulled over for.  Here, they don't have that kind of fear.  It's "pura vida".  There is no one to appeal to if you get ripped off.  Americans are used to a "sue" culture, which has its own issues, but the flip side is that, because everyone is scared of being sued, there is less chance of being ripped off by someone without some sort of repercussions. If you are in business and you don't operate fairly, word gets out pretty quickly and everyone takes their business elsewhere.  Here, that is not the case.

I have spoken with sympathic ticos who will admit that gringos here are often viewed as walking dollar signs.  It's not really personal, it's just that there is some sort of "equalizing" idea that, since you are "rich", it is entirely fair for me to ask more money from you.  Don't like it? Go home.  So many do.

Personally, I advise those contemplating moving to CR to rent a FURNISHED place for a minimum of 6 months, or even better, one year, in order to truly see if living here is for you.  Don't "sell the farm" and cash everything in lock, stock and barrel just based on internet articles and forums with widely varying opinions on living here. I have seen a lot of people become bitter and frustrated because they cashed it all in, came here, and now they would have to start fresh in the US and just don't have the funds to do it, so they are stuck.

Good response, fgmom...and I bet if you had head read a similar post before you visited Costa Rica, you would have thought it was 'sour grapes' from a disgruntled expat.

Hi Paul Baker - Thank you for your factual post, it's nice to see people tell the truth about Costa Rica.

Hi fgmom - You've just won the award for the best post of the year, it's so nice to see people who do not glorify life here, but tell the absolute truth.  I thank you so much.

Yes.  Even though we visited CR twice for extended time periods, there's just no way to know what it's like to be here until you live it.  I spent hours and hours reading everything I could find that had to do with living here.  No one could possibly say I didn't do my research.  I e-mailed complete strangers on blogs and forums and asked very specific questions.  I even had friends here who I asked questions of, but now I realize that their responses were influenced by their unique personal circumstances.  I felt that we really did our due diligence.  Also, I will confess that we were extremely optimistic and determined to embrace everything, and no, we are not filthy rich Americans.  But it's *very* important to realize that financial status goes a long way in determining your happiness here, for most Americans that is. 

And you are dead on -- when I saw posts/e-mails like mine, I did, in a way, feel that they were being unduly negative and discouraging.

But now, I can look back on those cautions as honest and helpful, and I am grateful to the people who shared them. And I even e-mailed Michael Alan to tell him so. 

I know there are people who are truly happy here, and I am genuinely glad for them.  I'm not knocking that at all.   To them, Pura Vida! 

To people who are contemplating moving here, I strongly suggest giving it a trial run for at least 6 mo - 1 year.  You will not know which side of the fence you fall on until you give it an honest try.

Hi fgmom - There are some people who come into these sites with the sole reason of selling something "from real estate to tours etc", and it's those people who do not like people like you and I coming in here and telling the entire truth about life in Costa Rica.   Keep up the good work, your honesty is greatly appreciated.

I think the truth is "somewhere in the middle".

I have real estate for sale but I would never try to talk someone into moving to  Costa Rica until they check it out closely first and I ALWAYS tell them to live there for as long as they can afford to do, first, before thinking about moving and ALWAYS look at a property and have it CHECKED OUT BY THEIR OWN ATTORNEY before buying. I have refused to sell a lot to a woman until she did her due diligence and hired her own attorney and went down to look at my property. So not all sellers of real estate are looking to con or push anyone. 

There are people who seem to spend their lives on forums bitching about Costa Rica yet they keep living there instead of moving. This confounds me.

I don't mind hearing the truth but I do get tired of constantly reading the "cup half empty" posts vs the "cup half full" posts.

Anyway... the bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, is that some people are going to like living in Costa Rica, and some are not. If you love the USA, CANADA or GERMANY or whatever,  my advice is STAY THERE!

But if you want to think about moving to Costa Rica do your research on forums and in books and such - yes! But ALSO go stay there in a rented house or apartment - not a hotel or b&b! - and see what it's really like to live there before making a permanent move.

