New members of the Puerto Rico forum, introduce yourself here — 1st quarter of 2017

BTW is there any offshore powerboat racing down there? I live in Dallas Tx and the closest racing is 500 miles away on the Gulf Coast. I love watching powerboat racing but not snailbote "racing".

500 for rent is fairly easy to find in Cabo Rojo and surrounding areas.
As to dogs. What sort of dogs do you have?
There are limitations as to which breeds are allowed and not all owners want dogs in their property.
Depending on size they can travel in the cabin or may have to be shipped the night before and pickup at the airport. See section about transporting pets.

Check Cabo Rojo rentals around your price range. http://www.clasificadosonline.com/m/Bie … h+Busqueda

Hello Everyone...ive being reading this forum for about a month now and its very informative and enlighten.TbH its very inspirational as well to see how so many took the leap of faith from there comfort zone.Ive recently got out of a six yrs relationship and my dream was to move to PR before i enter the relationship.once i shared my dream with my ex it became out dream.fast forward no that were no longer together my dream hasnt changed.difference is i want to relocate asap sell my car,truck,motorcycle and just start living my dream.My question is has anyone just pack brought a one way ticket and left figured out things as they go?ive seen many post of everyone have a solid plans.for those that just left everything behind what advice would u give?keep in mind im single no kids just me,myself and I to care for

Hi Lemans66,
Some things make you slow down and plan, like having to sell a house, or medical operations, or needing a job.
I seen several people just sell the heir car and appliances, get a 1 way ticket and head out.
It just depends on your situation.
If you need a job, I say bad idea.
If you have to spend down a major portion of your savings, I say slow down and let's do some numbers.
Renting for 6 months lets you get a place and then see where you want to live on a permanent bases.
Let's talk numbers and what sort of living you want to do. If you prefer you can send me private message and I will try to advice you on your particular situation. If not shy, let's do it over the open forum so others can learn also.

By the way, welcome to the forum and hopefully Puerto Rico.

I will need a job,eventually...i will pay my rent for the whole year say at 500-600=im lookin into automotive service thats my current job now.my dream is to have my own tow truck and transport company through the automotive insurance and rental companies.i will purchase my truck once i get on the island and build my business.im a realist and im fully aware of things dont go as plan but im not afraid of trying and failing instead of never trying at all.im very low maintenance and very adaptable.im at the point i rather chase MY dream in PR with low income instead of living day to day thinking about my dream with middle/high income.

Welcome to the forum! Depending on the area, you can find a good place on that price range. As per the towing truck, you need to do your homework. There are specific rules and regulations in the island for towing companies, and a lot of monopoly on it. Plus you will find some underground towing service as well. There's plenty of opportunities for good deals, you just have to be patient and check around. Good luck!!!

Not sure what te regulations are in PR reference tow trucks, but here they are for the states. I can only assume there will be some similarities.
http://petesoro.com/resources/tow-truck … -by-state/

I hate to be negative, but finding a job, any job is hard in PR with the high unemployment and without being to speak Spanish, it would be harder.

If you need a job, I would advise not to come to PR.

At ReyP..greatly appreciate the honesty.thats what being keeping me on the mainland the high unemployment in PR.Planning is best than

I just want to ground you some, your best bet would be to either get a job in the US that lets you work remotely or get a federal job in PR before you come over.
Talk with TcheeToGo, one of our members, she got a federal job and will be in PR in a few months. Maybe she can tell you all about how she got it.
Her profile https://www.expat.com/forum/profile.php … mp;lang=en

