Articles by Scott F. Oliver on ArticleSnatch.com

The Cost of Living in Costa Rica. Forget Beverly Hills, give me my Little House on the Prairie!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:20:37 -0400

Even people from the US who have lived in Costa Rica for a few years seem to have forgotten all about the cost of living 'back home.'When I interview people, the majority of people are saving serious money living in Costa Rica but, a few have told me that the cost of living for them is not much different than the cost of living where they used to live in the USA.I remember one conversation well because a lady from Florida was complaining about the prices of some of her favorite, brand names foodstuffs were much higher here than they are in Florida. I suggested that if she bought imported food from the US then the cost of shipping to Costa Rica, insurance, paperwork and the import taxes obviously have to be added to the price which would certainly make them more expensive in Florida and I also asked her... How much did she used to spend each year on property taxes in Florida... How much did she spend on health care? How much was spent on flood insurance and hurricane insurance? How much did she pay for air conditioning? **End Summary** Topics: Living in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica living]]> Retiring in Costa Rica]]> Retire in Costa Rica]]> Retirement in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica retirement]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Helping Your Executives Relocate To Costa Rica.20 tips for finding the best Real Estate professional

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:17:50 -0400

In our experience, these are the most common problems faced by executives and their families when they move to Costa Rica:The Children Resent The Move: Children are leaving their friends behind so it is recommended to plan the move so that the children enter their new school in Costa Rica as quickly as possible so that they do not have to spend months on vacation without friends before starting a new school. The older the child the more difficult the transition tends to be so get the children actively involved in your 'adventure' and the planning of your move so that they feel truly involved. Younger children are normally able to pick up a new language much faster than older children.Choosing Schools: All of us want our children to have the best education possible however, it is important to note that some of the best nternational schools have waiting lists so finding a school for your executive's children should be one of the first things on the agenda and working with a professional Realtor who is familiar with those choices will help tremendously. Children that require special educational facilities would need even more planning. **End Summary** Topics: Living in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica living]]> Retiring in Costa Rica]]> Retire in Costa Rica]]> Retirement in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica retirement]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Happy Little Costa Rica in America - Civilized, Prosperous, Orderly and Most of Its People Whites.

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:05:16 -0400

Over one hundred years ago on 3rd March 1909, these were the headlines for a newspaper article written by Frederick Palmer and published in the New York Times. Needless to say that kind of a shocking news headline would never be published today... Over fifty years ago on the 1st January 1945 Time Magazine published an article entitled Costa Rica: Happy Land. On the 4th July 2009 the New Economics Foundation, a British think tank that promotes ecology and sustainable economics came out with the results of their most recent survey of 143 nations: "Costa Rica comes top of the Happy Planet Index 2.0." "Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world,have the second-highest average life expectancy of the Americas(second only to Canada) and have an ecological footprint that meansthat the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of'one-planet living': consuming its fair share ofthe Earth's natural resources."In Time Magazine's article over fifty years ago, they wrote about how: "Costa Rica has Central America's highest standard of living, one of the highest in any tropical country. **End Summary** Topics: Living in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica living]]> Retiring in Costa Rica]]> Retire in Costa Rica]]> Retirement in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica retirement]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of "ï¿½ï¿½Costa Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Them"ï¿½ï¿½, "ï¿½ï¿½ How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa"ï¿½ï¿½ & "ï¿½ï¿½Costa Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Markets"ï¿½ï¿½. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Costa Rica Living - What Makes It So Unique?

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:03:01 -0400

In the fourth century, the Egyptian saint Pachomius observed that; "The place in the monastery which is closest to God is not the church, but the garden. There the monks are at their happiest."I suspect those same monks would have been even happier in a sun drenched Costa Rican garden watching their fruits, vegetable, flowers, grapes and hops grow bigger, juicier and faster than they ever thought possible... You can find out much about Costa Rica on the internet. You can even see photographs of many of the stunning sights that you can look forward to seeing when you visit 'one day' but there's one beautiful thing you will never be able to see or appreciate on the internet... I'm talking about what makes this little country called Costa Rica so very special and unique.... It's people, the 'Ticos'... In the supermarket, I was speaking with an old Argentinian gentleman and his rather gorgeous 40 'something' daughter and he was telling me how real estate prices in some areas of Costa Rica are high compared to Argentina... That he would live there if he could but his whole family preferred to live in Costa Rica... We know why? **End Summary** Topics: Living in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica living]]> Retiring in Costa]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Brits Living in Costa Rica - 12 Reasons Why The British Prefer Costa Rica To Spain

