I told you last week that we had to move into our home under construction in Costa Rica. It didn’t matter that the contractor was still working on the reconstruction job. Unfortunately, less than 48 hours after we moved into our new home, we were on a flight back to the States. It was a…
Our house is under reconstruction and it’s moving day! This is the first time in our lives that we move into a home that’s still under reconstruction. I’m not trying to use my blog as a pulpit. So, I’ll try my best not to get too preachy here. But I’ve been meaning to say this…
After the remodeling contract was signed between us and the contractor and House Hunters International Renovations in the rear-view mirror, it was time to get started. We had many plans and remodeling projects that we were intent that would eventually yield to us our dream home. I made that 30-plus minute commute from our rental…
We have to pick the best contractor estimate. Selecting the contractor with the best quotation is never an easy task. But for us, it was a very simple process of selection by default. I was always dubious regarding Builder #1’s enthusiasm to quote for a second time despite his agreement to do so. So, I…
Before closing, we had invited 3 contractors for the new home renovation. Two things happened at about the same time. Actually, it’s more accurate to say, our escrow closing HAPPENED. But having an acceptable contractor ready for the repairs and home improvements HADN’T HAPPENED…yet Brooke Bishop, one of the GoDutch “Realtors Extraordinaire” had made contact…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Let me tell you about my first living experiences in Costa Rica, right after I purchased my coffee farm in 1993. The day after closing, I went down to set “things” up. I inherited a peon that I let stay on the job till I decided what I was going…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Are we ready now to make an offer on a home? It was on our first day of searching for a Costa Rican home that we found an interesting one. There were more than a few red flags waving at us if we wanted to make an offer on House…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes This was the first day of our home search as “potential Costa Rican homebuyers.” We loaded up with GoDutch realtor, Isabelle Jones, and headed out to meet the other GoDutch realtor, Brooke Bishop. The plan was to start our home search with three homes that Brooke had arranged to view…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Let me tell you a bit about our housing search. For a while, Ivo has been subtly steering me toward talking about our experiences buying and renovating our house here. Until now, I have been trying to avoid it by talking about anything and everything else. But now I am…
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes There are four lessons I learned when we moved to Costa Rica. If I would have known these facts, we would have had a much easier start. I’d like to share those four lessons with those with an interest to learn from other’s mistakes. My good friend Ivo has asked…
Let’s talk about cultural differences today. I’m going to spend this blog on small items of note and a few observations. Some of it similar to the culture we are used to being part of in North America. Some of it is a derivative of the Spanish influence and, while I am no expert, some…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Online shopping is now becoming a routine for most. My past three blogs discussed shopping in Costa Rica. Let me now spend a bit of time on online shopping. About what happens when you decide to give up looking for that special something. Or if you believe it is easier…
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Have you ever tried to do your own dishwasher installation in Costa Rica? Ralph did! Ralph and Gloria have lived in Costa Rica in the nineties and moved to Florida. Now, they miss Costa Rica a lot. Ralph loves to read Ivo’s blog every week Ralph has some great stories…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Carole and her husband Don live in Atenas and met a toucan for the first time in their life. They are baby boomers and retired in Atenas, Roca Verde to be exact. It’s a pity that Carole’s blog doesn’t exist anymore. But you can order her book “Flying High with…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Let me tell you all about hardware stores in Costa Rica or ferreterías in Spanish. For your shopping pleasure in addition to supermarkets, mini-supers, ferias, central markets, carnicerías, and librerías, in towns of any considerable size, generally included are ferreterías or hardware stores, the standard Ropa Americana store (new and…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Shopping in Costa Rica, for just about anything and everything, is a change from what you are used to in North America. The shopping environment in Costa Rica is much more similar to what I experienced in Europe about 40 years ago. By that I mean, chain stores are here…