A recent edition of the publication “Travel and Leisure” considers Costa Rica a good place for those traveling alone. In the article the magazine considered the fifteen best places for single travelers. The most important factor taken into consideration was safety. According to the Global Peace Index Costa Rica ranks 27 out of 149 countries in terms of safety. Another important factor is the fact that Costa Rica was the #1 country in the category of happiness. All tourists feel welcome here.

Besides single travelers single retirees also feel welcome. On my monthly retirement and relocation tours I have many singles who eventually move here. Furthermore, over the years I have met scores of single male and female retirees who lead very happy and productive lives here. There are hundreds of activities in which they can participate to keep busy and avoid loneliness. Many singles even get involved romantically and end up getting married here. I personally know many people who have married here and are very happy.

Costa Rica isn’t for every single person but those who make the effort to socialize lead good lives here.

Today was the first day of the monthly ARCR seminar for potential retirees. I always make it a point to chat with other lecturers about current trends in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America. I was talking to Charles Zeller who is an expert on moving household goods from the U.S. to Costa Rica for those who choose to retire here. Somehow we started to talk about Panama since Charles has also had a lot of experience moving people there.

The people and companies who promote Panama always make a point of talking about the incentives the country offers retirees. According to the law retirees are entitled to many discounts on a variety of services and products including some tax exonerations on certain items. However, Charles told me that “all that glitters is not gold.”

In Costa Rica a retiree’s household good and imported automobiles are taxed according to established rules and percentages. Charles point out that this process is arbitrary in Panama and a lot of retirees end up paying much more in taxes than they would have paid in Costa Rica despite all of the incentives the Panamanian offers. This came as a complete surprise to me.

After the U.S.military officially pulled out of Panama ten years ago the government began to promote tourism and retirement in order to make up for the sudden loss of revenue. So, they began to offer attractive incentives to draw Baby Boomers to the country. As you can see from the above they are not as attractive as they appear to be.

(1) Year-round spring-like weather in the Central Valley. One of the most ideal climates in the world. No heating or A/C needed in this area, so you will always feel comfortable
(2) An unblemished international image and reputation. How often doe you hear bad news about Costa Rica? Only good news! As the say here, “Solo bueno,” which means “only good.”
(3) Latin America’s oldest democracy
(4) NO army or terrorism. Costa Rica has NO enemies.
(5) Excellent health care at a fraction of the price you would pay at home. Dentists are cheap, too. Many doctors and dentists are trained abroad. Costa Ricans who reach the age of eighty have the longest longevity rate in the world beyond that age. This is mostly due to the country’s lifestyle. Many a foreigner who has moved here claims that “they have added years to their lives and life to their years.
(6) Good real estate investments if you do your due diligence and buy at the right price. In 2006 Costa Rica was considered one of the world’s best emerging real estate markets. Many properties are in locations with breathtaking panoramic views. You would pay millions of dollars for these views in some parts of the U.S. Costa Rica is a prime warm-weather destination like Hawaii nd retirement haven which will drive the real estate market in future years.
(7) More North American residents proportionately than any other country outside of the U.S. They can’t be wrong!
(8) A tightly-knit expat community
(9) The ONLY country in Latin America with a time-tested organization (Association of Residents of Costa Rica or ARCR) to help you with everything you need to make the move from A to Z.
(10) An excellent quality of life. Costa Ricans have one of the highest life spans in the world and the country boasts around 900 centenarians.
(11) Good communications with high-speed internet in may areas. Cable and satellite television are available with all of your favorite programs from the United States.
(12) Tax savings – The financial benefits of being a U.S. citizen living abroad is attractive because you can enjoy the tax-free foreign earned income benefit of more than $90,000 per year.
(13) Opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs
(14) Friendly people with a great sense of humor and a country populated by one of the “happiest people in the world.”
(15) Many people but not everyone speaks English.
(16) 1000s of activities to stay busy and happy so you won’t get bored
(17) A nature lover’s Disneyland and the perfect place for those who like adventure tourism. Volcanoes and rain forests are near the Central Valley and the Caribbean and Pacific Beaches are only a few hours away.
(18) Affordable hired help
(19) The country’s sheer beauty
(20) Fantastic beaches with warm water. No wetsuit is needed here!
(21) One of Latin America’s prime tourist destinations according to Travel Weekly magazine.
(22) Many products and services from the U.S.
(23) A huge variety of inexpensive fruits and vegetables available all year
(24) Affordable transportation (buses and taxis). You won’t really need a car here.
(25) Much less expensive than living in most countries
(26) Exotic flora and fauna
(27) Low property taxes ( A quarter of one percent of the home’s listed value up to $200,000)
(28) A variety of local restaurants, offering some of the best chicken and fish, plus, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian, Mexican, typical Costa Rican food and more.
(29) Convenient Location. You can be in Miami or Ft. Lauderdale in under three hours.
(30) Beautiful and devoted women.
(31) Low violent crime rate compared to most places. I wouldn’t be living here if I thought my life was in danger. Crime is on the rise world-wide and Costa Rica is no exception. NO country is entirely crime free nor is immune to the increasing crime rates that you find almost everywhere in the world. Furthermore, the news media likes to sensationalize crime in every country.
(32) You want to experience a new culture and people
(33)) You want to do volunteer work like teaching English to school children or contribute something to the country in some other way
(34) You want the life-long experience of learning a beautiful language to open a whole to new world of possibilities
(35) You want a simpler lifestyle
(36) You want start a new and exciting life abroad
(37) Costa Rica is a place for those who believe and are willing to seek something better in this world and their lives.
(35) Plus so many more intangibles

