CostaRock's Blog

I have been reviewing our typical unit owner´s electricity costs at The Oaks, noting that a typical bill during July for a fully occupied unit was $67 CAN for the month. When I asked our on-site concierge, Ana Lorena, for an explanation, she sent me our local electric company´s rates.  Rates are ...

Where is this maneuver being practiced? Unless prohibited, a three-point turn may be used to turn around on a narrow, two-way street. You may be required to make one of these turns on your road test. To make a three-point turn: •1.    Signal with your right directional, then pull over to the rig...

We finished construction on our first 30 condominium units at The Oaks Tamarindo before Easter, and some of our owners already have begun renting out their units. Out of 30 units completed, 5 units are being rented out on either a short term or a long term basis. We are using the 3 units that we ...

People who have never visited Costa Rica always ask me the same three questions. Is it safe? How is the medical care? Is the real estate market going up? On December 14, the Wall Street Journal reported on a phenomenon that Canadians and Americans also are beginning to discover. According to the ...

People who have never visited Costa Rica always ask me the same three questions. Is it safe? How is the medical care? Is the real estate market going up? This report is not for full time retirees, but for those of us who love travel, don't like the cold, and wonder what their medical care would b...

People who have never visited Costa Rica always ask me the same three questions. Is it safe? How is the medical care? Is the real estate market going up? Let's start with safety. Having lived here now for nearly three years, and in two different areas, one being the beach areas surrounding Tamari...

   Since I live and work in Costa Rica, I found the Wall Street Journal's article on red hot real estate markets in Central America fascinating. Following are some excerpts, with my comments following, marked in italics and underlined.  South of the Border,The Market's Still HotAmericans Find Sec...

I came back from Canada this week to find a state of emergency declared and most major roads closed at least part of the week. This is the height of Costa Rica's rainy season, from late September through early November. Luckily, the waters recede quickly, so that traffic is now restored between S...

This is off-topic, but I can't resist.Today marks an important moment in the history of Costa Rica. For the first time, the people are deciding, in a direct referendum, the fate of the proposed Central American Free Trade Agreement among the United States, the Dominican Republic, and the other na...

The article below is from Friday's edition of The Tico Times, http://www.ticotimes.net/, and is reprinted with permission. If it's too long, the take away is first class knee replacement surgery that would cost $45,000 in the U.S. was done for $12,000 in Costa Rica.I travel between The Oaks condo...