Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The pulpería and the polaco are two typical purchasing methods for Costa Rica’s working class. It is a pity that so much of the flavor of Costa Rica (and other countries) is disappearing with corporate business. I remember well when we walked to the pulperia to get our fresh bread…
Estimated Reading time: 5 Minutes Because I grew up in Holland, with a more open mindset than others, it is easy to talk about the topic, and often, future expats ask if LGBTQ+ people are moving to Costa Rica. The answer is yes. The LGBTQ crowd is quite large and relatively well-accepted in Paradise. Only…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I’m sure you already know that the Costa Rican weather is one of the country’s most attractive advantages. Nonetheless, you might not know that the weather and temperatures can change tremendously from one village or town to another. A friend sent me some very cold-looking photos of snow-covered roads, rooftops,…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Until recently, dogs were not part of most families in Costa Rica, nor was there any pet culture at all. Now, almost everyone has one or more pets at home. Some years ago, people were complaining that in their condominiums, dog owners wouldn’t clean up the poop their dogs leave…
Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes Do you know what makes Escazu unique? Living in Escazu is different than it is elsewhere in Costa Rica, anywhere, really. I moved to Escazu in the 80s, when we had cows and horses in the streets. Now, living in Escazu is comparable to urban living in other parts of…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Before retirement in Costa Rica, you must determine if our country is your best choice. Only by doing your homework, you’ll learn which country fits your requirements to retire to. Before you travel, you can visit this site for the Costa Rica safety report. Once you have decided Costa Rica…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes It’s a fact that retirement in Costa Rica is way different than it is in Florida. The reason for this blog is to show those who plan their retirement in the tropics that Florida and Costa Rica are two different worlds. Your lifestyle should indicate where to retire. I was…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes If you plan to move to the Central Valley, you want to know if the Escazu or Atenas lifestyle is for you and your family. There is a huge difference between living in Atenas and living in Escazu. Those who live in Atenas wouldn’t live for anything in the world…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes No matter where you live in the world, you need tolerance to live in peace and harmony with your neighbors. Therefore, if you want to move to Costa Rica, YOU have to adapt to the local culture and not the other way around. To be able to adapt, you will…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Are you planning to live off the grid? This can be a rewarding way to live, but it isn’t always an easy transition if you have always lived in a traditional neighborhood. Costa Rica is the environmentalist’s dream home, yet putting your roots down in the Central American nation isn’t…
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Of course, everyone says they have done their due diligence before they buy a property. Unfortunately, many think they do. They end up buying in the wrong place and say it’s everyone’s fault, except their own. This happens more often than you think. That’s one of the reasons I always…
Do you enjoy seafood as much as I do? Before I moved to Costa Rica, I was strictly a meat person. I would kill for a medium-rare steak! When I married Nina, who is a seafood person, I was introduced to the world of seafood. And I really never went back. When straddling both the…
A casino resort is normally a big-time real estate investment involving millions of dollars. The latest such mega casino establishment to grace the gambling world will not be inaugurated in Las Vegas or Macau. It will be inaugurated right here in Costa Rica. A $ 400 million project known as Casino City Caribe is currently…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Which type of expats in Costa Rica do you belong to? I saw an interesting survey about types of expats worldwide on InterNations. In 2018, Costa Rica scored # 7 on the best expat destinations. That’s pretty awesome if you see that we’re #7 out of 68 countries. Of course,…
Yes, there is a marijuana friendly real estate broker in Costa Rica: me. I saw this article about Denver residential real estate agent Bob Costello. He launched a Marijuana friendly real estate broker advertising campaign in January 2014. That’s when the state of Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 and over. Great…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Life in the suburbs is changing, tremendously, with new condo towers everywhere. I remember like yesterday, that we had cows and horses in the street a while ago. Jeez, time flies. And the world has changed so much. And Costa Rica is now a whole different world than the one…