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Answering Your Questions About Life in Costa Rica: February 2024 Edition

Pura vida to all of you who have watched our videos and commented or emailed in questions about moving to and living in Costa Rica. Each month we're going to answer some of your questions. This month, we answer the following questions. Keep them coming!
1:28 Question 1: In terms of buying real estate for residency purposes, (as in it has to be worth $150k) how do you avoid overpaying for a property? For instance, I might see a property online for a certain price, but it might not appraise that way and could then fall short of what is needed for residency. Q: How do we avoid being Gringo priced for property? I am from the States but that doesn't mean I am made of money. My mom plans to retire here, but she doesn't want to spend all of her savings on a house and then have nothing to live on comfortably.
8:08 Question 2: I do HVAC for a living (fix/install anything heating and air conditioning) is finding work easy over there?
9:45 Question 3: For the investment visa, do I have to stay there for a full 180 days? Or can I come there every 5 months for one or two days and do that for 2 years until I get citizenship?
10:54 Question 4: What if you work remotely? Is that considered "working" on Costa Rica?
11:30 Question 5: Is it possible to open a bank account with only a tourist visa? You said it was hard to do. Is it impossible or do you just have to know what banks?
12:10 Question 6: Aaron and Patrick, your videos are by far the most comprehensive yet easy-going on KZread. One thing I find missing in general, is good information about families relocating from North America to Costa Rica. As I've mentioned before, I have a family of six. My wife and I +4 daughters. Ages one year to 11 years old. I don't see much of anything on KZread that addresses the cost of a large family moving to or living in CR. Schools, rentals/purchase, five-six bedroom homes, etc. Do you have plans on covering these issues or topics? Even if you don't, you have the best information so far. Thank you!!!
16:44 Question 7: Can US doctors transfer prescriptions to Costa Rican pharmacies?"
18:03 Question 8: What do you guys think about home dehumidifiers for those humid areas? Here in Texas, it gets hot and humid, so a dehumidifier is great for keeping the air inside comfortable and also helps us save money with lower AC bills. Can you find those out there or should I add that to the list of must-brings?
19:00 Question 9: I am wondering about shipping a couple of guns down there. I know some people don’t like this idea, and I’m not saying I would but as an option I’d like to know. In the little bit of time spent looking it seems its possible to do?
20:40 Question 10: How do you rate the internet and cell phone service? I am trying to decide between the two places and my top five priorities in order are: safety; cost of living; internet access/speed; residency requirements; and ease getting to/from the Eastern USA
23:15 Question 11: I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you guys do not speak spanish and only get your news from the english news sources here, because if you read the local news you would see that the violence is EVERYWHERE in the country, including the tiny little town I live in. Yes, most of the murders are related to drugs, but a lot of murders are also related to loansharking(drug money is loaned to people who can't get loans from a bank). And when shootings take place, they happen in public and there is usually innocent people who get caught in the crossfire, including children. The main cause of all of this is that the judicial system here does not punish criminals, instead they play catch and release and let them back on the street within a few hours after being arrested. It's not uncommon to see someone arrested who has been convicted multiple times for homicide, and then let loose again because the judge determined there was not enough evidence for them to remain in jail until their next court date.
27:00 Question 12: I’m female going to Costa Rica with my teen daughter 2/19 to 2/26- potentially investigating relocating over there- we travel often, but suddenly I’m very afraid of Costa Rica with the recent reports of crime- as solo females- we are flying into San Jose and moving on to Tamarindo- Im from NYC and pretty streetwise but any advice would be appreciated!
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Пікірлер: 20

