Whether we refer to hotels, lawyers services, all types of tours, some homes, movers or language schools this saying is usually true.

People come here erroneously believing what the read on the Internet and ads in different publications. Many balk if they can’t get something dirt cheap. Granted there are many things that are affordable like medical care and hired help to name a few. But in general you really get what you pay for or end up paying too much for it. I really go into this subject on my highly successful relocation/retirement tours and in my perennial bestselling retirement guidebook, “The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica.”

Let’s look at an example. I know people who tried to obtain their residency status as cheaply as possible. Then they come to me and say they gave money to a lawyer someone recommended and they don’t have anything to show for it after a year has gone by. If they had done their homework paid a little bit more money to a reputable  attorney, they would not be in this position. Chances are the person they gave their money to wasn’t a lawyer.

The same is true with relocation and shipping companies. There is one outfit here recommended by a tour guide that has really left some people high and dry. I am told the North American who runs the company doesn’t speak fluent Spanish, has serious immigration problems and caused one person to have their vehicle confiscated because of a gross error. I cannot substantiate this info. but given the person’s dubious reputation the aforementioned could very well be true.

On the other side of the coin I heard about another relocation service that charged thousands of dollars to ship a pet to Costa Rica. The cost should have been a few thousand dollars less. The person who shipped their animal did not shop around. You have to compare the cost of service and find out what things really cost here. Naïve foreigners are easy prey for some of  their own countrymen.

Real estate is another area where there are problems. I know a lot of people who have been ripped off by gringo realtors who aren’t even legal Costa Rican residents. Check to see if your realtor has Costa Rican residency. Google the person, too. NEVER let a tour guide sell you real estate. On my monthly retirement tours I only connect my clients with honest real estate people, if they are interested in property. NOBODY is pressured into buying anything. I sell the country and NOT real estate. It is in my best interest to ensure my clients are successful. My reputation is at stake.

This helps to minimize the problems which currently plague the U.S. Ecoonmy.

Costa Rican depends less on the United States for exporting its products than before . This is due to sales to of the increase in sales to European, Central American, Asian and Caribbean countries.

In 2007, Costa Rica exported a total of $9,000 million in products, 35% to the U.S.A., 21% to Asia, 21% to Central America and the Caribbean, 15% to Europe and the 8% to other countries.

Further the real estate market is less leveraged that its U.S. counterpart. It is much harder to qualify for a loan that it was before. The country has buyers not just from the U.S. but from Europe, South America and other countries.

On this month’s Central Pacific/Central Valley retirement tour I had the opportunity to chat extensively with all of my clients to find out what they were looking for in Costa Rica. Although my tours are for groups my goal is to address everyone’s specific needs. This way people leave Costa Rica with enough knowledge to make the move successfully.

During one of our conversations the cost of utilities in the United States versus Costa Rica came up. I mentioned that on an average I paid about $45 per month for water and electricity for my 2000 square foot home. When my clients heard  this figure they almost fell out of their seats on the bus.

Carter and Cecilia from Corpus Christi, Texas told me that last month’s electricity bill for their 3000 square foot home was $795! They went on to say bills that high are not unusual during the warm summer months.  I was astonished.

Jim, from Phoenix remarked, “That’s nothing!” Due to the evaporation rate of swimming pool water in the Arizona desert,  a friend of his has to pay around $500 monthly just to keep his pool full.  In the summer pool water evaporates at an astonishing rate.

After hearing the two stories above, I feel really blessed to live in a country where my utility bills are dirt cheap. I can use the money I save for vacations, dinning out and other enjoyable activities. Retirees on fixed incomes will be thrilled to know they can substantially reduce their energy costs by moving here.

On one of my Costa Rica retirement relocation tours a client recently remarked,”I love this country so much, I really have no desire to return to the States.”  He was joking of course, but his comment reflects how Costa Rica’s natural beauty and laid-back lifestyle affect many visitors after they have been here for only a short period of time.

They become overwhelmed  by this magical country and all it has to offer. No wonder  the terms “pura vida” (pura life) and solo bueno (only good) have become synonymous with the incredible lifestyle found here. These catchy expressions refer to the flavor, sensuality and gusto which the country exudes through every square inch of its territory.  Visitors literally become seduced by the way of life. Costa Rica virtually sells itself.

Anyway let’s get back to the title of this article. So many people on my retirement tours say they don’t like the idea of returning home after having had the time of their life, that it occurred to me to offer a sixth retirement tour called, “Christopher Howard’s Stay in Costa Rica Tour.”

This tour will never happen since a huge amount of planning must be done before anyone can make the move on such notice. However, this dose of  humor is intended to illustrate what power Costa Rica has to change people’s lives in a very short time. I have seen this phenomenon repeatedly on my monthly retirement tours.

On my retirement tours I am always asked if movie theaters in Costa Rica show pictures in English.  The answer is, yes they do. Movies are in English with Spanish subtitles with the exception of those for small children which are dubbed into Spanish because  some can’t read yet. Also there are a few foreign films shown at the Sala Garbo theater that are only in Spanish.

Most first run movies make their way to Costa Rica usually within a few weeks of their release in the U.S. The recent Batman movie came out here at the same time as it did in the rest of the world.

If you are the type of person who likes to watch movies in the comfort of your own home you basically have three choices. First, you can rent  DVDs in English almost anywhere in Costa Rica. I have a video rental store right around the corner from my home in Heredia. The cost is a little over two dollars and they have specials where you rent two movies and get a third for free.

Your second choice is to have a satellite TV dish from SKY TV (formerly Direct TV here) or the DISH Network. We have the latter and there many movie channels in English from which to choose.

In Costa Rica there is also regular cable TV (Cable Tica or Amnet) which has handful movie channels but doesn’t offer the variety of satellite TV.

As you can see form the above, movie buffs can retire in Costa Rica and not miss their favorite flicks in English. I would like to point out that this is just one of the many activities there are to stay busy and happy in Costa Rica during your retirement.