Any tips on moving to PR post covid?

I am heading back home after 40 years in the US. Arriving next week. Happy to share what I go thru. An advantage I have is that I speak Spanish and grew up on the island until 40 yrs ago. Of course things change, but same here in the US.
Cheers.
Kermit

Thanks so much... I hope it goes better for you than you anticipate.  Would love to hear more of your transition!
I'm starting to downsize little by little.  Fortunately I speak Spanish also (my first language; I'm originally from Cuba).
Best,
Amneris

Hi Amy.  Hoping all works out and your move to PR is successful.  My husband and I also plan to retire part time in PR.  We want to live 6 months in PR and 6 months in the states.  You mentioned that you bought a condo with plans to Airbnb it out.  If you don't mind me asking, why didn't it work out?  We were thinking of buying now and Airbnb it out until we are ready to move. 
Thanks,
Leslie

I am here, in a great Airbnb for a month while I get things in order. Airbnb is in Rio Grande, across from Wyndham resort, view is fantastic and apt top notch, so well worth spending a bit at first while you acclimate/culturalize ( I may have made that word up).
So far,
1.Packed and mailed via USPS. Some priority and others regular. UPS was more expensive.
2. Booked, prepaid and shipped my car with Crowley. Dropped the car at the Jacksonville port. Chose the three day voyage. Left Friday and should be here today. I have 7 days to pick up once notified.
3. Flew in Saturday. I had filled in the COVID traveler declaration form 2 days stead of travel and printed the info and QR code given. Showed this on arrival, they scanned, and off I went. Received my first quarantine check in yesterday via email link.
4. Next is to get a PCR test.
5. Pay car import taxes, and pick up car when notified.
6. Look for long term rental on the East coast for now.
7. Open bank account.
Salud

Hi Leslie,
Well to be honest with you, long-distance Airbnb is easier said than done.  I'm not sure if you'll encounter this to be true in Rincon, but in San Juan, I found it's almost impossible to find cleaning people or responsible people to take care of the apartment. The cleaning people don't want to work on the weekends or after setting up appointments they don't show up. I then decided to get a 'co-host' who would be available to put the keys in the lockbox and clean or get someone to clean.  I was doing the administrative part of Airbnb. They just had to have the apartment ready. FYI I was paying them thru Paypal as a "co-host".

I should have put cameras but that area is very humid so I couldn't count on the batteries being changed frequently if needed. I had to reject many people because I couldn't simply count on someone even though they all were pleasant, professional and recommended when I hired them... i.e. one changed some of my furniture to replace them on other apartments she manages, another was using the apartment at times because my electric bill went up fourfold also I found his dirty pillow so you can imagine how well he was cleaning,  another one I left him cash to pay for some repairs I had arranged and not only did he take the extra I had left him, but also my tools were gone and the job was done terribly so I had to have someone else to redo it. To be honest, I gave up.  I don't know if I was just the one with bad luck or what, but if you find someone that you can trust to help you, hang on to them like a jewel because that's the most important part of an Airbnb. 

Good luck...

Hi Kermitll,

Wow, you really are on your way!!...so glad for you.  Really on the car, only Crowley makes sense. It's expensive for moving other things so thanks for the other info...I will look into it.  Enjoy your time...

Amneris

I'm so sorry to hear that.  But I can totally sympathize.  I have a house in Bayamon which I have hired people to work on and each time met by disappointment.  Either they don't show up to do the work or when they do the work it's not done well.  I will pm you separately about a cleaning crew in San Juan area.

  Thank you for your feedback.

Thanks! That would be great...

Amy2017 wrote:

... it's almost impossible to find cleaning people or responsible people to take care of the apartment. The cleaning people don't want to work on the weekends or after setting up appointments they don't show up. ..
I should have put cameras...
... one changed some of my furniture to replace them on other apartments she manages, another was using the apartment at times because my electric bill went up fourfold also I found his dirty pillow so you can imagine how well he was cleaning,  another one I left him cash to pay for some repairs I had arranged and not only did he take the extra I had left him, but also my tools were gone and the job was done terribly so I had to have someone else to redo it.

These problems you described are common. You really can't trust anyone to do the job well.
- Cameras outside of an entry door will be stolen and you can't install them inside for privacy issue.

- You never know how your place will be used- a manager may not report all the occupancy. Yes, you can get some picture of usage by your electrical bill. Another idea is to install a smart lock on your entry door which will send your reports who entered. The code for entry can be different for other people. But here is a problem- it can be also stolen and replaced by a regular lock.

You can also install smart thermostat Nest, which will provide you with a report on anyone moving in-front of it. This is how it works- it goes into sleep mode if no one not moving and activates when it senses a motion and then runs a programmed cycle. You can actually see it on your computer and adjust the temperature if you need.

- You can't find cleaners cleaning on the weekends! There is high unemployment there and yet it is difficult to find responsible people. It is a problem. But I see an opportunity here. Perhaps some expats can start a "Weekend Maid" business. 

Anyway, if you are not in the area to check on your rental, don't rent. It is such a headache! It is practically impossible to find a responsible and honest manager.

10YRStoRincon wrote:

...I have hired people to work on and each time met by disappointment.  Either they don't show up to do the work or when they do the work it's not done well.

It looks like all the good workers moved out of PR.
The rest which is still in PR can't even show up to work! It is a problem.

