Real estate investment in Costa Rica is quite a project, but by keeping a couple of helpful tips in mind you can successfully venture jump through all the hoops and end up purchasing your own little plot of land in paradise.

In recent years more and more fradulent real estate dealings and investment scams. Therefore, it is important to keep your wits about you and don’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Many foreigners come to Costa Rica expecting things to run just as smoothly as they do in the States when it comes to business dealings, and sadly, that’s just not they way it is down here.

So, how can you protect yourself from being subject to a scam? If you are looking at property, here are a few things to watch out for:

• How does the property look? If it looks like it has been abandoned or not well taken care of, it is possible that the people trying to sell the property aren’t the actual owners.
• Check to make sure your agent has his residency or citizenship in Costa Rica, especially if he/she looks foreign. This adds to their credibility. You can also Google their name and business and see if any issues come up. And, if you are connected to Costa Rican forums, ask around on there about the specific agent.
• In high profile areas like Santa Ana, Tamarindo and Jaco, be very aware of scams. Since these are hotspots for new ones, and foreigners and dollars are commonplace, so are scammers.
• Lastly, get yourself a real estate attorney. You may not think you need it, but they can help you navigate the system. A good attorney, maybe from the list of bilingual lawyers that the US Embassy provides, will be able to make sure the property has a clean title and is a good sale.

That being said, there are two very important things to keep in mind if you are considering relocation or retirement in Costa Rica and planning on purchasing real estate.

1. The laws in Costa Rica are quite different than the ones in the United States and other first world countries. The government is honestly a lot quicker at handling violent, glorious crimes than they are with helping gringos get their money back. Taking matters through civil courts takes time and money, and no one in the Costa Rican government system seems to jump to do it.

2. In the United States if you want to become a real estate agent you have to take a test. This is not the case in Costa Rica. Anyone, literally ANYONE, can decide they want to be a real estate agent or broker. Ther are no permits, and no school is required. You actually don’t even need to be a resident or citizen.

If you are white, and especially if you have blond hair, there is very little you can do to not stand out as a foreigner in Costa Rica. However, there are a number of things you can do that will make you seem more Costa Rican and not call attention to the already obvious fact that you aren’t a Tico.

1. When you greet a person, touch your cheek to theirs and kiss the air. Main mistake made by foreigners: actually kissing the cheek. To remember:Men kiss women, women kiss women, but men do not kiss men.
2. At smaller parties and gatherings greet everyone this way and do the same when saying goodbye. Main mistake made by foreigners: Only greeting the host, only greeting friends, and only waving goodbye. To remember: It is considered rude not to individually say hello and goodbye to everyone in the group in this manner.
3. When you arrive at someone’s home, wait for permission to be invited in, even if they are your good friends. Main mistake made by foreigners: Just barging on in. To remember: “Con permiso” is an appropriate way to ask for permission to enter. “Adelante” is an acceptable response. Make sure you use “adelante” with Ticos when they arrive to your home.
4. Pay the “watching man.” This is the man who sits outside and guards the cars when there is parking on the street. Main mistake made by foreigners: Not paying. “I didn’t ask him to watch my car, why should I pay him?” Bad move. These guys remember, and they have friends. To remember:  You should tip the equivalent of about 50 cents for stays of longer than a half hour.
5. In business deals, always make good use of small talk. Main mistake made by foreigners: Getting right down to business. To remember:  It is appropriate to discuss any neutral topic before going into business negotions. It is expected and considered proper.

Hopefully these tips for fitting in will have you acting a little bit more like a Tico soon, and maybe they will explain why you have been getting so many funny stares since you got here…

The amount of time I could spend talking about the things you should or shouldn’t do when thinking of relocating are endless. I have been trying to shorten my list to include a few essential do’s and don’t’s for those considering making the move to Costa Rica. Here is what I have come up with.

1. DO take your time in deciding where you want your home in Costa Rica to be. (Or if you want to stay here permanently at all… this is not something to rush into.)
2. DON’T buy the first piece of land or first house you see.
3. DO Rent a place in that area before you buy!
4. DON’T expect things to be the same as they are in the States.
5. DO travel around Costa Rica and get to know the country and the locals.
6. DON’T be gullible and use common sense!
7. DO learn Spanish, at least some before you come. (How else will you get to know the locals?)
8. DON’T think Costa Rica is the solution to all your problems, but have a positive attitude about live here!
9. DO research! Read the Tico Times, read everything you can find about moving to Costa Rica, try to connect with other expats.
10. DON’T worry. Pura Vida! Be cautious, but don’t be anxious.

Also, always make sure to stay legal, and stay under medical coverage. I can’t tell you how many people come here, overstay visas and have to pay exorbitant fines, or need medical care and find out that their insurance from the States is no good here.

Making a move to Costa Rica can be rewarding and fun, but it isn’t without its challenges. Approach such a big decision cautiously, and you will surely have success!

Most of what we do in a bed is sleep. Yet we all know how hard it can be to find the right kind of mattress. Though mattresses are cheap in Costa Rica it is not going to be any easier finding a bed here than it is in the United States.

