Getting to know and enjoy the island

Excelent message Carlos, people here can use all the info they can get, we can use more locals that know what is going on in the island and know how to get things done at the least cost and how to get things done quickly.
Thanks

Thank you Carlos. I found some decent informatiom on thing to do on

Puerto Rico day trips

My pleasure!..

Most visitors and new expats tend to just see the coast and metro areas. That is a small part of the island. The beauty of the mountains in the interior are not enjoyed by these people. I recommend people go and live in the interior. It is an experience to wake up with the roosters calling versus emergency vehicles and not having to listen to people flushing their toilet next door. Too bad a lot of people never see this part of Puerto Rico. The sky is sensational in this part of the island, away from all the lights.

Regardless of where I live there are a couple of NEVERS.  1. HOA 2.  6 ft from my neighbor

HOA?

Homeowners  association. Some body that tells you what you can  and more  specifically what you can't  do. NOT A GOVERNMENT enitity

Here is an example of one in Tx

Example of a HoA

Indeed HOA sometimes become a malady in gated communities or condos..

Here is an example of how. Petty the can be. I neither endorse or oppose the original author

Tod starnes

I will agree, we have our share in Texas of those types of HOA. Never again!! We sold our property to get away from the HOA and never regret it.

Many communities  and Condos have RULES-   on the main land you call them HOA - that need to be followed; the more upscale the community the more rules you must follow. in the more moderate communities you might not be able to have chickens in your back yard or more than 1 or 2 dogs.     In some communities in Dorado for example, you can only put in certain plants and certain garden ornaments and even colors and where you can park your recreational vehicles.   One client told me that their cul de sac had rules for what kind of Christmas decorations they could use!    just the way it is.  you need to ask first. The good thing is you have lots of options in Puerto Rico, USA!  remember we are NOT expats.... we are all US citizens and there is a certain amount of security in that fact... yes, we can't vote for president but we are working on that!

We have an HOA and I'm on the board.  We do have lots of rules but we don't enforce some because it can be very restricting and most homeowners want to customize their home to some degree.  Don't want to gestapo everyone, haha.

I wish you were on our board...   we don't have enough votes to get "others" on the board and they do everything come le da la gana.... it's CHAOS!

Will never live in a HoA

Good luck!  Personally, I prefer some order but hey, that's what makes us great!

I prefer an area with an association. It means the guy next door won't be selling his home to someone who wants to convert the front yard into an armored tank repair shop and the house into a homeless shelter for alligators.

I don't have an armored tank, but I will  have some type project. One of the things on our much desired is a detached shop or garage so I don't have to work outside

A lot of houses have a Marquesina (car port), it can be used for the car, for a work area, as a place to throw a party so the house does not become a mess. The Marquesina, most times is attached to the house with a door into the kitchen and a lot of times it has a sink and a clothe washer, when the car is not there we hang the clothes there to air dry. Most HOA would have a fit with cloth lines visible from the street in the states.

If you have more yard, you may end up with one or more Ranchos, which is a structure with a roof and no walls (a shack with no wall and maybe a dirt or concrete  floor) can be used for anything, like a work area, a barbecue, or outside kitchen, a place to play dominos while drinking rum, smoke area, or a place to hang a hamuack. A country house may have 1 or more of these. People also build a pit under some of them to roast a whole pig. Ranchos can be eye sores to some people (some times made from left over wood and corrugated zinc), but who cares, it is part of being a Campesino (country folk).

Having a big property is nice and convenient and no HOA to tell you what you can or can not do.

After being in the island for a while, out of respect people may refer to you as Don followed by your first name, or your wife as Doña followed by her first name. It is meant as respectful, because of age, or experience, or neighborly. Link http://www.spanishcentral.com/translate/don

If you hear somebody using don without a first name, they are probably saying the somebody has a gift or Don for something, like for example having a gift for playing the piano.

If I were in an HOA there is no way I would be painting my truck in the backyard in a makeshift paint booth. I would have to spend mucho to get it painted. A Rancho would work for me. Don and Doña would not bother us