Moving to Puerto Rico

My husband and I recently moved to PR in Feb. Being Puerto Rican myself and the ability to telework certainly made the decision easy.  I've been here many times throughout my life, spent summers with family, but nothing compares to living here full-time. As such, I recommend the following:
1. Be patient with everything. Every single thing!
2. Visit a few times before you make the decision.
3. Get a budget - housing can vary depending on your needs. Living in a safe area with a lot of amenities could be costly. 
4. You will need a car. If you are shipping a car, prepare for the excise tax. If not, prepare to spend a 20-25% markup on certain cars.  Luxury cars could be more. No leasing options like the states. Car insurance process is also different.
5. If you can afford an expeditor, GET ONE. They can help with so much and make your life easier.
6. If you don't speak Spanish, start practicing sooner than later.
7. Do research. Yes, the island is beautiful,  but don't romanticize the thought of moving here. It can be challenging at times.
8. Get multiple realtors to help with housing,  but only message in Spanish- they often won't respond and they aren't keen on Americans coming because they attribute it to the tax break wave. Be leery as well, because not all housing is legit.
9. Rely on clasificadosonline.com for housing. Things move at lightning speed, so be prepared with your entire package (income verification, and snapshot of credit, background check) - process is not the same *e.g., they don't actually run credit, or at least in my experience. If you have money, that's what mattered, blah blah.
10. There are challenges with certain infrastructure like plumbing - be prepared. And, I live in a very wealthy and posh  neighborhood and yes there's issues with plumbing.
11. Grocery shopping can be daunting - slightly more expensive and not always great quality. I shop at several stores to get what we need. There is no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but you'll manage.
12. Everything is not easily accessible and convenient - including getting utilities turned on, hence the expeditor. And, if you aren't fluent,  that could be a challenge. My husband is trying, but its easier when I'm there to navigate and interpret.
13. Condense all items to save money on the move. We used pods to move and it was perfect, but expensive. Remember, once you get here it will be challenging to get furniture - even at Ikea. It takes weeks/ months even. So when you see it - buy it, my new motto. And, again, I'm able to buy anything I want, but I still am forced to wait. My expeditor helps though.
14. Wifi may dictate where you live. My husband and I are attorneys and must have quality service. It can be challenging with rolling electric outages and bandwidth structure. We've paid to ensure we're never without.
This is not the mainland. Yes, structurally you may think, oh, they have TJ Maxx and Cheesecake- yes, we do, but it's an island. The creature comforts and ease are not the same. But, you will have endless sun, beautiful weather, and a slow pace to actually relax. That's what you're getting.
Don't try to make it like the states - its not! This was a lot of info, I know, but you must research and join forums to get the truth. I'm certainly available if you have any specific questions. I don't regret moving - it was a good decision. Just be prepared for reality too and you'll appreciate all the island has to offer. I do love it.

Thank you and I agree with most and the others car and plumbing I have not dealt with it yet.

Wonderful post! Thank you for all this juicy information, Tina. I'm heading over to the island next month and need all the info I can get. I appreciate your sharing this wealth of knowledge!

Thank you Tina for taking the time to post all of this helpful information! We sign the papers on a house in Hatillo on June 7. After losing power for hours during our stay in Aguada last month, we really want to secure a good power source and internet. Any suggestions? Thank you for your time.

Congratulations! We have Liberty PR for internet service. We have the fastest speed available - a little costly I might add.  My neighbor is an attorney for Claro and suggested Liberty after consulting with him. Apparently,  although you may have the fastest speed, everyone shares the same lines,  which can reduce output to your home on any particular day. Very odd indeed,  but after making inquiry appeared to be true. We also have a separate source for cable - Dish. We have a massive generator to help with power outages. Our electric service was secured through (AEE) by driving to a location in a remote area to initiate service. It was not possible to begin service over the internet or phone. If I recall, new service - person with no previous account had to appear in person. And, you will need your housing paperwork, social security card, passport or ID. If you intend in becoming a resident, please add your partner to the account as well. You will need this proof to secure other things as well, e.g., license, car, etc. Call ahead and schedule now, there may not be appointments at your local office. But, you can start service on a future date. And, we have several mifi Hotspots. Also, if you live in a concrete home get an wifi extender. Our home is three stories and we have them set up throughout to avoid any weak signals. Enjoy your new home.

Thanks for the congrats! The house is two blocks from the beach. The owners are selling us their car. We found an expeditor. The real estate market here (on the mainland? I never know what to call it.) is really hot so it is going to be easy to sell our home. We are feeling blessed. Thank you for your help!   

Any insight on the different sides of P.R? We are a laid back couple that likes to relax but also to have fun. Not into surfing so don't need to be near big waves. Love tons of outdoor activities, walking or cycling places and the occasional nightlife. HHAHAA...sounds like a dating profile! I just want to be narrow down my search is all.