notes from the big move

Sounds like easier than other people described

Hi David,

Welcome!  Where are you guys?  I am in Rincon, with my 2 children (I have 3 but one is in college in Texas).  We've been here for about 1.5 months.  Jackie Paddock (also in this group) moved here about 2 - 3 months ago.  She's from Texas (I am too, but had moved to AZ before here).  I'm particularly interested in meeting people who have kids.  From your post it looks like you, at least, have one kid?!?!  Also - I may have missed this...where are you guys from in Texas? Jackie is Padre.  I am Amarillo, Austin, Waco (Baylor).

We went the cheap route.  i picked a city I knew I wouldn't need a car in, Rincon.  I work from home, so that problem was solved.  The school is about a mile from our casa.  We use Jackie (hee hee) for rides when we need to go have fun elsewhere!  We also shipped nothing.  I kept my house that I own in AZ as furnished and rent the house out that way.  I had researched the car, and particularly about shipping our piano, but the cost was too high for us.

My landlord helped me set up utilities.  That was nice.  But - I have yet to receive a water bill!  I've already received 2 electric bills.  I may have to call the water company.  Incidentally, our electric has been running at $150/month.  I don't use AC, but the kids put it on in their rooms at night.  So, that brings up the cost.  But, electric was that much in AZ anyway.

Anyway, welcome again, it has been a great adventure for us so far too.  Also - your website didn't show up on the message that came out (that I could see).

Take care,

Liz

OK - I see now..you guys are in Aguada!  Right by us

Nice posts David.  Keep us informed.  We're all (or some of us) are still learning the ins and outs.

Yes, thank you for the information and I'm looking forward to more updates.  It does sound like it went pretty smoothly getting everything all set up.  All the best to your family!

Rey, I don't know about easy.  I'm relieved that these things are done now!  I was pleasantly surprised though how quickly our utilities were turned on.

Hi Liz.  Yes we have two boys (9 and 10) here in Aguada.  How old are your children?  We are from San Antonio, TX.  Looks like there are a number of us here from Texas!  There is a link to my website on the left under my picture.  Concerning your water, you should be able to setup an online account at the water company to see if you owe anything (https://www.acueductospr.com/micuenta/register)

Thanks SawMan and Schuttzie!

David

Hi Jessica.

I thought others might benefit from the information so I'm replying to your message here.

Looking at my receipts I see that my total impuesto (tax) was $637.50 + $8.25 cargo? + $37.92 (5993 ACCA Ley 138 SC-8?)

We drove with our Texas plates for two days.  We even had a police car driving behind us one time but he didn't pull us over.  I don't know how long you can drive with the Texas plates before you run into trouble.

We drove from Texas to Jacksonville, FL where the car was shipped from.

Hope it helps and good luck!
David

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Hi Davidtx,
I saw you posted some info about shipping your car. My husband and I are moving to PR in Sept. and are struggling with whether we should ship our car or get a used on once we arrive. Would you mind sharing some details of the shipping process with me? I saw you said it was $600 plus fee...what type of fees did they tack on? Also, can you drive with your texas plates to start or do you have to get it registered in PR right away? Where did you ship it from? We are leaving from NY. Thanks so much in advance. Any details will help!
Jessica

Hi - my son is 10   my daughter 12.  Oldest is out of the house.

I had forgotten.  I have to look up the original receipt to get my account, but thank you!  Duh!! I pay my electric online as well.

Hopefully, we can figure out a way to get the kids together!  We have friends in Arecibo.  When we go, the kids have such a good time because of the other kids.  There are kids on our block as well, but I don't think they will make neighborhood friends until school starts.

Liz

How much was the actually shipping company charging to ship your car, David?  Those import fees are under $680 which doesn't sound bad at all!

Welcome to PR!! 

Thank you for the information, we decided to purchase a car in the island instead of taking our car. We found a 2002 Ford Explorer with 80K miles for $3k in great condition.

As an example:

For shipping the car from Jacksonville, we got a quote for $1100. Plus the other costs the government will add. For our 2005 Jeep Liberty taxes were quoted at $1600. If they picked the car from Rhome Texas it was another $700. The liberty have 130k miles on it, same car with about the same miles will cost about the same price in PR.

Hi Adlin - that is closer to the numbers I was quoted as well.  I am now a firm believer in bike riding as a way of life for me.  There will be times when I need a car and I can rent.  Other than that, I'm happy to be riding free.

Adlin - you are another Texan?!!?  There are a lot of us here!!!

Liz, I will send you a private message so we can coordinate getting the kids together.

Shuttzie, the actual shipping cost was $1075.

We decided to ship our car because we didn't want to add car shopping to our already mile long to-do-list.  We  purchased a completely unfurnished condo and have taken more trips to Home Depot and the Mayaguez Mall than I care to count and I estimate that we are STILL weeks from being "setup".

David

etilley23 wrote:

Hi Adlin - that is closer to the numbers I was quoted as well.  I am now a firm believer in bike riding as a way of life for me.  There will be times when I need a car and I can rent.  Other than that, I'm happy to be riding free.

Adlin - you are another Texan?!!?  There are a lot of us here!!!

Yes, we been in Texas for 17yrs. We started in San Antonio and moved to the DFW area 10yrs ago. Our daughters are older now so it's time for us to start looking at retirement. We love PR and we're looking forward to spend our older years back home.

David, thank you for the figures.  Sounds pretty reasonable to me.

I imagine every case scenario will be different cost wise and we'll have to decide when we get to that point comparing costs.

Schuttzie wrote:

I imagine every case scenario will be different cost wise and we'll have to decide when we get to that point comparing costs.

The main variable will the taxes, you can go to the Hacienda webside and calculate, but be aware that the quote you get may be different from the price you end up paying.

Welcome to the island!  And thanks for the information.  What arrangements for cable and internet have you made?

We are not going to have cable TV and internet was so easy I didn't even think it was worth a mention.  I called Choice on Friday and by Monday I had internet.  I bought my own Wi-Fi router at Sam's and have a strong signal throughout my condo.  I'm very pleased so far.

David

Two things I forgot to mention in the original post:

Texas is listed as partial reciprocity concerning the driver's license.  However, they did not require that I take the written exam.

The post office gave me a "physical" address along with my PO Box at no additional charge.  This was a nice surprise.

David

Welcome to Puerto Rico!  Sounds like things are going smooth for you.  The most important thing to remember in Puerto Rico is patience and a positive attitude.  Once you've mastered that, life here is awesome!!  Enjoy and good luck!

Think island time......