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We have a water letter, now what? To build, hold, or sell in Costa Rica.

Pacific Heights

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Yearly Real Estate Tax on Pacific Heights Property—$280

I have a not-so-glamorous skill set. It won’t dazzle someone at a bar or get me invited to an afterparty. But if you are considering buying property in Costa Rica, I may be the most important person you’ll meet. I am the one who bought TWO building lots in the mid-2000s before the government enacted stricter water laws.

What followed has been fifteen years of struggling and chasing attorneys, all while sitting on these properties and waiting for the tides to turn.

In The Costa Rica Escape Manual, I write all about buying property and building a home. But the most important chapter may be the Water Letter. It is the difference between having a lovely home or pitching a tent in a pile of dirt. No one likes to talk about it, but since I blab about everything in my books, I told the world about what happened to us. It’s embarrassing but true.

We have had great times in Costa Rica, but we have also shared plenty of heartache.

A water letter does not determine whether a property has water at the building site. Both of mine do, but it wasn’t legal to use. And without it being legal, I couldn’t get a permit to build. We were stuck in limbo many years before ultimately finding another place to build the Happier House. In fact, when we first visited Mar Vista, we wouldn’t go past the gates unless they showed proof of legal water. They did.

One thing I’ve learned about living in Costa Rica is to be patient. Whether at the bank or in the grocery store, things move slower here. But low and behold, it turns out 15 years was just long enough for one of our properties.

We finally received a water letter for our lot in Pacific Heights. An ocean-view, 10,000 square meter lot only fifteen minutes from the new Flamingo Marina. It’s designated forresta. Lots in this part of the community only need to be 5000 meters each to build a home, guest house, and caretaker’s house. This lot is twice that size and therefore it should be able to be split in two. Build on one lot and sell the other was our plan. 

Yesterday we requested an updated Uso de Suelo certificate from the municipality for this lot. It helps to prove we can build on the land. I’m on a documentation high right now and loving every minute of it. The Eye of the Tiger song plays everywhere I go. If I sound excited, I am.

I’m legal baby! And I’m telling the world!

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same thing for the other lot, our Problem Child. Fifteen years has not been enough time to sort it all out. There is no Rocky theme playing for that one. But it does have a spectacular view of the Flamingo Marina. We hope to sell Pacific Heights in order to fix and build on this one.

So the question now is, should we build, sell, or hold on to our beautiful legal Pacific Heights property?

If we do sell now it could be at a significant loss…
If we wait a little longer for the Flamingo Marina we might just get our money back!

But until we decide, I’m enjoying the moment. Rob and I did it, and that’s one hell of a happy ending.

If you are at all interested in the property please contact us at:

puravida@happierthanabillionaire.com

PM us at our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/happierthanabillionaire

By | 2021-03-31T11:54:10-04:00 March 29th, 2021|Categories: Pacific Heights|Tags: , , , |3 Comments
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Get Me Out-a-Here Syndrome

The Costa Rica Escape Manual 2021

Costa Rica Costa of Living Udate: COVID-19 Test—$120

Get Me Out-a-Here Syndrome is a combination of disorders that include but are not limited to:

  • Glancing around and wondering how you accumulated so much stuff
  • Imagining palm trees while staring out your window
  • Desire to sit in a hammock all-day
  • Wanting to walk out your front door and never look back

If you suffer from any of the above, The Costa Rica Escape Manual, 2021 edition is the road map to your escape. You’ll learn about residency, buying a car, crime, and funny things about living as an expat. You’ll also find out why I hate the guy who gave a glorious five-star Amazon review of a blanket while giving a less charitable assessment of my work. My dad hates him too.

The Costa Rica Escape Manual doesn’t have any unpleasant side effects. It’s a happier book for people looking for a happier life. Everything from taxes to national park regulations is up to date.

San Joseito

Some exciting developments are a proposed digital nomad bill that will make it easier for telecommuters to live here on a temporary visa. Another is a projected change to import costs so that you can move your belongings here without getting clipped on thousands of dollars in taxes. And get this… it includes a car. Anyone who has bought a vehicle in Costa Rica knows that this may be one of the biggest game-changers.

We’ve all been through a lot over the past twelve months. So much has changed, and there continues to be a sense of unease about the future. But it may also be the green light you’ve been waiting for. Sometimes it takes facing the ultimate challenge to make the biggest change. Getting out of your comfort zone is one of the hardest things to do. But it’s incredible how alive you feel after the first step. A little nauseating as well, but alive, nonetheless.

Is it easier living here than anywhere else? No. But I can attest that the sounds of howler monkeys and lavender sunsets calm my racing mind. And it makes me daydream.

That may be the biggest side effect of The Costa Rica Escape Manual. You’ll daydream again but this time with a road map to the monkeys, the hammocks, and the crazy, psychedelic sunsets. Your daydream is a seed taking root. It’s just a matter of time before it cracks the surface.

