Living in Costa Rica Retirement Relocation Tours.

Lo barato sale caro en Costa Rica o lo caro sale muy caro (You get what you pay for in Costa Rica)

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.