My friends, Paul and Gloria, are the authors of www.retireforlessincostarica.com . This is from their last post. It certainly caught my attention. I only wish I could take advantage of it!
From 11.75% to 12.5% Interest on a 12-Month Certificate of Deposit!
We wanted to inform all of our interested readers that our bank, Coopenae, has just raised interest rates to 12.5% on a 12 month Certificate of Deposit. As luck would have it, our initial 12-month CD at 11.75% came to maturity in late June, just after the rate was increased, and we were able to roll it over at 12.5%. Boy are we happy!
Just so you know, this is a colones account. The dollar accounts pay 3% on a 12 month CD. We got our CD last June 25th and we converted our dollars to colones at 502 colones/dollar. Presently, the dollar is 497 colones, so our earnings are even more significant, though we don’t pay much attention to the exchange rate since we live in colones.
The sad news is that one must be a legal resident to be a CD investor in Costa Rica. All legal residents also now have DIMEX on their residency cards (cedulas). Click here to read our article that explains DIMEX.
They posted this update today... Earlier in the week, the Costa Rican government decided to delay the implementation of DIMEX until October 1, 2012. After we published our newsletter, Coopenae contacted us with some good news. There is a window of opportunity until October 1st for people in the process of getting their legal Residency to invest in CDs at Coopenae.
For me, just another reason to retire in Costa Rica!
Pura Vida
Showing posts with label retirement tour with george lundquest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retirement tour with george lundquest. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Better Idea
All righty then....After all that thought and figuring I've come up with another way.
My goal is to cut down on my living expenses so I can save money to be able to go to Costa Rica with as much of an emergency fund as I can. After looking at things from right side up I decided to look from upside down.
I have a full one bedroom apartment over my garage. I've come to the conclusion that it will benefit me more to move into the apartment and rent my house out. This gives the real estate market a little more time to go back up, so when I sell I can get more for my home. I will still have to put the bulk of my furniture etc in storage, but it gives me a FREE place to live while my renters will be paying my mortgage and most likely the storage, so I will be able to save the amount I normally pay each month!
I have plumbers coming out tomorrow morning to fix the toilet in the apartment and put a new faucet on the kitchen sink. A tiny few more touches and it's ready for me to move in. On my house I still need to have the trim outside painted, and may have to paint some of the walls inside to help rent it faster. I love bright colors, but a renter might not like my yellow walls.
I am in an artsy part of Dallas right across the river from Downtown. The houses I've seen go up for rent in my neighborhood have rented quickly.
I have my eyes on the prize, and I think this is the best answer to get me there.
Pura Vida...
My goal is to cut down on my living expenses so I can save money to be able to go to Costa Rica with as much of an emergency fund as I can. After looking at things from right side up I decided to look from upside down.
I have a full one bedroom apartment over my garage. I've come to the conclusion that it will benefit me more to move into the apartment and rent my house out. This gives the real estate market a little more time to go back up, so when I sell I can get more for my home. I will still have to put the bulk of my furniture etc in storage, but it gives me a FREE place to live while my renters will be paying my mortgage and most likely the storage, so I will be able to save the amount I normally pay each month!
I have plumbers coming out tomorrow morning to fix the toilet in the apartment and put a new faucet on the kitchen sink. A tiny few more touches and it's ready for me to move in. On my house I still need to have the trim outside painted, and may have to paint some of the walls inside to help rent it faster. I love bright colors, but a renter might not like my yellow walls.
I am in an artsy part of Dallas right across the river from Downtown. The houses I've seen go up for rent in my neighborhood have rented quickly.
I have my eyes on the prize, and I think this is the best answer to get me there.
Pura Vida...
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Back To Working My Plan
I've run the numbers and run the numbers, and I still come up with the same answer. For the same reason I will never be able to retire in the US, I now must sell my house in order to save for retirement.
I do love my house, but I do not mind selling it with the end game in my sights. The plan I must work is to sell my house, either move in with my parents or an efficiency apartment, put my furniture in storage and save every thing I have left after the smallest of living expenses. With any profit from the sale of my home and savings, I should be able to move to Costa Rica by the time I retire.
I am actively working towards listing my house. Two weekends ago I cleaned out all my closets and cabinets and put every thing in the garage (for a garage sale) that I have not touched in the last year. I have listed several things on Ebay that I will never use again but are too nice to sell in a garage sale.
This past weekend I washed all 20 windows in my house inside and out and the 4 doors and storm doors. Now I have items at my house that will need to be repaired and painted. There are 2 painters coming out this week to give me quotes. I will have to do some of the repairs a little slower as money permits. My goal is to have it on the market in 2-3 months tops.
I put this quote at the top of my blog last week. It inspired me to move steadily towards my future. "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action." Napoleon Hill
Pura Vida...
I do love my house, but I do not mind selling it with the end game in my sights. The plan I must work is to sell my house, either move in with my parents or an efficiency apartment, put my furniture in storage and save every thing I have left after the smallest of living expenses. With any profit from the sale of my home and savings, I should be able to move to Costa Rica by the time I retire.
