The below article was written on March 7, 2019 and not posted until November 30, 2019 I hear from people who tell me that they have read my entire blog. I find this difficult to believe. When I started blogging (I think this was around 2003), it was recommended that blog articles be around 1,000 words long. Since that time the attention span of readers
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I’d say that about 1/10th of my time spent with people looking to buy property in Costa Rica’s Southern Pacific zone is spent in the actual buying/selling of property. The other 9/10ths is a mix of conversations regarding what’s involved with living here, as well as discussing the business of real estate in Costa Rica. At its core, the lack of an actual MLS (Multiple
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Traveling around the US, the interest in Costa Rica that I encounter is universal. While talking with visitors to Costa Rica, we frequently hear: “everybody is talking about Costa Rica. It’s a real buzz-word in (wherever they are from”. This they say to a guy while there in Costa Rica – to a guy that lives in Costa Rica – while they are discussing the possibility of moving to Costa Rica. Hmmmm, are these statements truly unbiased and objective? My recent travels around parts of the States answers these questions.
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For many of us here in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone, we marvel at the hub-bub made in Costa Rica information books and websites about the high level of education in Costa Rica. We simply don’t see it.
A course I just took at the good graces of the governmental education agency INA stands in stark contrast with that observation.
The course was being offered free, totally government sponsored, but you had to be a resident. I had to provide a copy of my residency cedula, as well as fill out a form with all my information in it, all of which intrigued me that this course was something authentic. I jumped through the various hoops thinking that I would probably pull out at some point.
Long story short, I didn’t – I did the course – and I’m a better Guy because of it.
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I have just returned to Costa Rica from my regular visit to Davis California. This trip was predicated by the fact that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer. The preparations for the trip were rushed. My mother’s surgery to remove the cancer from her throat was scheduled on Monday, so the Monday prior, my sister Audrey made the arrangements and I spent the week
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An article by Jack Ewing Ben’s note: Jack Ewing & I have known each other for years and have worked together off and on with various projects. I regard him as one of the preeminent authorities on the history and ecology of the area. Jack is the owner of Hacienda Baru eco-tourism lodge and canopy zip-line tours. From his position as a cattle rancher in
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I have a thing I do on a personal level that I call my “Toucan Test”. It is my personal test for determining whether I’m becoming jaded to Costa Rica’s uniquely raw and wild beauty. It goes like this: when I see a toucan, do I take note of it? In other words, do I react with a “ho hum, just another toucan” – or
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My uncle, who is now retired in Costa Rica, just sent me a link to this video. Quality video footage from the 1940s is difficult to find, and it got me thinking. This is not “real estate” per se, but it IS a look back at a younger version of the Happiest Place on the Planet. Interestingly, the year after this film was released, Costa
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We truly do live in a different country here in Costa Rica. I know – this sounds a bit obvious. But sometimes the place can seem just like another “state”. We can forget, when our focus is on the price of land, how to build a house, residency, how to open a bank account or any number of other tasks, the mundanity of which can
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