After helping thousands of Americans and Canadians move to Costa Rica over the last thirty years through my books and monthly retirement and relocation tours, I have observed who are the best candidates for living successfully in the country.

Don’t move to Costa Rica if….

(1) you expect everything to be like the U.S.
(2) you think the locals should change and do everything like we do.
(3) you don’t like warm weather or rain.
(4) you have breathing problems due to high altitudes or have allergies
(5) you expect to every product from the United States.
(6) you are insensitive to the local culture.
(7) you a smart ass, self-righteous and know-it-all “Ugly American.”
(8) you are going to refuse to use Spanish and think the locals should speak English.
(9) you are running away from the law in the U.S. You will be found sooner or later.
(10) you want to get rich overnight.
(11) you want to find a Latina woman for a low price tag and exploit her or if you have serious problems with the opposite sex.
(12) you want to avoid paying taxes.
(13) you want to work illegally under the table here.
(14) you don’t want to go through the process of obtaining residency.
(14) you want free medical care.
(15) you want scam people.
(16) you have a serious drug or alcohol problem.
(17) you expect all of your emotional baggage and problems to go away just because you move here.
(18) you are smarter than the locals and can beat the system.
(19) you think you can become an expert on the country overnight.
(20) you think it is easy to set up a business.
(21) you can’t stand your fellow Americans. We have more and more coming here every day.
(22) you think you are the savor of the locals and will civilize them. You should leave the Second Coming of Columbus Syndrome at home.
(23) you are type of person who will give foreigners a bad name.
(24) you think a younger woman will be attracted for your good looks and not your money.
(25) you feel just because you are an American you should be entitled to something.
(26) you have no sense of humor.
(27) you don’t want to experience the country’s culture and people.
(28) you don’t have a sense of adventure.
(29) you don’t realize you are guest here.
(30) both you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye about moving here.
(31) you really don’t have enough money to live here.
(32) have no goals.
(33) don’t want to affiliate with groups like clubs, church groups, volunteer etc.
(34) suffer from the “hammock syndrome” with nothing to do. You’ll end up tipping the bottle and get real bored quickly.
(35) are a negative person who likes to complain about everything and everyone.
(36) you have never traveled or lived abroad.

With the growing popularity and proliferation of websites, on-line forums, quasi real estate gatherings and seminars put on by outsiders, videos and blogs about living in Costa Rica, many people find themselves inundated with information and confused. I really understand their situation. What is important is to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff, be able to tell who is who and distinguish what is real and what is not.