For example when you buy a bed here in Costa Rica you will find that it comes covered in plastic that they use to ship the mattress. I would recommend not removing the plastic from the bed after you purchase it. The reason is when you buy a frame in the United States normally there are metal cross bars that hold your bed up. In Costa Rica instead of metal they give you wood planks. If you remove that protective plastic you may find that the wood used to support your bed is rotten and can cause the color of your mattress to change, smell or even worse if the wood had any bugs in it you may find those bugs now reside in your bed. It may be difficult at first to get used to sleeping with that protective plastic but in the long run it will save you some headaches. If you do find that you now have some little bugs crawling through your bed try wiping your bed down with Clorox and then washing all of your sheets after that you may not have any further problems.

Another thing I have found is depending on your area they may not sell box springs which make your bed feel a little more comfortable because of this I like to buy mattress comforters from the states and bring them here. The do sell pillow top beds here but I think it is really hard to get a sense of how a mattress will feel when it has plastic all over it. Because of this the first bed I bought is now in the guest bedroom, and I have a bed more to my liking. (None of the guests have complained though!) 

In Costa Rica it is generally hard to find a bed bigger than a queen size. For most people even a double is considered a very large bed. Most homes won’t even have enough room for a king size bed in the room, and you may find even a queen is a tight fit. Still all things considered nothing beats a good nights rest.

Sometimes you may find that it is the little things you miss when you come to Costa Rica. One thing I missed terribly when I moved to Costa Rica was bed sheets. Though you are able to find bed sheets at low reasonable prices the material used is different than what I am use to. I even paid for custom made sheets just to find that they felt stiff and like plastic.

The best way that I can think to explain it is that bed sheets in Costa Rica are made of a material that feels like window drapes. This may not be true in San Jose but for your smaller communities you will probably find that this is true.

Because of this  on my first trip back to the States, I picked up some new bed sheets and I brought my own back to Costa Rica with me. When bringing anything into the Country it is always a good idea to take whatever you bought out of the packaging and carry it in your luggage. Customs will stop you for something as little as bed sheets if it is in its packaging thinking that you might try and sell them once you are here in the country.

For the most part you will be able to find whatever your heart desires here in the country but don’t be surprised if you have to pay a lot for it, and other things well let’s just say there is no place like home.

Congrats to Season 1 of American Football in Costa Rica. That’s right folks, no longer is American Football only played by a large group of American expats on the beach, there is actually a Costa Rica Federation of American Football (ACFA). It’s amazing how the times are changing!

The season officially began for the American Foodtball league in Costa Rica back in March 2009, when the first game was held on a Sunday afternoon. However, the teams started training much earlier than that.

The league is made of up 6 teams and 80% of the members are Ticos. The teams started training for that Sunday in March back in October of 2008. Unlike American football, the Costa Rican version gets played on an 80 yard soccer field, as opposed to the standard 100 yards we Americans are used to.

The young Ticos on the team don’t exactly look like your standard football player… most are under 200 lbs. The rules of regular football apply here as well, meaning most Tico players had to learn the rules from 0.

For the next season it is anticipated that 4 more teams will be joining the 6 team Costa Rica Federation of American Football, making for a total of a 10 team league. Not too shabby for a place that lives and breathes “futbol.” There are hopes of instituting the leage at all levels: professional, university, high school and youth levels.

For a look at the Costa Rica Sharks click here.

Having a bus schedule at the tips of your fingers can be a pretty handy thing. It doesn’t mean the buses will actually leave on time, but at least it gives you a ballpark figure to aim for so that you can be on time for the bus departure or arrival.

The Horario de Buses is an electronic schedule for bus, train and ship arrivals and departures. It also contains a list of shipping points.

For the schedules visit Horariodebuses.com

Now just may be the time to visit Costa Rica, if you can manage to make the trip that is. The economy is on a down-turn everywhere, including Costa Rica, making your vacation even more affordable. If you have been saving up to take a trip, now is the time to do it!

If you watch ticket prices at all, check out the fares on www.kayak.com, www.cheaptickets.com, www.orbitz.com and even www.expedia.com (which in my opinion never has that great of prices). All the fares are down a large percentage from what they were last year at this time. Everyone is trying to make the sale, even if that means lowering prices way down.

I saw tickets from Chicago and Miami to San Jose roundtrip for $270 dollars and from Dallas for under $300.

In addition to ticket prices going down, it’s the green season, which means lots of rain, and lower prices at hotels and tour companies. So, combine the suffering economy with the season and you have some amazing discounts on your vacation.

(Added bonus – less people are taking vacations now, leaving you with more sandy beach all to yourself!)

In addition the Costa Rica National Chamber of Tourism is still working to improve the tourism industry in Costa Rica. They seem to be one of the few departments in Central America that really gets that it takes time for an investment to pay off, and a good product requires a good investment.

So it may be rainy, but it’s still beautiful! Take the time to make a trip to Costa Rica now; you never know when fares will be this cheap again!

She’s gonna blow!!!

Well… maybe a little more than she normally does.

Friday scientists from the University of Costa Rica and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute raised the volcanic alert of the Arenal Volcano from 2b to 3, on a 4 level scale.

Level 3, which is the yellow alert, means that in the 10 days, or weeks/months to follow there is a high possiblity of eruption or strong changes in the eruption patterns. Right now changes in the volcanic process are to be expected, which could result in an eruption or damaging rock and lava flows, are reported in The Tico Times.

Since about March scientists have been monitoring an increase in vapor explosions, which have continued for the past two and a half months. This could cause fast flowing currents of rock and gas called pyroclastic flows.

Scientists at the University and the Electricity Institute are continuing to moniter the Arenal Volcano and will keep the National Emergency Commission up to date.