I am actively working towards listing my house. Two weekends ago I cleaned out all my closets and cabinets and put every thing in the garage (for a garage sale) that I have not touched in the last year. I have listed several things on Ebay that I will never use again but are too nice to sell in a garage sale.
This past weekend I washed all 20 windows in my house inside and out and the 4 doors and storm doors. Now I have items at my house that will need to be repaired and painted. There are 2 painters coming out this week to give me quotes. I will have to do some of the repairs a little slower as money permits. My goal is to have it on the market in 2-3 months tops.
I put this quote at the top of my blog last week. It inspired me to move steadily towards my future. "Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action." Napoleon Hill
Pura Vida...
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day Tours
Before we went on George's Retirement Tour we took a couple of day tours with Gray Line Tours.
The first was Gray Line's "Sarapiqui and Canopy Day Tour". I have a mixed review on this one, but could not recommend it. With that said...the tour bus was very nice and clean. The driver was excellent, and we never felt uncomfortable on the narrow winding roads. Not even when we got stuck behind an entire herd of cows being moved right down the middle of the road from one pasture to another! The boat ride up the Sarapiqui River was a little over an hour and never boring. Happily we were entertained by our tour guide who knew every inch of the river. We saw crocodiles, red toucans, holler monkeys, a huge iguana on a limb hanging over the water, and all sorts of birds. The boat took us to the place we would have lunch (that turned into dinner) and do the zip lining. This is the part I would never recommend to anyone. Yes, the zip lining itself was fun, but getting from platform to platform was a nightmare. You did not simply zip line from platform to platform like other zip lines in Costa Rica. This one had 10', 20', and 30' ladders you had to climb to get to the next platform. The zip line is in the Rain Forest, but you are at a low sea level and there is no air movement and hot as hell. They had no water on any of the 11 platforms, and many people were very weak, shaky, and over heated when we were finished. They then served the food which was hard to enjoy after the exhausting zip line climbs. After dinner we were back on the boat, down the Sarapiqui River, to the bus for the 1 1/2 hour ride back to San Jose.
The second day tour was the "San Jose City Explorer Day Tour". This was fantastic! I wish I knew our guides name. She was wonderful. She had to speak to the group in English and Spanish. She was very knowledgeable, personable, and kept it moving. We were driven in a very nice tour van all around the city as she taught us about the history of San Jose and took us to the Gold Museum and The National Theater. Both were interesting and the theater was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We were then treated to a delicious lunch in a wonderful restaurant. Our guide then surprised us with a trip to an Emerald and Diamond store which was tucked in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They had copies of the ancient gold jewelry that was in the museum. And yes, we did treat ourselves to a few pieces. We were then returned to our pick up locations in San Jose. A very entertaining and interesting tour.
Pura Vida...
The first was Gray Line's "Sarapiqui and Canopy Day Tour". I have a mixed review on this one, but could not recommend it. With that said...the tour bus was very nice and clean. The driver was excellent, and we never felt uncomfortable on the narrow winding roads. Not even when we got stuck behind an entire herd of cows being moved right down the middle of the road from one pasture to another! The boat ride up the Sarapiqui River was a little over an hour and never boring. Happily we were entertained by our tour guide who knew every inch of the river. We saw crocodiles, red toucans, holler monkeys, a huge iguana on a limb hanging over the water, and all sorts of birds. The boat took us to the place we would have lunch (that turned into dinner) and do the zip lining. This is the part I would never recommend to anyone. Yes, the zip lining itself was fun, but getting from platform to platform was a nightmare. You did not simply zip line from platform to platform like other zip lines in Costa Rica. This one had 10', 20', and 30' ladders you had to climb to get to the next platform. The zip line is in the Rain Forest, but you are at a low sea level and there is no air movement and hot as hell. They had no water on any of the 11 platforms, and many people were very weak, shaky, and over heated when we were finished. They then served the food which was hard to enjoy after the exhausting zip line climbs. After dinner we were back on the boat, down the Sarapiqui River, to the bus for the 1 1/2 hour ride back to San Jose.
The second day tour was the "San Jose City Explorer Day Tour". This was fantastic! I wish I knew our guides name. She was wonderful. She had to speak to the group in English and Spanish. She was very knowledgeable, personable, and kept it moving. We were driven in a very nice tour van all around the city as she taught us about the history of San Jose and took us to the Gold Museum and The National Theater. Both were interesting and the theater was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. We were then treated to a delicious lunch in a wonderful restaurant. Our guide then surprised us with a trip to an Emerald and Diamond store which was tucked in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They had copies of the ancient gold jewelry that was in the museum. And yes, we did treat ourselves to a few pieces. We were then returned to our pick up locations in San Jose. A very entertaining and interesting tour.
Pura Vida...
