Yes, you can use US Dollars to make payments for almost everything in Costa Rica. BUT, they’ll always give you a horrible exchange rate. Here are some tips. Although I sometimes wish we could get rid of the local currency, the Colon, I must admit that they designed beautiful bills. Money is not something you…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Ninis? No, they’re not weird creatures from outer space. Cultural diversity will many times interfere in your life once in a while when living in Costa Rica. Cultural differences between Costa Rica and your home country are plenty; you will find that out as soon as you move to Costa…
Is there a lot of sunshine in Costa Rica? When they read that Costa Rica has the best climate in the world, some think it’s all advertising techniques. Is it for real? Is the climate in Costa Rica really so good? Or doesn’t have the number of sunshine hours so much to do with the…
You have now decided to buy that vacation condo in Costa Rica that you fell in love with. Isn’t it awesome! But before you sign the Reciprocal Option to Buy / Sell, you want to know what costs are involved. Can you afford that vacation condo? Can you afford the extra things that are involved?…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Did you know that selling a rented house is almost impossible? Just getting a real estate listing agreement on a house in Costa Rica is easy, but getting a good listing is much harder. Now guess what a good listing that is rented is? You got it, it’s a mission…
Estimated Reading Time: 13 Minutes Would you like an outdoor kitchen or a bar in your home in Costa Rica? If you haven’t already bought a house in Costa Rica through a GoDutch Realty agent, I’m sure you will as soon as you learn how to design the coolest bar in the neighborhood! Now, I’m…
Looking to rent on VRBO? Are you sure? Really? Then read this: Late on a Saturday afternoon, my office phone is ringing while I’m on my cell phone with a lawyer discussing some details on a real estate closing. I’m alone in the office and the office phone is ringing off the hook. I first…
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Is it true that gringos living in Costa Rica do stupid things? Hey, I found 16 stupid things. Maybe you’ll come up with a few more. Post them in the comment box, please. The first thing that I should do, in case someone misunderstands the term “gringo”, is to explain…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes My neighbors are looking at me all the time, I want privacy! I also want security because I travel a lot. This is typically a request we get a lot. Last week I showed prospective buyers a half-acre property in Santa Ana with a small house on it. The buyers…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that you can retire for less in Costa Rica? Until now you thought you can’t afford to retire abroad? You’ve probably been reading on forums and news sites that Costa Rica has become more expensive than it was before. So now you’re afraid you will not be…
One of the most difficult things for me adapting to the Costa Rican culture has been the fact that Ticos are not really proactive. Of course, there are those who are, but they are an exception. Most are pretty reactive. If you wonder, yes I am still trying to adapt to a different culture after…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Have you ever been to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa? I went surfing. In my case, that means looking at how kids grab their surfboards, run into the ocean and jump on a surfboard to ride the waves for hours. It’s amazing what they do. I just watch. The last…
I own a building lot in an Atenas gated community and I want to be a good neighbor. The months of December, January, and February are famous for the strong winds in Costa Rica. They mean the change from the rainy season to the dry season. These 62 mph (100kph) winds can become pretty dangerous.…
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Most Costa Rican real estate developers sell pre-construction dreams by using marketing tricks! Do yourself a favor and dream with your eyes open. In the past, I have written quite a few articles about buying a property in residential developments. Check out 9 steps to stop a developer from deceiving…
The train was such a wonderful way of transport to a country like Costa Rica. Costa Rica does not have any heavy industries at all, but the country exports a lot. Therefore, for many years, the train was very important. Until Jose Maria Figueres closed the railroad in his government. The train stopped running. Now,…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Did you know that the family in Costa Rica is very important for everyone? In Costa Rica, family sticks together, even if they can’t stand each other. Costa Ricans do anything and everything with the family as much as they can. They are very traditional in their family lifestyle and…