Keep your dream alive, and thank you for allowing me to help. It’s been the pleasure of my life.

Nadine Hays Pisani

By | 2021-01-22T11:32:01-05:00 January 22nd, 2021|Categories: The Costa Rica Escape Manual|Tags: , |7 Comments
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Volcanoes, Chihuahuas, and Mountain-View Properties

Grecia

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Total Monthly CAJA (health insurance) for my husband and I — $197

I wrote my first Happier book in Grecia, a Central Valley town in Costa Rica. The reason we started our adventure there was that we needed to buy a car. It was the most unglamorous reason to move anywhere. Grecia, for reasons unknown to me, is the mecca for car lots. We gave ourselves three months and then would move along.

That three-month stay turned into three years. Grecia is one of the happiest places on earth. We rented a house on top of a mountain where we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s (21-26C). The Ticos were kind, even waving to us each time we rode past their house on our scooter. We made friends everywhere, except with Chihuahuas, who always chased us down the mountain. To this day, I get the finger from every Chihuahua I pass.

Henchman

Each Saturday, we looked forward to shopping at the farmers’ market. Food is much less expensive in the Central Valley as compared to the coast. We brought a carry-on suitcase and stuffed it with all the produce that would fit. Rob then balanced it on our scooter, even shoving the eggs under our seat.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know why I’m so fond of this town. It was where everything in my life changed for the better. It’s where my writing career began. It’s a place where I imagined all sorts of things, and many of them came true.

Even though today we live at the beach, I can still remember that cool Grecia-mountain air. We didn’t need air conditioning or heat, so the inside was always the same temperature as the outside. I never realized how good that felt.

Every Thursday, we scooter’d to Poas Volcano. The scenery looks like a cross between Jurassic Park and the Swiss Alps. At 10,000 feet, it’s one of the few places in Costa Rica I needed a jacket. La Paz Waterfall Gardens is not far down the road. We’d visit there and walk through their butterfly observatory and hummingbird garden. Before going home, we’d stop at a Mirador and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. It was simple, and that’s what I remember most about starting our adventure—living a simpler life.

Volcano

Our attorney reached out to us to let us know he is selling his mountain-view property. If you’ve read my Costa Rica Escape Manuals, then you are familiar with Gilford Banton Beckford. He helped us get residency and is one of the nicest guys we know. Residency rules kept changing, and our file became more complicated. Banton quoted us a low price for the job, even though it became clear the process was more than he expected. When we offered more money, he said, “I quoted you that price, and I’m a man of my word.” We have relied on his advice ever since.

I’m feeling nostalgic today, playing a mental slide show, recalling the good times, passing over the bad. Selecting out happy moments and shaking them like a snow globe.

What I’ve learned this year is to keep the good memories at the surface. Place a paperweight on them so a breeze can’t ruffle them away. Grecia will always be near the top of the pile, reminding me of where it all started, with scooter rides and yapping Chihuahuas. And of times when we stood 10,000 feet in the air.

(To contact Gilford about his property, you can email him at gbanton8@ice.co.cr , or call 506-8896-7910)

By | 2020-11-25T13:26:16-05:00 November 10th, 2020|Categories: Mountain House, Uncategorized|Tags: , , |5 Comments
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I Want to Move to Costa Rica

The Happier House

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Electric Bill (pool and multiple air conditioners during the rainy season) — $204

People are Googling about moving to Costa Rica. Inevitably my face pops up, holding a watermelon…

Watermelon

or smiling on a boat.

Sailboat

While scanning the images, I found one of Rob’s bloody hand from falling off his scooter. And another of me boogie boarding in ankle-deep water with the concentration of a North Korean Olympian.

Boogie Boarding

The only reason I’m Googling myself is to find out why so many people are contacting us. The email subject line is always, “I want to move to Costa Rica.” And I believe I found it.

An episode of EXPATS (a show we appeared in) has gone viral. It shows my husband pushing me on a swing and us walking hand in hand on the beach. Is that an accurate representation of our life? Absolutely, but so is him ripping his hand open after falling off his scooter, twice, once while delivering my stool sample to a doctor.

blooy hand

 

During the EXPATS show, I mentioned Rob’s friend questioning our search for a happier life. If you’re looking for a warm and fuzzy conversation, don’t expect a snarly guy from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to deliver one.

“What’s different about you?” he said, “Why should you be happy? We’re all miserable.”

But that wasn’t good enough, and perhaps that’s how you’re feeling today. All this stress has you gripping the ropes, hoping the bell rings before the referee counts to ten. Maybe moving to Costa Rica was on your mind way before the events of this year. You want to set this plan in motion, and now you’re Googling “I want to move to Costa Rica.”

Take my hand… I got you on this.

