You'll get the insiders' low down for living and investing in Costa Rica from this GREAT BOOK.

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Product Description

Costa Rica's friendly three million people, or Ticos as they affectionately call themselves, invite you to come and experience their tranquil country, with its long and beautiful coastlines, alluring waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific, pristine beaches and some of the most picturesque surroundings you have ever laid your eyes on. Many visitors say Costa Rica is even more beautiful than Hawaii, and best of all, still unspoiled. In Fact, Costa Rica took over Hawaii's place as best adventure destination last year, as revealed by the publication Pacific Business News, of Honolulu. Costa Rica has Hawaii's weather, spectacular green mountains, and beaches without the high prices. The country offers more beauty and adventure per acre than any other place in the world. In the heart of the Central Valley, surrounded by beautiful rolling mountains and volcanoes, sits San José, today's capital and largest city in the country. Viewed from above, this area looks like some parts of Switzerland. Downtown San José is always bustling with activity.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #524315 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-01
• Released on: 2005-02-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Review
"Howard, well-known in the Costa Rican expat community for his professional attention to what foreigners need to relocate here successfully." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. -- A.M Costa Rica August 2002 A.M Costa Rica August 2002

"People who have read this BEST book on the subject actually know MORE about the country than many long-term residents." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. -- La Voz - Association Of Residents of Costa Rica Jan. 10, 2003

"You'll get the insiders' low down for living and investing in Costa Rica from this GREAT BOOK." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. -- Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher
"The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica" offers invaluable assistance to anyone looking to live or invest in Costa Rica. It contains all the ins and outs and dos and dont's and much more indispensable time-tested insider information about all areas of living in Costa Rica. It guides the reader step by step and includes these topics: how to live on a budget; how to access Costa Rica's affordable state-of-the-art medical care; a network of the author's valuable contacts, how to avoid mistakes most newcomers make; how start a business and includes 100s of sure-fire tips for making money; how to stay busy and happy; the best areas to live in Costa Rica in the path of progress; how to get hooked-up to the Internet, how to acquire residency quickly; proven shortcuts for learning Spanish; how take advantage of the many tax savings for foreign residents; 100s of activities to stay busy and happy; where to find quality people for companionship and everything else residents need to know.

From the Author
Over the last fourteen years my guide has helped 1000's of people find success and happiness in beautiful Costa Rica.

My primary goal has been to continuously provide the most accurate information possible to all of my readers. I want them to come experience all of the magic this incredible country has to offer. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

THE DOOR IS NOT SO GOLDEN
My wife and I read Christopher Howard's book (2X each), and found that it is overly commercial (with local CR advertising), poorly organized, has an over-emphasis on purchasing property and housing in Costa Rica without prioritizing renting first to see if you can, as an ex-pat, handle living in the culture of a foreign country. Howard's claim that you can "Live for less than you ever dreamed possible and enjoy all of the amenities of home." is vague and misleading, albeit repetitiously stated by most promoters of Costa Rica from authors to list-owners on CR blogs. Howard's claim that "Central Valley...Decent affordable housing ranges from $50,000 to $100,00..." is more often than not in "Gringoville" areas. American-built and developed housing is definitely emphasized. Tico neighborhoods are not. In fact, the statement that CR is such a cheap place to live is a plainly false, and unfortunately, a myth that represents most of what makes up Costa Rica today. The fact is that CR is fast losing it's luster (which it certainly once had) for being a lower cost of living country compared to the US. Americanized Housing and property developments are going up almost daily, promoted mostly by Americans and the prices are increasing all of the time. In areas like Escazu, Santa Ana, San Rafael, Tamarindo and many others, prices often exceed property values in the US. These "Gringoville" areas are promoted by Howard. Alternatively, what happened to the small 2 bedroom 1 bath or 2 bath houses in a middle class Tico neighborhood? These little homes are rich with Tico culture and are often safer crime-wise than the American, gated enclaves. Many Tico houses are well built and established with beautiful yards, plants and flowers.
Howard's book has good points. There are valuable listings in the midst of of the commercial advertising. Information about immigration and legal matters for obtaining residency is overly simplified, but certainly worth reading. The book is good, it's got a lot in it, but if you plan to live in Costa Rica, you need to read more. You need to get the skinny on the real Costa Rica which is the land of Ticos and not Americans.

The Tour is as Good as the Book!
I found this guide to be just what I needed to prepare for the move to Costa Rica. However, the most valuable part of the book was the information about the relocation-retirement tours the author offers. I took the tour and it change my life and convinced me to move to Costa Rica. It enabled me to make valuable contacts, meet others who had moved to Costa Rica and provided me with information to supplement the book.

If I had not purchased the book I would have never found out about the fabulous tour.

Good resources for the aspiring Tico
If you're interested in additional, recent, close to the ground reportage on living in CR, The Tico Times publishes an annual report in english on living in CR with an expat focus. It's avail on the Tico times website, on the subscribe page.