Any advice on how to move to Costa Rica

Being someone that is just buying now, the reality that selling could take years and could be at a loss, IS something to be aware of. Couple that knowledge with the average purchaser sells and leaves CR after a couple years, presents a very unsettling feeling.

But, as a vacation home, I'm hoping to bridge the difference between full time citizen in CR and multiple times a year vacationer. I understand they are each quite different and look forward to living the resident side while it's cold here in So Cal, and then heading back to CA for the majority of the time.

I commend anyone that could up and leave their homeland to embrace a very different lifestyle in CR. I know most of you are probably criminals just hiding from the Government, but that's ok too. Just kidding :-)

I would not recommend moving to Costa Rica and leaving your house alone for half of the year or more - not even for a month or two.

Unless it is perhaps in a condominium or apartment building with guards Etc...

Once it becomes known that there is an  empty house, your house may be a target of Thieves and burglers.

I have known of houses being burgled by other Americans in the neighborhood as well as by Ticos who work nearby and Nicaraguans who work nearby.

You must have someone in the house constantly. The people I know who leave for regular vacations have a house sitter watch their home while they are gone by living in it.
Even then those people need to also not go on vacations and leave the house alone.

By the way, this happens in the United States as well when people leave their homes empty. It is probably worse here, but it does happen everywhere in the world.

surfdog12 wrote:

Being someone that is just buying now, the reality that selling could take years and could be at a loss, IS something to be aware of. Couple that knowledge with the average purchaser sells and leaves CR after a couple years, presents a very unsettling feeling.

But, as a vacation home, I'm hoping to bridge the difference between full time citizen in CR and multiple times a year vacationer. I understand they are each quite different and look forward to living the resident side while it's cold here in So Cal, and then heading back to CA for the majority of the time.

I commend anyone that could up and leave their homeland to embrace a very different lifestyle in CR. I know most of you are probably criminals just hiding from the Government, but that's ok too. Just kidding :-)

True story:
My friend lives in at gringo Community with houses about 30 or 50 yards apart from each other. One of the houses was owned by a family who left it alone most of the year. But the people next to it on both sides were usually always there. And there was a dog nearby as well. (By the way, the dogs are largely worthless in terms of protecting a house.)

Over the years this house was burgled three times. The last time, they came in through the back through the woods, on a foggy windy night, and made a hole in the wall and took pretty much every single Appliance and anything not nailed down in the house!

Even though the people who lived nearby tried to be on the lookout, they could not hear anything due to the wind and the fact they were sleeping.

Another house three houses away from that one was left empty only for a day or two, but someone in the neighborhood knew she was gone and came in at night and stole a bunch of stuff. It appeared to be Nicaraguan Farm Workers based on the things they stole and the things they didn't steal. They stole things that they would need for themselves to live better, like dishes and blankets etc - none of the expensive art or paintings or other things a rich Gringa had in her house.

Another house right next to that one had a room in which she stored a bunch of stuff for another Gringo who wasn't living there. Someone broke into that  room and stole a lot of the stuff.

It was later found out that one of the Americans in the community helped a Tico to steal that stuff and they split the profit.

These are 100% true stories that I am personally aware of.

On the other hand, I live in a nice rule community, I have a security system, and I have never been burgled or stolen from.
But I have never left my house alone for more than 10 days and when I do I have a friend at least check on it everyday, and I have my lights on a timer that come on and off every evening.

Also my house is not visible from the road and it is a humble house that might make a thief think, "why bother to steal from this guy? Doesn't look like he has much." Which I don't.

But if I left it alone for months I'm pretty sure someone would figure out I wasn't there and break in and steal a lot of stuff.

As I said above, this kind of thing happened in other countries as well including the United States. A house left alone is a target for burglars.

Never happened in Canada. In Canada, the houses are usually robbed when thiefs know exactly what they are looking for. Here, they just leave the walls. However, in my rural area people have no issues.

Sam I lived in Atlanta for 33 years. Last June, we sold our home in Cobb and haven't looked back. But, I've been coming down here for 25 years. My wife is Tica and her family made our transition easier than most. The advice given to visit is a must. Costa Rica isn't for everyone. The less you know, the harder it will be and more expensive. Some Americans put their huevos in one basket and realize it's not for them, but they are trapped and can't get back, due to financial limitations. There are many moving parts to a international move. You will need to decide if you want to be the "two suit cases" guy and move with little, or,  do what we did and ship things that were important to us, like electronics, some household items and our dog. Electronics are expensive here, as are the cars.