My life hasn’t been the same since we started our adventure. This country sparks inspiration every day. Lately, the sunsets have a lavender hue and remind me of macarons with orchid buttercream. It feels like falling in love inside a French bakery.

lavender sunset

With Rob’s green thumb, our garden continues to expand. He’s bending bougainvillea over a backyard staircase, turning the passageway into a hobbit village. I went there to watch butterflies when I spotted a female coatimundi. It appears Walter (our resident coatimundi and papaya thief) has found a girlfriend, a little furry companion to snuggle with under the sunset.

Walter the Coati

Sometimes I wonder where I’d be if I didn’t go on this adventure. If we listened to Rob’s friend who told us that there was nothing special out there.

“Why should you be happy?” he said.

But even during the stressful times, I still believed there were swings under palm trees. And maybe that’s all you need to know. Believe when others don’t. Find the people who are doing what you want to do. Nothing is impossible, even if your timeline has changed. Even when the world has paused.

Rob said it best in the EXPATS episode, “Treat life like an adventure. Get that spirit back you had when you were a kid.”

I rediscovered mine in a place with butterflies and macaron sunsets. Yours may be on a rooftop deck in Manhattan, or a snowy ski chalet in Switzerland. All I know is it wasn’t where I was standing before this journey, in front of that friend, telling me that unhappiness was inevitable.

Fall back in love, go for the gold, and let this year be the one that made all the difference. Lean on the ropes while waiting for the bell to ring.

And when it does, come out swinging.

(My journey started with my first book, Happier Than A Billionaire. I’ve written more about moving to Costa Rica, and You can find them here. If you are looking for Rob and I talking about our life in Costa Rica, you can find the EXPATS episode here.)

 

By | 2020-07-19T17:01:58-04:00 July 19th, 2020|Categories: The Happier House, Uncategorized|Tags: , , |12 Comments
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Picking a Town, Finding a Home, & Creating a Budget in Costa Rica

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Picking a Town, Finding a Home, and Creating a Budget in Costa Rica —Kindle $9.99, Paperback $15.99

My new book is available!

Happier Than A Billionaire: Picking a Town, Finding a Home, and Creating a Budget in Costa Rica. It’s the perfect companion to The Costa Rica Escape Manual and will guide you through finding the perfect spot to start your own Pura Vida lifestyle.

To celebrate, I made mango cobbler in a cocktail dress. You may be wondering if I always cook in cocktail dresses, and yes. Yes, I do.

 

My husband advised me to wear heels because I looked taller when compared to the countertop. He’s the Don Draper of the Happier Production Company. So instead of five feet in height, I’m a whopping 5’4”.  It’s shocking how little that detail made in my appearance or in my confidence overall.

I’m sure nobody cares about my height or even the mango cobbler. But the new book is great if you’re dreaming of moving to Costa Rica and want a better understanding of how much rent costs, the average monthly grocery expense, or even what a suicide shower is.

Electricity AND water? Who knew? (not a feature in The Happier House)

But I think the most important piece of this video is the montage of the happiest moments Rob and I have made in Costa Rica. This filmstrip plays in my mind every day — flashes of crazy adventures we had after quitting our jobs and trying to forge a completely new life.

Now when people ask, “You left everything behind? What were you looking for?” I can point them to this video. The answer is simply…

  • I longed to see my husband smile after climbing behind a waterfall and looking all but twenty-four again.
  • I wanted to sit on a beach with a dog under my legs as mama turtles swam back to the place where they were born to lay their eggs.
  • I wished to bathe in orange sunsets and marvel at lightning bolts flashing across the horizon.

Perhaps I wanted too much. But I remembered the person I was when I was my happiest. She smiled a lot, and I missed her. It turns out the things I needed back were the richest things I owned.

I hope all of you can visit this lovely country and bear witness to a capuchin monkey stealing a lemon. It’s never too late to replace your frayed and yellowed filmstrip with a happier one. There is an endless supply of unprocessed film tucked away in your head. It could be buried in your cerebral attic, or maybe you moved it to an overpriced grey matter storage facility.

I eventually found my box of film hidden in a mental shoe box. It smelled of my grandmother’s Italian cookies and was the color of the yellow dandelions that wildly grew in my parents’ yard.

Inside I found a treasure map pointing to bluer skies with air that smelled of coconuts. Your map could take you to a Himalayan mountaintop or a Bali yoga retreat. The only thing I’m sure is you have to reach inside to get out and dip back to go forward.

And moving forward, whether in flip-flops or four-inch heels, is a happier place to be.

***Happier Than A Billionaire: Picking a Town, Finding a Home, and Creating a Budget in Costa Rica is available at:

Amazon

iBooks

Kobo

Nook

 

By | 2019-11-01T20:04:13-04:00 November 1st, 2019|Categories: books, Cost of Living, Press|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
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