Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Getting utilities connected in Costa Rica can be a frustrating process That’s especially for newcomers unfamiliar with the country’s bureaucracy and service delays. Buying a property in Costa Rica is a relatively simple process. However, the challenges to getting utilities connected often begin with the language barrier, as most communication…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know there are a ton of perks of living in Atenas, Costa Rica? What was a quiet little village is now one of the largest retirement destinations in Costa Rica. Don’t get scared; only a few thousand retirees live in Atenas, I’m sure you can handle that! There…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes Internet service in Costa Rica has been available for many years now. It might not be what you are used to and might not be at the same cost, but it is available almost everywhere, especially with the Starlink option now. Of course, before you buy a home from us,…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I’m pretty sure that a Tico or Tica came up with the saying, “Patience is the mother of all virtues.” The Spanish word for patience is “paciencia,” which is easy to learn; start practicing now. In my first years of living in Costa Rica, I was always surprised to learn…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rica is hell for a lot of people that I know of. They tell me all the time: Hell, it’s beautiful here – hell, the food is excellent here – hell, the women are beautiful here – hell, I’m having a great time; Costa Rica is paradise. via GIPHY…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Ah, it’s Saturday morning, my day for shopping at the Puriscal Farmers Market. It’s 7:30 as I head into Puriscal for my weekly visit to the feria (farmers market). I prefer going early before the large crowds arrive, so I still have time to attend to clients to show a…
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: 5 Minutes You’d say, “What is so difficult about parking your car”? It seems simple, but let me tell you a few things. It might save you from getting a ticket, having your tag taken, or getting your car scratched all over. Once you move to Costa Rica and drive your own…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes We have speed bumps in Costa Rica, lots of them. And often won’t even see them until you hit them at full speed. In Spanish, they call them “muertos”. The translation of un muerto is a dead person, but it is also a speed bump. I know, it’s a strange…
Estimated Reading Time: 13 Minutes Often homebuyers in Costa Rica forget to check on nearby amenities before they fall in love with a house. Are nearby amenities important to you? Or is lots of sunshine enough for you when you move to Costa Rica? Are you unsure whether you’d like to live in the Central Valley…
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: 5 Minutes Last week, I showed clients of another agent a property I recently listed and found the perfect home seller. This was probably the first time in my real estate career that I met a seller who really cared about her property, making an effort to want a buyer to fall…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know that you’ll all be better off when you pay your household employees every week instead of by the month? Most of the time, I find new topics for my blogs while being with clients shopping for a home in Santa Ana. This time, my clients and I…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes There is a large population of English-spoken expats in Costa Rica looking for English-language churches and religious services. I was born and raised a Catholic and I believe in God, though I stopped going to church many years ago. But I learned to respect the beliefs of everyone else. So…
Estimated Reading Time: 12 Minutes I always see blogs from realtors about all the great and positive things. Most sugarcoat their reporting, but I see never one that shows the cons of living in Costa Rica. I am well known for giving it straight up, although some don’t like it. I think Costa Rica is…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rican punctuality, or the so-called Tico Time, will be an essential part of your lifestyle as soon as you live in Costa Rica. Tico Time is being comfortable with NOT being on time for a date, a meeting, or an appointment. This means the person is taking the liberty…