Realty in Costa Rica's advice and tips for living and buying Real Estate in Costa Rica
Part #3
BUILDNG TIPS
Once you have selected your property, the real planning for your home can begin.
Hire a good architect.
HOW BIG?
Now that you know where you want to build, you need to determine the size, style and quality of home you can afford.
It is prudent to have an architect or builder view your lot to point out any constraints or added costs associated with the land itself. For instance, a lot may require heavy retaining walls and backfill, custom sculpturing and landscaping, or complicated accesses and driveways. The soil on the lot should be tested to determine the type of foundation and sewage system that will be required.
It is important to carefully consider such questions as:
Will water and electricity be expensive?
Will a transformer be mandated by I.C.E.?
Will water storage be necessary?
Are the access roads all-weather or will you need to purchase a four-by-four to reach your lot in the rainy season?
A FEW FINAL TIPS
If you rehire people who worked for the previous owner, make sure he paid them properly. You, as a new owner, could be liable for sins of the past.
Hang onto your telephone lines. They're hard to come by.
Keep in mind that your real estate investment may be affected by inflation, devaluation of the Colon and by the exchange rate of your currency.
If you are a landlord, you can evict tenants only if you can prove that you need the property for personal use. You cannot evict tenants as long as they pay their rent on time. By law rent can be increased only by 15% annually unless stated otherwise in the lease. Keep current on these laws because they can change at any time.
THE TICOS AND CULTURE SHOCK
Costa Ricans' favorite motto very well could be: Live, let live, and help someone who might be in need. This willingness to help others is probably what gives Costa Ricans their friendly reputation rarely found any place else. Costa Rica is a relatively easy culture to adapt to. Ticos are very welcoming people, and eager to share their way of life.
Costa Ricans have been molded by their Catholic religious upbringing. They also have many popular myths and beliefs that are part of their history and traditions. For the most part, Ticos tend to be happy, and have the belief that things will solve themselves at their due pace.
In varying amounts, Costa Rican blood lines can be Spaniard, Mestizo, African, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Indigenous. There are other bloodlines as well. This creates many influences in their makeup.
If you are planning to live in the tropical paradise of Costa Rica, you may be in for a little culture shock.
You can feel disoriented when you have to do things in a different culture. You will find that the ways that you do things, no longer work. For example, the transportation, the money used, language, and even the sense of humor change when a person enters another country. And if you’re from the United States, you’ll have to learn a new measuring system.
People who visit Costa Rica are often surprised with how familiar and similar things look on the surface. Because of this, they make plans to stay permanently. But unexpected trials and a big difference in cultural understanding make adaptation processes more difficult than they expected.
The differing coping strategies each individual uses affects how well they adapt. Expatriates who stay for a long time do it because they have patience and are flexible.
Three key cultural differences make life in Costa Rica particularly challenging. These include:
Different concepts of time
Different notions of efficiency
Differences in expressing language
Cultural differences of time
Many people continue to be bothered by what they view as a lack of punctuality on the part of Costa Ricans. Costa Ricans say, “I'll come over tomorrow morning,” but they never show," It is quite common and can irritate you. Sometimes they are not hours late, but days late. No excuses, no phone calls, no apology. Different cultures just have different notions of time blocks.
For North Americans, a person is considered late if he arrives 10 to 15 minutes after the scheduled time. For Latin Americans, a person is not considered late until they arrive 30 to 40 minutes after the scheduled time. Differences in concepts of time often cause misunderstandings between Costa Ricans and North Americans because the two place a different value on time.
Time is money in the United States. In Costa Rica, time is gold. If you run into a friend, you stop and talk. Time is for you and not for you to live bound by it. Try to learn to adjust to “Tico Time”. You’ll have a much better chance of successfully coping.
Differences in efficiency
For new expats arriving to Costa Rica, one of the most frustrating obstacles is dealing with what they view to be a lack of efficiency.
Why does it take six weeks to do things here that take ten minutes in the States?” In North America there is more efficiency, primarily in the services sector. This makes it very hard to adapt to life in Costa Rica because they have grown accustomed to the speed and efficiency of services in their country.
Differences in language
Culture is embedded in language. Misunderstandings happen because the ways that people of different cultures express and understand language content. North Americans are more direct. Costa Ricans don't say things up front. This is considered bad manners. It is part of their idiosyncrasy. We can misinterpret because Costa Ricans view their North American counterparts as rude, while North Americans find Costa Ricans to be indirect or even dishonest.
It’s not that Costa Ricans lie more, it’s that they are trying to save face. Costa Ricans don't want to disappoint you, so if they don't know the answer, they say to themselves “I don't know so I’ll give it my best guess.”
You’ll do well if you listen carefully and read between the lines.
BENEFITS OUTWEIGH OBSTACLES:
Even with obstacles and challenges, the ones who stick it out for the long haul are convinced that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. It’s important for newcomers to remember that they are guests in someone's country. A lot here is wonderful and the wonderful outweighs the drawbacks.