I did much research on some of the "gotchas" about an international move. The one thing I haven't read,  but maybe it's posted somewhere: Make sure you change all of your online accounts contact info for your cell number. My "404" Verizon number was tied to Amazon, Social Security and other accounts that wanted to run a security challenge via text to that number. So, we killed Verizon and now I'm locked out and can't change my number or U.S. mailing address. Also renew your GA DL before you leave. Credit cards need to have a long time before renewal as well. I hope some of this helps.


Happy Holidays.

Same here bud. I live in Athens, and am searching for the same advice. Connect with me and we can share what we learn.

Your story is very similar to mine. I live in South Georgia (Lee County) and I am researching relocating to Costa Rica.   My plan is to visit there in March 2023 with my sister and her husband who live in Douglasville to get a feel for the country. 

I would like to keep in touch with you as you continue with your quest for possible relocation.

stbolton wrote:

The one thing I haven't read,  but maybe it's posted somewhere: Make sure you change all of your online accounts contact info for your cell number. My "404" Verizon number was tied to Amazon, Social Security and other accounts that wanted to run a security challenge via text to that number. So, we killed Verizon and now I'm locked out and can't change my number or U.S. mailing address.

Regarding phone numbers; you can get a Google phone number which then you bind to whatever your current number(s) is /are. This allows a call to ring on multiple phones at the same time. Of course this allows you to reprogram the number to a Costa Rican number and no one knows the difference.

I've had the same number on my business card for years though have had physical phone number changes without issue.

As in all things, nothing is free, while the Google number may not have up front costs, I suspect they mine your data to send you adverts based on your content.

Great advice with the new 2 tier verification systems a lot of places have,  it's important to make sure you got things covered the Google phone has worked for me and even though I'm a year away from moving full-time I'm slowly transitioning. Heading down a week from Friday for 2 weeks!  So looking forward to being back!

Thanks for the follow-up with my U.S. phone number issue tied to some of my online accounts. Here is an update.
- Amazon refused my Google Voice number, but I was able to get around the security challenge by having them verify me through an email account.

- Google Voice appears not to be able to be ported to a non-US number. The error reads: Google Voice is only available in the United States. To use Google Voice, sign up with a US-based phone number

Thanks for trying to help.

stbolton

I've had my Google Voice account for some 10+ years so not sure how they determine if your number is a US based one or not. I believe you get assigned or get to pick a number. Then once you have this number you can "forward" those incoming calls to any number(s) you assign.

If they are actually checking your location, simply use a VPN which allows you to target an IP address of your choosing.

where do you live? wich city?

want to move to CR but would like to rent a house for 2 or 3 months first.I was looking for the nuevo arenal area.  Is it a good and fairly safe place? Give me some of your suggestions. I love nature, fishing and peace.   Thank you

Rene..........You ask about renting a place............with or without ants ?

Rene Chopin wrote:

want to move to CR but would like to rent a house for 2 or 3 months first.I was looking for the nuevo arenal area.  Is it a good and fairly safe place? Give me some of your suggestions. I love nature, fishing and peace.   Thank you

I suggest you create a new post asking this question.

Peace is hard to find in CR if you mean freedom from noise.
Ticos love noise or at least are not averse to it.
Incessant dog barking is common and I know at least two people who had to move because of it.
Dog ownership is on the rise and with that comes more barking noise.
Trucks don't use gear noise mufflers so they make noise that can be heard for miles.
Kids, dogs, motorcycles, roosters and more noisemakers are ubiquitous.
F.Y.I.

Rene Chopin wrote:

want to move to CR but would like to rent a house for 2 or 3 months first.I was looking for the nuevo arenal area.  Is it a good and fairly safe place? Give me some of your suggestions. I love nature, fishing and peace.   Thank you

I suggest you create a new post asking this question.

Peace is hard to find in CR if you mean freedom from noise.
Ticos love noise or at least are not averse to it.
Incessant dog barking is common and I know at least two people who had to move because of it.
Dog ownership is on the rise and with that comes more barking noise.
Trucks don't use gear noise mufflers so they make noise that can be heard for miles.
Kids, dogs, motorcycles, roosters and more noisemakers are ubiquitous.
F.Y.I.

does not matter, ants are there to clean your house from bugs. After they are done they go on there way.

SOME ants are there to clean your house. Others are there to eat your food.
There are many many different types of ants in Costa rica. There are the cleaner ants, and then there are the leaf cutter ants, and then there are the tiny little ants that invade your kitchen.
A former neighbor of mine recently brought home a container full of lettuce and left it on his kitchen cabinet. When he came out in the morning all the lettuce had been eaten by the cutter ants who invaded his kitchen.