(Greetings!) . . . and welcome to our paradise! Yes, we know it's not perfect, but it is the closest we have found anywhere! Costa Rica is unique in so many ways. When I lived here in the 1990’s, I always told my friends and family, “If the world were to ever go to hell in a handbasket, look for me in Costa Rica!”
We have a wonderful climate, . . . you pick the area and elevation for the temper
ature range you like, and it is pretty much that same range year around. Costa Rica produces an abundance of quality foods including dairy, meats and seafood, and a fantastic variety of fruits and vegetables. You can basically stick anything in the ground and it grows! And most importantly, the Costa Rican people are unique on this planet! They have a history of treating others like they would want to be treated. They value education, courtesy, and the enjoyment of life they call “Pura Vida.” In the1800’s, the coffee farmers started sending their children to colleges and universities in Europe and the US. They also funded the construction of the Teatro Nacional which opened in 1897 and brought electricity to the region. With a cultural progressive mindset of valuing education, the arts, and embracing technological innovations, it was no surprise that in 1949, the Costa Rican people abolished their army in favor of spending money on socialized health care and education. According to Deutsche Welle, "Costa Rica is known for its stable democracy, progressive social policies, such as free, compulsory public education, high social well-being, and emphasis on environmental protection." The 1949 Constitution was also very progressive in terms of human rights, far more than the US and most countries. Basically, it states that the laws are applied equally, to all people without exception. It was no surprise when equal marriage laws for gays and lesbians were finally enacted in 2020, since the existing conservative marriage laws were already unconstitutional. "The Heart of the Americas" is more than a geographical reference. According to the UN’s World Happiness Report, since 2006, Costa Rica has always ranked among the top five happiest countries on Earth. So why are some people unhappy after moving here? Some people bring too much baggage, . . . the mental kind. While Costa Rica has its share of conservatives, prejudices against other people is not a part of the larger culture. Costa Rican conservatives have their families here, so they do not feel isolated like immigrant conservatives often do. Conservatives don’t realize that a culture who would warmly welcome them as immigrants, also welcome various races, nationalities, and LGBT. While we are currently concerned about the state of affairs in the US, we know that we have good friends here that are everywhere on the political spectrum, both Tico and Gringo. We try to leave that baggage in the closet. My personal history in Costa Rica, after my first visit in 1987, I moved here in 1996. After managing a gay hotel in Manuel Antonio, I was probably the first to promote Costa Rica on the early Internet with the Travel Guide to Costa Rica, and later, the Moving Guide to Costa Rica. I also helped to create an LGBT business group based in San Jose, patterned after the Key West Business Guild that I had been a member of a few years previous. I became friends with a couple who had moved to CR from northern California. The wife had been in real estate there and had created her own company in Heredia. As I worked with her, learning what I could, I realized that there were real estate deals that I would not like to be in the Buyer’s position. I felt there was a need to represent the Buyer’s interests since they were at a disadvantage for a variety of reasons. I created a company as a relocation specialist and helping people with making their move as easy as possible. I also had a background with home inspections, home renovations, electrical, and plumbing. I returned to the Tampa Bay area of Florida in 2002, Jose and I met in 2007, married in 2015, and we both retired in 2020 as covid hit. We moved to Grecia in October of that year. The following March, in the middle of the covid crisis, we started a weekly lunch group to help us foreigners from feeling so isolated. Our al fresco lunches in garden surroundings at Los Jardines Vivero and Café was a perfect safe space to socialize and make “Nuevos Amigos” (new friends). We still meet there every Wednesday at 12 noon, and we always have a great mix of first-time visitors, new residents, and long-time residents, from many countries including Costa Rica. In January 2023, we created an LGBT group that has had monthly brunch/lunch events in Grecia, Atenas, San Ramon, Palmares, and Sarchi. Since then, we have become involved with a number of fun groups and every day is a reminder that “Friends are what makes a place feel like home!”
With our wealth of experience and knowledge about Costa Rica, and local real estate, we offer our advice and guidance for free. We can connect you with the best professionals who we know from personal experience, provide excellent service to their clients, even after the sale. We only ask that if you take up their time looking at homes, when you find your perfect home rental or purchase, that you honor your arrangement with them. This is a “small world” and you’ll be seeing these people, (and us), on a regular basis in the grocery stores, ferias (farmers market), cultural events, etc. And, you never know when you might need their services again to sell or buy in the future. Again, ¡Bienvenidos a nuestro paraíso! Let us know how we can help you!
¡Para servirle!