Hello! My name is Ness - I grew up on a farm in Aguadilla Puerto Rico till the age of 6 then we moved to the states- fast forward 30 years and the land is still in our family - I have been reading this forum on moving to Puerto Rico and I really appreciate the info on here. I'm going to try to make my long story short - I have many acres and a house in Caimital Alto - - I have a lawyer, but I feel I need to be down there considering everything that is happening with the govt and economy, and this is where my fear comes in. First...is this worth it? It's way too much land for me not to be involved and something called forced heir laws- you have no choice but to inherit property!😱
But ..I'm in the middle of this legal process and I wonder if the govt can just take the land eminate domain-  when I was young the land was a sugar cane farm as well as fruits beans and coffee-
Im being told I must use the land for farming leased to be farmed- I'm not interested in that - I would first go farm it myself - I'm being told its zoned to where I cannot build a house- but this also does not scare me...
there is a large percentage of land that does not have utilities, but that doesn't worry me either- since there is a large house just sitting there empty but with electricity.
For me to live there I would need to make some upgrades to house starting with fumigation and clearing of some land surrounding house- snakes, the biggest roaches I have ever seen, ticks, scorpions, the amount of creatures and bugs is crazy-to the Out house bathroom or the indoor bathroom that shocks you if you want hot water- lol
I have questions about the water in Aguadilla what type of filteration do you use in home - do you collect rainwater is it illegal and does that side of island experience blackouts in electricity often.
Generations of my family lived off this land for years - I don't know the first thing about farming - I would be like that lady from Greenacres but I'm gonna try-
If anyone has input on Caimital good or bad I want to know - thank you🌺
Ness

Thank you for all the info I have already found on here!

I'm afraid that I can't tell you much about Aguadilla.  Perhaps some of the other members can help there.  I'm glad to read that you have retained a lawyer.  Inheritance law in Puerto Rico follows the civil code, not common law (which is in use on the mainland).  According to the civil code, an estate must go to the children.  This is known as "forced inheritance".  To make the story short, in the event that the heirs are not found, or they do not claim the inheritance, the estate goes to the Puerto Rico government, and when the government sells the land, the proceeds go to the University of Puerto Rico.  Your lawyer should be able to explain all of this in detail, as well as verify that the title to the property is clear.  He or she should also be able to help with the zoning restrictions.

Best of luck!

VanDuc wrote:

Hello! My name is Ness - I grew up on a farm in Aguadilla Puerto Rico till the age of 6 then we moved to the states- fast forward 30 years and the land is still in our family - I have been reading this forum on moving to Puerto Rico and I really appreciate the info on here. I'm going to try to make my long story short - I have many acres and a house in Caimital Alto - - I have a lawyer, but I feel I need to be down there considering everything that is happening with the govt and economy, and this is where my fear comes in. First...is this worth it? It's way too much land for me not to be involved and something called forced heir laws- you have no choice but to inherit property!😱
But ..I'm in the middle of this legal process and I wonder if the govt can just take the land eminate domain-  when I was young the land was a sugar cane farm as well as fruits beans and coffee-
Im being told I must use the land for farming leased to be farmed- I'm not interested in that - I would first go farm it myself - I'm being told its zoned to where I cannot build a house- but this also does not scare me...
there is a large percentage of land that does not have utilities, but that doesn't worry me either- since there is a large house just sitting there empty but with electricity.
For me to live there I would need to make some upgrades to house starting with fumigation and clearing of some land surrounding house- snakes, the biggest roaches I have ever seen, ticks, scorpions, the amount of creatures and bugs is crazy-to the Out house bathroom or the indoor bathroom that shocks you if you want hot water- lol
I have questions about the water in Aguadilla what type of filteration do you use in home - do you collect rainwater is it illegal and does that side of island experience blackouts in electricity often.
Generations of my family lived off this land for years - I don't know the first thing about farming - I would be like that lady from Greenacres but I'm gonna try-
If anyone has input on Caimital good or bad I want to know - thank you🌺
Ness

Thank you for all the info I have already found on here!

I am not a lawyer, but yes the government could take it for some purpose, but it is rare. Most times they want a piece of it for a road or some other facility like running electric poles and access to maintain it.

I am a little confused, is it your land or is it rented to you or your family?

If there is a structure there you can make improvements and live there. While it may be classified as a farm, people live in farms. It is possible to have the land cut up into multiple lots, amount the things it requires a survey and clearly marked boundaries for each lot. Likely the survey will be more than the paperwork.

The one thing you need to check is for back taxes on the land, they could take it away if they have not been payed, so check with them and pay it as soon as possible, otherwise they may decide to take it and sell it for revenue.

Carving up a farm also deals with access, each carved piece will need access to a road or passage thru part of one or more of the carved lots. A land with no water or way to get water there is pretty useless as it can not be farmed so again access to a road is needed. I said access , not an actual road, land as marked must show where each plot will receive access if a road is ever build.

Keeping access in mind, grab a piece for your use and either rent the rest or carve it up into other plots. By renting the land, it is still yours but others can use it for farming or some other activity that provides them income. Carving up a farm can take several months and some sweet talking.

