Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes We hit on 3 more challenges before closing on our property. I apologize for the length of time that has passed since my last blog in late February. I wanted to let some time go by to digest our house purchase, before writing the last chapter, and wrap up our…
by Ivo Henfling The first time I was standing in line in a hardware store in Escazu, the attendant asked me “Y vos macho, en que te puedo servir”? And you “Macho”, what can I do for you. I didn’t realize I was being called blondy. (I was far from blond, I used to be…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I recommend everyone to create a moving plan. Everything you read online might be inaccurate. That is why it is vital for you to stay on top of your moving plan; because I can tell you from recent first-hand experience about requirements, policies and laws nonetheless their enforcement is all…
Now that we are in the country, we are scrambling to learn Costa Rican Spanish. Try to find the time before you leave North America or wherever your home country is, to learn some Latin American Spanish. Latin American Spanish, and more specifically Costa Rican Spanish, is not the King’s Castilian Spanish as spoken in…
Before you pick where to live in Costa Rica, you need to have some weather considerations. If you decide on the wrong location, it’s possible you end up hating it, which might oblige you to move elsewhere. Or return where you came from! November-April is the high season—or the dry season or tourist season. Ticos…
Have you heard of Blooms Ladies Club Costa Rica? I love following Irina and Jim Just’s blog, called “Just Costa Rica, living la Pura Vida” because they both always have interesting things to say in their blog. In all my years selling property in Costa Rica, I rarely saw a couple retire in Costa Rica…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes How much help can you get from a database that you should build before moving to Costa Rica? Once you are committed to moving to Costa Rica, there is a huge amount of information to read and absorb. So, my advice again: be detailed, be methodical (even if it’s hard…
The pulpería and the polaco are two typical ways of purchasing for Costa Rica’s working class. Every week, “El Polaco” visits a poor neighborhood of Costa Rica, with a car full of merchandise. The Polaco is a department store on wheels and he sells on credit. He offers mainly clothing, women’s, men’s, and children’s. But…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes How important is the spousal compromise when moving to Costa Rica? My purpose in this blog is to show that there will be surprises and unknowns harbored by all parties when making the decision to move. The success of your move to Costa Rica will be measured by how well…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Here’s something to think about: a significant number of all of the expats fail. This mostly happens within their first year in Costa Rica, then they return home. I have some ideas about why this happens, and how to avoid becoming a statistic. I’ll discuss the most prominent reasons that…
Have you heard the story about the gringo and the fisherman? I’ve seen several versions, now that I Googled it. But it’s an interesting story, that I heard back in the ’80s. It shows the mindset of the average gringo and the mindset of the average Tico. Understanding both, is a fantastic assistance to anyone…
When we returned from our due diligence trip to Costa Rica in February of 2012, the work really began. Now things started to get pretty interesting. So first, before we head home from our due diligence trip, let me pass along a few bits and pieces that I haven’t covered yet or require reinforcement. As…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutos Costa Rica retirement vacation properties and bird watching go together well, the reason so many have decided to retire or buy a vacation home in Costa Rica. When you retire to a country like Costa Rica, you must love nature and in particular birds. If you don’t, why even bother…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Today, I’d like to cover dining in Costa Rica, as well as the cost of it. While the country isn’t renowned for its own cuisine, you will find a multitude of international restaurants. Additionally, there are well-known restaurant chains. In case you yearn for a taste of home. Although, then…
Many found another reason to retire in Atenas and in other locations in Costa Rica after my post a couple of weeks ago with pictures takes by our ex-pat and I’ve received a lot of emails from readers asking for more quality photos of birdlife and views in Paradise. In February this year, I already…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I decided to create a blog page so you can easily find great blogs about moving to Costa Rica and retire in Costa Rica written by people who are going through the experience of becoming and being an expat in Costa Rica. Just last week, at a party, I heard…