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JASON HOLLAND
ParticipantHi Carol,
The banks here do have online bill pay options. That’s how a lot of people pay utility bills, for example.
ParticipantHi Joel,
Great questions. Let me start by saying that technically only citizens and permanent residents of Costa Rica are allowed to work in the country. If you’re a temporary resident (pensionado, rentista, or inversionista), it’s technically illegal to work. But plenty of expat business owners do have one-person businesses in which they do all the work. It’s kind of a grey area and tolerated by the government. They mostly go after anybody who has say, a restaurant or hotel, and tries to hire all foreigners to work for them who aren’t legal to work.
Starting a handyman business – while technically possible – would be a tough one, in my opinion. There are a lot of good craftspeople in Costa Rica and because labor costs are so low, you can hire them for much, much less than in the U.S. So your friend would probably have a hard time making the money he’s used to. Also, there probably just isn’t enough work to go around with all the qualified locals there. The one possibility I see is if he was interested in doing this on the side and wasn’t depending solely on that income.
ParticipantINS, though basically a monopoly, gets good marks as an insurance company. Homeowner policies are relatively cheap. To insure against damage to the home from natural disasters, fire, etc., you’ll pay less than 1% of the estimated cost of rebuilding the home as the premium. For theft insurance, you’ll pay about 1% of the value of the goods insured.
ParticipantHi Nixie,
Great to hear you’re attending the event in July. I’ll be there and look forward to meeting you. It’s a good idea to plan an extended visit while you’re down here.
My suggestion would be to pick two – three different regions and spend one to two weeks in each, renting a home/condo or even a room/rooms via airbnb.com. There could also be low-cost hotels as an option. Rent a car to explore the area and the surrounding towns.
If you’re interested in the Central Valley I would suggest making your home base in a town like Grecia or Atenas and then taking day trips from there. Some other places you might check out are Arenal or the Pacific coast. Check out the Insider website for more info on each region. During the event we’ll be going over each region in detail as well.
ParticipantHi Vada,
A lot of house-sitting gigs are picked up through networking or meeting up with somebody in person. But coming from the States you can still find gigs online. You might try the Caretaker’s Gazette: http://www.housesit.org and http://www.caretaker.org Also mindmyhouse.com and trustedhousesitters.com
Jason
ParticipantHi Carol,
As far as insurance there is one company available: Instituto Nacional de Seguros, known as INS. They offer homeowners insurance, which can also cover the contents of the house. As far as renter’s insurance I don’t believe there are any options for renters.
Jason
ParticipantWhich part of the Pacific coast are you interested in? The northern, central, and southern sections are quite different. And they’re served by different real estate/rental folks. Let me know what areas you’re interested in and I can point you to some good resources for finding a place.
ParticipantHi Joseph,
Great question. There is no place without crime and Costa Rica is no exception. But I wouldn’t say it’s risen to a disturbing level. I generally feel safe here, where I live in San Jose and when I travel across the country.
What I – and other expats – do worry about is petty crime – somebody breaking in my home while I’m away, snatching an unattended bag at a bus station or on the beach… stuff like that. So I take precautions of having a house sitter while I’m gone for extended periods, locking passports and jewelry in a safe at hotels, parking in guarded lots (most are). The crimes are crimes of opportunity so you don’t make your place an easy target and usually you are fine.
The police are not on the level of the U.S. They aren’t as well funded or equipped. In rural areas that means fewer officers and longer response times. That’s why preventative steps are so important.
ParticipantHi Elizabeth,
Most definitely. In beach communities a lot of expats like to walk their dogs on the beach. My favorite time was just after sunrise or at sunset. On some beaches, like in the Southern Zone, you’ll have the whole beach to yourself.
November 20, 2013 at 10:22 pm in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #541643ParticipantGreat question.
And I recently found out some cool information on this topic because I was looking into a vehicle rental for myself.
Vamos Rent a Car has long term rentals and lease arrangements that aren’t cheap but much more reasonable than a usual rental.
Check out what they have here – and give them a call to discuss your options: http://vamos4x4.com/vamos/long-term-rentals/
ParticipantHi Kenneth,
They don’t seem to list their costs on their website. But I found some contact info. If nobody else on the Forum chimes in with further info you might try getting in touch with the Club directly:
ParticipantHi Dominic,
You have a few options as far as types of accommodations in the Central Valley.
A few small hotels/B&Bs:
http://bandbgrecia.com (in downtown Grecia)
http://www.mangovalley.com (in the hills above Grecia)
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/costa-rica-alajuela-bbvistaatenas.html (Atenas)
You might also try Airbnb.com, which allows you to rent a room in somebody’s home.
A vacation rental on VRBO.com might also be a good to option for a several month long stay.
Finally, you might consider contacting some of the local real estate companies about a long term rental. You could get a lease for three months possibly. This one is a good place to start: american-european.net and godutchrealty.com
You can also find rentals on craigslist Costa Rica and by typing “long term rentals”+ the name of the town you’re interested in.
November 10, 2013 at 3:24 pm in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #540857ParticipantHi Leonard,
It is an issue to find clothes in those sizes. There won’t be a big selection for sure. I have seen a few shops that specialize in those sizes in San Jose, the capital of the country. I would suggest you stock up before you move down. Good quality clothes tend to be more expensive in Costa Rica than the U.S.
November 1, 2013 at 5:48 am in reply to: Welcome to All New Members – What's Your Top Question about Moving to Costa Rica #540135ParticipantHi Mike,
In relation to Moran Real Estate, I’ll refer you to Margaret Summerfield of Pathfinder International, IL’s sister company: msummerfield@pathfinderinternational.net. She can put you in touch with Terry.
As far as crime in Arenal, I read the gentleman’s comments and he gives a very breathless account. He kind of makes it sounds like there are gangs of bandits running around – which there are not. From my experience and the expats I’ve spoken with Arenal is a rural, very quiet area. It’s a lot of farms and small villages. The country. I’m sure there’s crime, I don’t think there’s any community that doesn’t have it. What you have in Costa Rica are things like home and car break ins primarily. But I wouldn’t say it’s reached epidemic proportions in Arenal as this guy says. If you live there (or anywhere in Costa Rica), it’s a good idea to have a safe for valuables and an alarm system. And if you’re going to be out of town for months at a time and don’t live in a gated community it’s a good idea to get a house sitter. And don’t leave valuables visible in your car.
There are police in Arenal. But it’s definitely not like in the U.S. The police are underfunded and not as well trained. So response times in a rural area like Arenal aren’t like what we’re used to in the U.S.
As far as safety, I’ve traveled there with my family six or seven times over the last couple of years and never felt any doubt that we were in a safe situation. It’s a nice place. You would not be putting yourself in a bad situation.
But my advice to you is to rent a home for an extended stay. You could even rent for a couple of years as you get to know the community. No need to rush to buy any property.
ParticipantYes, there are long term rentals on this and most other real estate sites around the country. Avoid vacation rental sites like VRBO.com when looking for a long term place, in most cases. Although sometimes a vacation rental owner will sometimes accept a long term tenant – so it doesn’t hurt to ask if you see a property you really like.
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