Lawyers tend to specialize in one part of the law or another. Find a lawyer that deals with the farms and land management, he/she will know the tricks to get you what you want. Know what you want before you spend money on it.

PS. Welcome to the forum and soon Puerto Rico.
Rey

ReyP wrote:

500 for rent is fairly easy to find in Cabo Rojo and surrounding areas.
As to dogs. What sort of dogs do you have?
There are limitations as to which breeds are allowed and not all owners want dogs in their property.
Depending on size they can travel in the cabin or may have to be shipped the night before and pickup at the airport. See section about transporting pets.

They are American Staffordshire Terriers. I will crate them with an airline as they are too big to ride in the cabin.

Catmando, if you do a Google search for "offshore powerboat racing Puerto Rico" lots of information comes up.  For instance, there is a Facebook page "Puerto Rico Offshore Series."

catmando wrote:

ReyP wrote:

500 for rent is fairly easy to find in Cabo Rojo and surrounding areas.
As to dogs. What sort of dogs do you have?
There are limitations as to which breeds are allowed and not all owners want dogs in their property.
Depending on size they can travel in the cabin or may have to be shipped the night before and pickup at the airport. See section about transporting pets.

They are American Staffordshire Terriers. I will crate them with an airline as they are too big to ride in the cabin.

I am not aware of any governamental restrictions on that breed, but check with the company doing the transport to ensure no surprises.

I tried bringing out my Staffordshire Terrier from CA last month. I had his vet certificate, went to the APHIS office in LA to have the official certificate to travel with the airline just for the airline to not want to ship him because of the embargo PR has. He's an ESA and I tried contacting the APHIS in PR and all they did was give me the run around with different numbers and no concrete answer wether I could bring him or not when I was assured with the airline prior that it shouldn't be an issue since he's an ESA.

I stand corrected. According to my reading of this document your dogs are not allowed to be shipped to Puerto Rico. Or did I confused your dog breed?
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_expor … FICATE.pdf

As to ESA you probably need your lawyer for that. The issue is between you, the shipper and your lawyer. Nobody in PR is going to check. Check is at the exit port to my knowledge.

That's too bad we had hoped to live in PR. We will not abandon our dogs because they are our family members.  I will resume my search for a country that will allow my dogs entry. This will be my final post on this forum.

Goodbye

When they impose an embargo on pet dog entry?

bugbunkie wrote:

When they impose an embargo on pet dog entry?

Several years now, but only some breeds, see the link to the PDF I posted.
Those already in PR are fine, but not allowing any more of those breeds. Mostly because they are a security risk, several 70+ old ladies have been chewed to pieces, also because some use them to fight.

From wiki See also:
Australia,[36] Ecuador,[37] Malaysia,[38] New Zealand,[39] the territory of Puerto Rico,[40] Singapore,[41] Venezuela[42] Denmark, Israel,[43] France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland[44] have enacted some form of breed-specific legislation on pit bull-type dogs, including American Pit Bull Terriers, ranging from outright bans to restrictions on import and conditions on ownership.[44][45] The state of New South Wales in Australia places restrictions on the breed, including mandatory sterilization.[46][47]

Certain counties and cities in the United States have banned ownership of the American Pit Bull Terrier, as well as the province of Ontario in Canada.[44][48] American Pit Bull Terriers are also on a list of four breeds that are banned in the UK.[49]

Was that the pdf "general health  certificate "?
We just got back from a week in western Puerto Rico.  We are hooked. Can't get rid of our property here in south Carolina quick enough to make the move. Still debating on buying an existing house or have one built. Spent half a day looking at neighborhoods and half getting the feel for the land. Met alot of wonderful people there and are anxious to retire there.

bugbunkie wrote:

Was that the pdf "general health  certificate "?
We just got back from a week in western Puerto Rico.  We are hooked. Can't get rid of our property here in south Carolina quick enough to make the move. Still debating on buying an existing house or have one built. Spent half a day looking at neighborhoods and half getting the feel for the land. Met alot of wonderful people there and are anxious to retire there.

Here it is, see section about dogs and cats, if you have exotic animals also check those sections. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_expor … FICATE.pdf

I find it hard to leave the island every time I visit. If it was not for some surgery the wife needs to get out of the way I would have moved a year ago. My plan is to put the house on the market around this time next year.