Singularitynear (very cool!),

Love the idea of the "Weekend Maid" business!!  Thanks for the info on Nest.

I did put a keypad on the front door that you can have different codes, but we never really used it because the first person I hired gave the code to someone else so I figured it would also happen with the next one   

Yes, we did give up on the rental.  Like you said it was a "headache".

It is a problem and it is sad because these people have a lot more opportunities now than we did, when we were growing up.

Amy2017 wrote:

... it is sad because these people have a lot more opportunities now than we did, when we were growing up.

Thank you, Amy! 
You didn't stay in PR and now you are coming back to retire. If there are better paying jobs in other states, people with the right attitude for work move where these opportunities are.
PR needs to have these opportunities. The government needs to be smart about it.

Hi Singularity,
Well to be fair I only lived in PR a couple of years because of my job, but I always loved PR  and visit frequently and thought I would retire there someday, which I'm hoping to do really soon.  I have lived in southeast Florida most of my life (except for those couple of years).
Nevertheless, you are 100% correct.  People do go where the opportunity exists and there is no opportunity for the young people there. The government like you said is not smart about it... I would even venture that it is too busy pointing fingers at everybody else, but there is no vision.

Any move is associated with necessity. organization of everyday life and search for work and search for an apartment or home.  It would probably be good to think it over in advance. Especially it's job search.  We have a high unemployment rate

I guess you did not read where I posted I was retiring...

Hi Amy,

I know this is a little bit off topic -  I’ve been here for over nine years , I actually own a large home in Guaynabo but wanted to see if you were interested in renting out your studio (monthly not Airbnb)
I am in Condado all the time paddle boarding , running and walking the beach , it would be great to have a place to keep my things instead of loading up the truck every other day

If you’re interested please let me know

Regarding things since Maria - yeah things are still being fixed (especially the power grid)   The pandemic isn’t helping but it still is a beautiful place to live

Hi Stacey,
Well, the place is in a condominium called "La Rada" right off Ashford across from the Vanderbilt.  They are just trying to fix it because they finally got the insurance $, but you can't beat the location.  I had not given it a thought of renting it out as I mentioned, but we won't be moving until probably early next year.  It just so happens we will be going down there this Thursday and staying a week.  My husband is not too happy with the idea of renting it out because we've had a few bad experiences, but maybe we can talk? My name is Amneris (Amy here for short) and my husband is Frank.  You can call either one of us... *** (mine) and Frank ***.

Amy2017 wrote:

I guess you did not read where I posted I was retiring...

Yes, I did. And I understand you very well.  I'm looking for a job, and now I have all the thoughts in this direction working.
I too have moved on so long ago

Got it! Thanks.

Dont

Do not come here until there is a cure!  The local people do not social distance and do not wear mask. Their ignorance will be their downfall. It is pitiful how they have no respect

Cabo rojo ron wrote:

Do not come here until there is a cure!  The local people do not social distance and do not wear mask. Their ignorance will be their downfall. It is pitiful how they have no respect

Puerto Rico has statewide mask mandate. But if there is no penalty for not wearing, some "covidiots" just don't care about other people.
China's economy is booming, because of their strict policies on masks and distancing, because of monitoring of the virus spread. People are disciplined their.

I just moved here 8/8 from Miami with my husband who just retired from USPS. It’s almost 7 weeks later and I’m still awaiting our vehicle and boxes. Apparently the port in San Juan is not clearing the boxes due to COVID. I don’t buy that reason as I just left a job that imports food products in Miami and we had no issues that delayed our shipments. Now after living out of a suitcase for so long and rewashing the same clothes I realize I didn’t need much of the clothes and makeup I sent.
The precautions for COVID are superior to what I experienced in Miami. Most places take your temp before entering and you must sanitize your hands. There’s ample supplies of masks, sanitizer & gloves. They have mandatory curfew at night 10 PM to 5 AM.

Good evening ,
my family and I moved here nine years ago and I can tell you that after visiting Florida - Puerto Rico is doing things the right way     we still have a curfew , some things are still  shut down    I own my own company and out of all of our employees and friends we don’t know a single person that has gotten sick
our major problem is the tourists coming in - no respect!
I run and swim in Condado five days a week and the cops there will cite you if you are not wearing a mask
I would ask you who you used to ship your stuff with And where from because My company ships things from the states monthly with no issue

That might be correct in the large cities but the burbs is a different scenario. Cops dont care. Hotels with pools flourish. There is NO social distancing. Restaurants are almost full. It is a less on the west coast. The big cities come here for the lack of restrictions and go home with something extra. A hotel near us only mops the floors after you leave. It's a shame.

Cabo rojo ron wrote:

That might be correct in the large cities but the burbs is a different scenario. Cops dont care. Hotels with pools flourish. There is NO social distancing. Restaurants are almost full. It is a less on the west coast. The big cities come here for the lack of restrictions and go home with something extra. A hotel near us only mops the floors after you leave. It's a shame.

"Cops don't care"- But what can they do if there any no fee for not wearing a mask?
Also people should care about themselves by being careful about this virus and not trusting someone's cleaning of the surfaces and etc.

Welcome to the island. They don't know so they dont care.

Hi,

My family and I are planning on moving in May of next year from Virginia. Can you please send me your company info?

I used La Rosa del Monte mainly for the reason I didn’t have to drive it myself to JAX and ship from there.