I have written articles very similar to this one and feel compelled by a number of factors to revisit the subject. I noticed that a lot of people on my popular relocation and retirement tours and the readers of my best selling guidebooks tend to have picked a lot of inaccurate information on the Internet from a variety of sources that are not qualified to provide it.

The Internet is a double edge sword. On one hand it has good information in a variety of fields. However, on the other hand it has become a stage and vehicle for some without scruples and others seeking their 15-minutes of fame. In Costa Rica basically everything is for sale and their are a lot of folks out there trying to sell property without really being qualified. Many of these people don’t care about their clients best interests. They just want to cash in on Costa Rica’s stellar reputation and many naïve foreigners lack of knowledge to make a quick buck.

There are also the overnight experts who aren’t selling anything but consider themselves to be the “second coming of Christ” after only having lived in Costa Rica for a short time. Most of the people in this group are retired and have a lot of time on their hands so they spend it pontification over the Internet. I find it ludicrous that these individuals are doling out advice only after living here a short time. The Internet has basically given them their own reality show.

The majority of these characters do not speak the language and therefore making it impossible to understand the people, culture and inner workings of the country. Nor do they have the local contacts to REALLY get things done. These people are still outsiders and will never have a clear picture of reality here.

I really feel it my duty to make all of this information available to potential residents to ensure their success. I am not trying to put down any one group of individuals but want to point people in the direction of accurate information which can make the difference between success and failure here.

After 40 years of research and living in Latin America I believe you should consider the following before accepting information as being truly valid.

1. Remember EXPERINCE is everything. So, look for people that have actually lived in the country for at least 10 years.

2. There are a lot of carpetbaggers and opportunist who have come here over the last ten years to jump on the band wagon. Most people from this group claim to be experts and will promise you the moon. I have seen it repeatedly.

3. Make sure who you are dealing with has a good knowledge of the local customs and culture.

4. Do they speak the language fluently? Many foreigners claim they do but few can.

5. Enter the person’s name in a search engine such as Google to see what comes up. There are even companies you can pay to do a background check if you suspect something. You would be surprised to learn how much baggage some people have. A lot of expats have left a dark past behind them.

6. Ask for references from other foreign residents who have used the expert’s services. Don’t rely on the testimonials that appear on a person’s web site. They may be slanted. If your expert will not give you any references, you will know immediately you are being duped or sold shoddy second-rate services. Also, try to contact the person’s last employer before they moved to Costa Rica. Again, if they will not give you the contact information, you can bet the person is hiding something. If a person who is younger than retirement age and claims to have been highly successful in his or her former country, they may be trying to cover up something about their background.

Over the years I have found that many foreigners exaggerate or lie about their accomplishments.

7. Find out what the person’s educational background was when they lived in their home country and if they have any formal training in the Latin American culture, studies or foreign investments. If someone was a plumber, janitor, welder or doctor prior to moving here, this does not qualify them to give professional advice about Costa Rica.

8. Be ware of colorful, well-designed web sites built by so-called experts to express their admiration for the country to attract naive foreigners.

9. Over the years I have run into so-called foreign experts who live comfortably in upscale in “Ivory Towers” and gated communities in gingo enclaves such as Escazú. The majority of their friends are other English speakers, so they have never really immersed themselves in the local culture. They are virtually still foreigners living among other foreigners. These people live in virtual isolation of the real Costa Rica. Few of them have any contact with Costa Ricans except for their maids and servants and rich Costa Rican friends from the country-club set. They rarely venture out of their safe environment to gather the necessary experience to confront real life situations here. Most live as if they were still in their home country, and give advice about a country and culture they really don’t know.

10. Beware of the information and advice on the so-called “hobby web sites.” These include the growing number sites put up by expatriates in Costa Rica to share their experiences. On the surface these sites seem helpful but the majority of the people behind them are neophytes who have not lived here long enough to really be qualified to give good advice. Most of these individuals don’t even speak enough Spanish to really get an objective view of the country and culture.

There are even a few video-type blogs portraying people’s experiences who have moved here. While they are entertaining they shouldn’t be considered a true source of information. Unfortunately, the internet has now given every “Tom, Dick and Harry and wanna be” a chance to be the star of their own reality show.

Please heed this advise.