You MUST learn Spanish! I would bet you that 8 out of 10 of the expats who bad mouth Costa Rica do not speak Spanish well, or at all. It makes a huge difference to your experience of living there if you learn their language!

One last tip:
Always have an mp3 player, tablet, phone, magazine, book, kindle or SOMEthing to entertain yourself with you - and some snacks - because you WILL be waiting around at ICE, at the bank, and etc, sometimes for hours.

WARNING - Whether it's securing Pensionado status or buying a home, be careful with your financial transactions.
A high percentage of lawyers in Costa Rica are just waiting to take you for a ride.
http://qcostarica.com/french-couple-liv … ir-laywer/

Below are some great, honest articles from well-established news sources about moving to Costa Rica.  Moving to Costa Rica is much like falling in love....there is first the attraction promoted by money-driven web articles and glossy travel mags, and once emotions get involved, it's hard to listen to friends who raise real legitimate concerns. 

And as far as what "confounds" one poster, here is an example: we were doing our grocery shopping in Maxi Pali (read:  not Pricesmart or Automercado) and happened to run into a retired-age gringa who we just started talking to as we recognized each other as Americans.  Her story?  She and her husband moved here with high hopes many years ago, became residents, etc.  Now her husband has many health problems and is now bedridden.  They have no money left.  She would like to move back home, but she can't.  She wasn't "complaining" or "bad-mouthing" Costa Rica.  She wasn't really bitter, angry or any of the things propounded on forums like this about people who say anything less than glowing about moving here. She was actually just sad.  Maybe that helps folks understand why some people stay here when they'd rather not.

This isn't an "us vs. them" discussion.  Coming here for 2 weeks on vacation, who cares what you think and believe about Costa Rica.  But totally uprooting your whole life, finances, support, family, culture, *everything*, to MOVE to another country is a BIG deal.  Everyone on these forums should be VERY supportive of folks who take the time to share their honest, real-life experiences, whether you agree with them or not.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/norm-schr … 34076.htmlhttp://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/may/30/re … d-reality/

In regards to the article http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/may/30/re … d-reality/, 'Fran & Andy' also returned 'home', as Edward advised us in an earlier post.
As for the Dungan's whom I met previously, while visiting the home of a friend, they are both Bilingual...which should have made things easier.

One of the saddest tales of someone having to return home, was this one on the second page of amcostarica , 'Canadian couple forced to return home'. Mostly their own doing, due to them not looking into the repercussions of leaving Canada and not performing 'due diligence' in Costa Rica before making this move and believing everything they read.

Over the years I have lived here, I have known, too many, that couldn't afford to return 'home' and have died here....and some are still 'hanging in'.

* This could have just as easily been a couple from the USA who didn't realize that some benefits are halted when out of the country for more than 30 days.

Dear fgmom -

Your truthful post is once again greatly appreciated.  If I posted the same story I'm sure a few people in this site would pounce on me "as usual".  I must admit that I've never met any couples who said they cannot afford to leave Costa Rica, as most of the people I knew had left because they could no longer afford to live here, many of them were American's just surviving on their Social Security incomes, and the rising cost of electricity and commodities was more than they could handle.  In the Costa Del Sol development at least 75% of the expats have gone back to the US, and rent out their large homes to Tico families (who do not need AC).  The 25% that stayed now suffer from large numbers of Tico children running throughout the development, and peeing in the community pool.  No Gringo would ever consider buying a home in that development now.  Can you imagine paying HOA fees to live in a development like that?  So what am I trying to say?   Rent / rent / rent, and don't even think of buying a home in a gated community, especially if you do not get an individually deeded lot.  I would hate to see anyone get caught up in a situation where a development deteriorates to the point where the home they purchased no longer has any value.  Okay... now it's time to be criticized for my advice.

While I do understand what you are saying Edward, but do you honestly think that only Costa Rica children pee in a community swimming pool?

There are up to 25 children in that small pool at almost all times, shall we blame the expat seniors who can't even get in the pool.  The pee report was from the man who tries to clean the pool.