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:01:48 -0400

And it's easy to see why Brits love Costa Rica... Costa Rica is a place of stunning scenery, sunshine and smiles with spring-like weather all year round, no income taxes on foreign earned income, no capital gains taxes, excellent world-class medical facilities, affordable medical plans and populated by the 'Ticos' who are an amiable and very attractive people. Scary 'Times' Newspaper Story About Brits in Spain: "Two British pensioners living in Spain have had their home demolished after being given two hours to pack their belongings - reviving fears among thousands of other expatriates that their own houses could be at risk. "We're devastated," Mr Prior said. "This has been our home for almost six years. To have it pulled down in front of you is painful beyond belief. "Many villagers watched in horror as the three-bedroom house, which had a swimming pool, was reduced to rubble." Since that article came out, the situation has become much worse so now you just one of the reasons know why so many Brits are considering living in Costa Rica. Buenos dias mis amigos... **End Summary** Topics: Brits in Costa Rica]]> British living]]> Living abroad]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Americans In Costa Rica - Investment questions you must ask

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:09:32 -0400

You've heard it before and it's worth repeating; 'When It Sounds Too Good To Be True... It probably is." Costa Rica is a truly beautiful country and for many, it is the ideal place for Canadian foreign investment but, please do not leave your brain on the plane! You must remember that in Costa Rica, any 'Tom', 'Ricardo' or 'Harry' can call themselves an investment advisor with zero education, no training, no qualifications and no regulatory oversight whatsoever... Just like "Realtors." Where Can Gringos Invest? The easy answer is - "Practically anywhere and in anything!" A more appropriate question should be: "What legitimate, secure and verifiable investment products are available? Products that may be similar to the ones that you are accustomed to 'back home' and, "Is there someone with comparable, professional investment qualifications that could help me?" When living in Costa Rica and evaluating foreign investments that might be appropriate, please get the answers to the following 'basic' questions: 1. Who exactly is handling your money? 2. Where was the company formed & registered? 3. Who exactly owns the company? 4. **End Summary** Topics: Costa Rica investing]]> Costa Rica Investment scams]]> Costa Rica investing tips]]> Investing in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica investments]]> Americans living]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm

Why People Are Choosing To Live and Retire in Costa Rica

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:06:35 -0400

Costa Rica is a place of stunning scenery, sunshine and smiles with spring-like weather all year round, no income taxes on foreign earned income, no capital gains taxes, excellent world-class medical facilities, affordable medical plans and populated by the 'Ticos' who are an amiable and very attractive people. Who Is Moving to Costa Rica? There are estimated to be 77 million 'baby boomers' in the USA who began retiring in 2008 and it seems there's quite a few thinking about a Costa Rica retirement. So too are Canadians and numerous Europeans who are looking for that perfect climate and a more affordable place to live. Wealthier people from all over Central and Latin America are also visiting Costa Rica because of political and financial instability in their own countries. When you fear for the lives of your own children because they may be kidnapped in Mexico, Guatemala or Honduras or, you have just witnessed the value of your home slashed in half as some of our Venezuelan friends have recently, your future can look downright terrifying. **End Summary** Topics: Living in Costa Rica]]> Costa Rica living]]> Retiring]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Scott F. Oliver is the Founder of WeLoveCostaRica.com, home of stunning scenery, sunshine & smiles. Scott is the author of âCosta Rica Real Estate Scams & How To Avoid Themâ, âHow To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisaâ & âCosta Rica's Guide To Making Money Offshore in Bull & Bear Marketsâ. Get your free 'Costa Rica Living & Retirement Insider's Guide' at http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/department69.cfm