We need relocation advice/info. Thank you.

Hi there, I'm also a FF. Full time July 1st. Have been coming down for a lot of years and done a ton of research.

Hi, I'm not currently living there but have lived there in the past and plan to move back soon.

I'll make a stab at answering some of your questions:

I suppose most people choose to live in the Central Valley which surrounds the capital city of San Jose because it has the most amenities yet surrounding areas can be tranquil as well. A lot of people also choose to live at the beaches on both east and west coasts. So this really depends on what you envision as your lifestyle. If you are a beach addict well, that's your answer. But many choose the more tranquil, cooler and cheaper mountain areas. We chose to live in the mountains outside of San Ramon because of cooler weather, quiet, not as much rain as some areas yet plenty of rain ;-D, and minutes to a good sized city with a hospital, mall, movie theater, etc etc..

Learning elementary Spanish will get you by but you will really have a much better experience if you make a commitment to learning Spanish. If you retire there you don't have to learn it all at once but on the other hand don't shut it out, make an effort to learn, and after 2-5 years you'll be speaking Spanish and a whole world of friends and experiences will open up to you that would not other wise be available to you. Learning Spanish even a little makes the Ticos feel better about you and you'll make friends and enrich your lives by doing so.

Costa Rica lacks infrastructure in terms of good roads, that's about it, at least that's the biggest area of lack. But you learn to deal with it.

They have good water, electricity, and you can build a home with good plumbing though many existing buildings do not have good plumbing. Most expats do not buy Tico built homes because - excuse me for generalizing - Ticos generally do not build homes to the standards of Americans or Canadians.

Relocation is no big deal but it's best to start over and not ship a bunch of stuff, in my opinion. Maybe take a few suitcases full of stuff every time you return to the states but personally I wouldn't go the SHIPPING CONTAINER route, though some do so with success.

Hope this helps.