Friday, June 15, 2012
Passport and Visa Requirements
The requirements to enter Costa Rica depend on your country of nationality. Generally, citizens of the United States, Canada and the European Union countries do not require a visa to enter Costa Rica. Those citizens can enter Costa Rica with their valid passport and remain in the country for up to a maximum of 90 days.
Visa renewal. If you are under the 30 or 60 day category then the law allows you to apply for an extension of up to 90 days. If you have a 90 day visa the law does not allow you to apply for an extension in Costa Rica you must leave the country and re-enter to obtain another tourist visa.
The amount of time that a Tourist can remain in Costa Rica is based upon their country of origin. Costa Rica ranks countries for visa purposes into 4 categories set forth below:
GROUP ONE: Those countries designated as Group One may enter Costa Rica without an entry Visa and may remain in Costa Rica for up to 90 days. Example: United States Canada, European Union, Australia, Brasil,
GROUP TWO : Citizens of Group Two countries may enter Costa Rica without an entry Visa and may remain in Costa Rica for up to 30 days. Example: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela
GROUP THREE: If you are a citizen of a Group Three country you need to obtain an entry VISA from a Costa Rican Embassy or Consulate abroad before you enter Costa Rica. If granted it is for a period of 30 days. Example: Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nicaragua, Peru
GROUP FOUR : This is the most restrictive category. This means that citizens of Category Three Countries must have an entry visa BEFORE they are allowed to enter Costa Rica. The visa must be reviewed by the Director of Immigration before it can be granted. If granted the visa is for a period of 30 days. Example: Cuba, Jamaica, China, Iran, Iraq.
Visa renewal. If you are under the 30 or 60 day category then the law allows you to apply for an extension of up to 90 days. If you have a 90 day visa the law does not allow you to apply for an extension in Costa Rica you must leave the country and re-enter to obtain another tourist visa.
The amount of time that a Tourist can remain in Costa Rica is based upon their country of origin. Costa Rica ranks countries for visa purposes into 4 categories set forth below:
GROUP ONE: Those countries designated as Group One may enter Costa Rica without an entry Visa and may remain in Costa Rica for up to 90 days. Example: United States Canada, European Union, Australia, Brasil,
GROUP TWO : Citizens of Group Two countries may enter Costa Rica without an entry Visa and may remain in Costa Rica for up to 30 days. Example: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela
GROUP THREE: If you are a citizen of a Group Three country you need to obtain an entry VISA from a Costa Rican Embassy or Consulate abroad before you enter Costa Rica. If granted it is for a period of 30 days. Example: Colombia, Ecuador, India, Nicaragua, Peru
GROUP FOUR : This is the most restrictive category. This means that citizens of Category Three Countries must have an entry visa BEFORE they are allowed to enter Costa Rica. The visa must be reviewed by the Director of Immigration before it can be granted. If granted the visa is for a period of 30 days. Example: Cuba, Jamaica, China, Iran, Iraq.
You can download the current visa list by clicking on the following link: Circular DG-3312- Visa Entry Requirement List
Your Passport Entry Stamp: While you are in Costa Rica your passport and the immigration stamp that was placed in it when you entered the country is your proof of legal status. The Immigration Department allows you to carry a copy of your passport with the entry stamp so that you can keep your passport in a safe place.
Your Passport Entry Stamp: While you are in Costa Rica your passport and the immigration stamp that was placed in it when you entered the country is your proof of legal status. The Immigration Department allows you to carry a copy of your passport with the entry stamp so that you can keep your passport in a safe place.
Be sure and check these rules at the time you want to visit Costa Rica. They can change at any time.
Pura Vida...
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
English Course
I started my English teaching class. It's wonderful and very different than what I thought it was going to be. The first section deals with how to work with students that do not speak English, therefore not really understanding much of what you are saying. So many things I never considered.
The course is teaching such things as hand gestures to signal what you are saying. Using the board to put examples in pictures of what you are talking about. Words not to use. Shorten your sentences using as little words as possible. Cutting down on your adverbs and adjectives. It will be very different from teaching children that already speak the language.
I have learned one lesson...do not try to study a lesson and take the test at work. I failed my first test! Not a good start, plus I am a personality that hates to make mistakes. Especially when I consider them stupid mistakes.
This process really is empowering. We are all going to need or want to stop working one day and be able to enjoy the rest of our lives. If we do not start planning and working our plan it will never happen. I have my 2-3 year plan and feel great seeing it already starting.
Cheers,
Claudia
The course is teaching such things as hand gestures to signal what you are saying. Using the board to put examples in pictures of what you are talking about. Words not to use. Shorten your sentences using as little words as possible. Cutting down on your adverbs and adjectives. It will be very different from teaching children that already speak the language.
I have learned one lesson...do not try to study a lesson and take the test at work. I failed my first test! Not a good start, plus I am a personality that hates to make mistakes. Especially when I consider them stupid mistakes.
This process really is empowering. We are all going to need or want to stop working one day and be able to enjoy the rest of our lives. If we do not start planning and working our plan it will never happen. I have my 2-3 year plan and feel great seeing it already starting.
Cheers,
Claudia
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