Hello again and thank you for the replies- 🌟 The land belongs to our family. My mother was one of six children who inherited this farm unfortunately they all passed away.
None of the children are interested in living there- so since my lawyer said we all have a right to live in the house and we are all "owners" I have decided to go and experience it - this process of dividing the land and moving forward has taken forever and I don't see it being settled ever😩 Instead of just letting it rot away and become more of a jungle- Everything is paid taxes etc.. and there is access road to the property.  what was a private family road to house, now has new homes on one side of the road 🤔🤔and it was paved - I'm assuming by the city.  I feel I need to be close to the situation  - Ness

Inheritance are difficult to settle in the island. It is better to leave it "as is". Both my grandparents properties are that way. I have family that lives on the houses and we don't even want to deal with the legal process anymore.
For our properties in the island, we spoke with our lawyer and make arrangements to have them transferred to the our girls name. Thankfully we only have two daughters to have it divided between them.

You can take over the land as long as they do not protest, you can also compensate them with something if they are not interested. They can sign off on their rights to the property.
My mother passed and she left a house which I left for my brother because he took care of her when she was confined to a bed.

Plus, if you are living the house they cannot kick you out since you are part owner. If anyone want to contest, they will have to get a lawyer and do the whole process. Not a cheap thing to do.

I was under the impression that you are already living there by all the information you provide to people on here. I was looking forward to meeting you when we move. I guess we'll have to wait another year. We stayed in boqueron and ventured to neighboring towns. It was amazing and we are so ready to start a new life there. As stated before, we haven't decided on what town or purchase /build. We heard mixed stories on hiring a contractor to build for us. But we are heading there once our place is sold.
See you next time you are there.
Ron and Bev

Ron and Bev, rent until you figure all of that out.

We are looking at airbnb for a week to find a rental until we complete our search. Working with a rental agent now to find a rental.
Thanks.

I just learned Uber is on the west coast now. Wonder if it's 24/7 yet?

That is news to me

Yep I have realized there are two ways to do things down there and I have been choosing the PR way on a lot of things because of lack of cooperation lol- 🌺

Found this while looking for Uber info. Also if you have the Uber app you can find rides near Mayaguez , sometimes all the way up to Aguadilla.

"It is true, Uber in Rincon is now available (sometimes) for your stay at your Rincon Vacation Rental.

The reason we added the 'sometimes' is we know one Uber driver in Rincon but we haven't been able to confirm more drivers, yet. 

If you to Uber.com/app and put in code 'amandas20700ue' you will be connected with Amanda, an excellent Rincon Uber driver."

So ive being thinking and doing alot of research..ive decided to come and stay a month or two to get a feel of the island.im thinkin of the area of cabo rojo or rincon.I need alot of advice about rentals should i do private month-month or airbnb?will i need a car rental or can a moped do justice for my stay?i want my experience to be as an expat not a tourist.

Some towns have public cars search for "carros público". These are car that work like a bus but they only stop around the town plaza at both start and end and along the prescribed route if you hail them or tell the driver to stop for you to get out. Like a bus you may have to take several to get where you are going.
Renting a car is the best way to go if you are going to need transportation often. Some towns have taxi and the metro areas have also Uber but outside metro occasionally you may find an Uber driver if lucky.
I would recommend Airbnb for the first week or two while you find a place to rent.
Renting, most people do not accept month to month rentals, ussualy they want a contract for 6-12 months.
Rental property are ussualy barebones. No stove, no refrigerator, no washing machine, no drier and no furniture. Sometimes you find a property with most of the above, but it is not too common.

If you are coming to familiarize yourself with the island, rent a car, use Airbnb for 2 to 7 days for each area you want to explore.

Eat where the locals eat, drink where the locals drink, they know good and cheap. For a cheap but good breakfast stop at a Panadería, they have breakfast (egg, cheese and ham sandwich) most common and coffee. Lots of other breakfast stuff but the sandwich is the most common. Scrambled eggs with ham is also very common (revoltillo con jamón).

Coffee, if you do not tell them and just ask for coffee, it will have both milk and sugar.

Do they not have scooters/mopeds in those areas?

Tourists areas have them for rent, may find them also in some other areas. However you can't drive it in many roads and you also risk getting hit. Mopeds are not super common outside tourist areas.
Most towns I go to they don't have them at all other than a private one that is used locally.

O ok...thanks