  • @Kattywagon29
    @Kattywagon295 ай бұрын

    Hey, guys! Another great episode. Imagine my shock when you started off the video with my question!!! 😄I appreciate you taking the time to break things down even further than when you answered it in response to my initial comment. I constantly hear people online on FB, blogs and on KZread espousing the idea of being "Gringo priced", and yes, it is usually mentioned in a negative fashion to imply that the foreigner in question is being cheated in some way. However, how you explained it very much resonated with me. Things being priced for foreigners assumes the idea that we can afford what some might say is the 'inflated' price. For instance, I am currently paying $2800 a month + $150 for garden/pool maintenance (in a quiet neighborhood in Santa Ana) for a fenced, gated entrance, partially furnished 4 bdrm 3.5 bth 3000sf house with its own 2 car garage, courtyard, covered terrace and private pool. I could NEVER afford a place like this in FL. That said, I can barely afford it here! LOL I should clarify that we were not looking for such lavish accommodations, we just kinda gave up looking for a reasonable rental that would suit our needs - 3 adults who need to work remotely and a dog. We simply just wanted to get settled instead of bouncing from Airbnb to Airbnb and figured we could afford to temporarily rent this home for a year while we get acclimated to CR, file our residency papers...etc. Later on this year we will look for something cheaper in another city. I think you could agree that the avg Costa Rican could not afford to rent this home at this price in the first place. Therefore, based on the logic you stated in your video, it is truly priced for foreigners. As in, when the owners sought to get this home rented at this price, they were obviously not looking for Ticos to rent it. This is a family of three architects, and I think they did some research to see how much value this home would be to a foreigner and then picked an appropriate price. So, capitalism? 🤷 😏Does that mean I was cheated? I don't think so. In my house rental case, they are marketing to a certain demographic in the first place. I'm not mad about it. My landlord is also my neighbor and he and his family take great care of us. Every day I wake up and I am happy here.💕 On the other hand, it's one thing for me and a Tico to separately walk into a mechanic and ask to get the brakes changed on a car and we both get different prices for the service being provided. Labor costs what it costs and the parts cost what they cost, so if the price arbitrarily changes, then yeah, I will feel cheated. I think that as guest in this country, we cannot expect to be treated just like the locals, at least when it comes to real estate. When we buy property, we are truly investing in the country. If that means that we potentially pay more than a natural born citizen would and that the Tico we buy it from takes that money and increases the quality of life for themselves, their family and by extension their community, then we should be ok with that. I think my rule of thumb will be to ask myself how much I think the house would be worth where I come from, if it's less than that, then I will consider it a good deal and move on with my life. Pura Vida!

  • @jamesbarajas9224
    @jamesbarajas92245 ай бұрын

    Loved this video format. Agree with the question about Families, schools, etc. as I have wondered if you would ever profile or discuss some of the Costa Rica Schools such as Lincoln, Country Day, Blue Valley, or CRIA. Is a specific school considered the "best" in the country? (Total curiosity on my part).

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    thanks for the question James. I think we would rather do this uniquely for a family based on their needs and wants vs. a video. Really happy to connect with you to talk about this.

  • @jamesbarajas9224

    @jamesbarajas9224

    5 ай бұрын

    @@yourpuravida appreciate the response. Makes sense. I'm nowhere near this situation, just total curiosity on my part. LOL

  • @raq042189
    @raq0421895 ай бұрын

    Love you guys and all the information you guys give. I agree would love more family content. We are looking to relocate to CR with our 3 kids, one of who has special needs( she had cerebral palsy), and we are desperate for more information on like best areas to get the best services for her like physical therapy , great doctors, ect. Also if you can still homeschool once you become a resident

  • @mkoschara
    @mkoschara5 ай бұрын

    Another great video.

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching.

  • @Rynorasaurus
    @Rynorasaurus5 ай бұрын

    Thanks for all the info guys! Love your channel. I’m an aspiring digital nomad and am considering doing that in Costa Rica in the near future. I would love to hear your thoughts on visas, bank accounts, locations, pros/cons or anything else you can think of. Thanks!

  • @sandrabedard7848
    @sandrabedard78485 ай бұрын

    Hola, great video guys !

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks Sandra!

  • @raq042189
    @raq0421895 ай бұрын

    What town are you referring to where the charter school is at?

  • @pennymandeville
    @pennymandeville5 ай бұрын

    Lol thats cute. I am moving to Costa Rica. So i well be wanting a date.😂

  • @davidyancey1374
    @davidyancey13745 ай бұрын

    Is financing for property purchases or is it cash only basis.

  • @lishang1393
    @lishang13935 ай бұрын

    I look for a retire home in Central Valley , can you help me ?

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    Hello! Shoot us an email and we’d love to talk. hola@yourpuravida.com

  • @ronalves9118
    @ronalves91185 ай бұрын

    BS There is a Gringo price, I have seen it when I lived there and I met a gringo up Northern USA he would buy lots or homes from Ticco-a at a low price that made the locals happy and he then sold it to Gringos for 4 - 5 times what he paid. That was soon found out by the locals and made the locals VERY ANGRY. But when I left in 2013 it was still going on. There should be a law to protect the locals form being cheated.

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    Respectfully - that's a "flip" - same happens in every town in the world: buy cheap, change stuff, pay more. That's real estate speculation.

  • @user-xd8dl3kv9q
    @user-xd8dl3kv9q5 ай бұрын

    Why would you not fly into Liberia

  • @yourpuravida

    @yourpuravida

    5 ай бұрын

    Both airports are great. Depends on where you’re going. Often Liberia has more direct flights.

  • @stressorprofessor
    @stressorprofessor2 ай бұрын

    The fact that it doesn't have a standing army, does not negate the need to protect oneself. Burglaries and robberies happen. Rape happens. Murder happens. What would you do if a few people broke into your home? They'd probably have guns. Would you really just sit there and let them have their way with you?

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