Customer Reviews

The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Christopher Howard is clearly the leading expert on Costa Rica retirement and living. He does all the research for you and gives you all the facts and information you need to make your trip a big success! These nuggets of wisdom can come only from someone who has lived in Costa Rica for nearly two decades and loves his work. Each new edition just keeps getting better and better. After you treat yourself to this masterpiece, you may want to take one of Mr. Howard's tours. If you do, you'll save much time and money in the process. You'll soon value him as a good friend as well as an amazing writer!

I have lived in Costa Rica for over 12 years and have worked extensively in the areas of tourism and real estate. I recommend this book to PEOPLE OF ALL AGES with an interest learning about every possible area of LIVING and INVESTING here. I have read all of the other books about making the move and Mr. Howard seems to have a BETTER FEEL for the country than any of the other authors. Perhaps this is because he is the ONLY one of them who has lived here FULL TIME during the last 27 years. Therefore, it is not surprising that he displays GOOD COMMON SENSE and possesses INCREDIBLE knowledge of how things REALLY WORK here. NOBODY seems to have the network of CONTACTS that Mr. Howard has made over the years.

For example, he has met with Noble Prize winning president of Costa Rica on several occasions to discuss retirement and other important issues. Mr. Howard even has access to the president's private cell phone number and is one of the FEW Americans who can contact the president anytime. This says a lot about Christopher Howard's respectability.
In over a decade, I have seen him work with literally hundreds of people. He has never failed to be fair, honest and sincere. If he is in the least bit unsure of an inquiry, he will verify the answer with several sources. He never quits studying and expanding himself through self education and information that comes through his connections. To keep himself aware and up-to-date is a job he takes seriously, but enjoys doing.

My wife and I have just returned from a fabulous 8-day stay in Costa Rica. We are considering it as our retirement destination and before we decided to visit, we spent a gillion dollars buying and reading all sorts of guides and treatises as well as scoured every blog we could find. Yes, other guides have fewer typos, are better organized, and perhaps, even more humorous. Who cares!? I want content, not flash!

During our last minute preparations, I found myself looking up all the essential information in Mr. Howard's book and nothing we ran into in Costa Rica surprised us because Mr. Howard had prepared us. Even when we had a road "mishap", I knew what to do and whom to call lest I end up on the wrong side of the law. Even the Policia de Transito was impressed by my knowledge and preparedness to deal with the events. I tip my hat to Mr. Howard in gratitude! For the meager price of his book I avoided a potentially very expensive set of troubles.

All other activities and events turned out very much as they are described in the book. So, even though we deeply mistrust most brochure-pushing marketers and tend to go and investigate independently, we do appreciate the insights provided by someone who DOESN'T sell real estate or some other tourist-scamming service. Our trip was sufficient to prove to ourselves that what Mr. Howard has to say is certainly valuable.

Per pure chance, I ran into Mr. Howard in the lobby of the Occidental Torremolinos Hotel; he mentioned he has just finished a new book and as soon as I can reserve it on Amazon, I will. Also, I will give serious consideration to signing up for one of his seminars. Why take chances? Don't mess with a good thing!

I have several pieces of informational literature regarding living in Costa Rica since I intend to retire there soon. This book is a great addition to that library.

chris howard the author knows costa rica. i am a long time resident of costa rica and you can take my word chris howard tells the truth. his is the best book out on costa rica.

For many years Costa Rica has attracted Americans who live there for all or part of the year. Many of the ones I've spoken with say that Christopher Howard's book made the transition much, much easier. This new edition is especially helpful. It takes readers step by step through the process of finding real estate and also explains how to have fun - sunning on beautiful beaches, swimming in the ocean, playing golf or just hanging out with the neighbors. Costa Rica has excellent but low-cost medical care, and Howard's book tells readers how to find it. The book is indeed a "Golden Door."

Great source of useful practical information about moving to and living in Costa Rica. Nearly all of the questions I had were answered as well as many important ones that hadn't occurred to me. A valuable resource for anyone who wants to investigate the possibility of relocating in this inexpensive paradise.

This was the first book I read and so far it is the best. Nothing fancy about it. Just lots of helpful information for anyone thinking about moving to Costa Rica.

Excellant material. Lots of information. This book covers just about everything that one wants to know before making the decision to move to Costa Rica.

"This is the ONLY book you need to move to Costa Rica. It is jam-packed with practical information. It helped me make the move and find happiness here. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of living or investing in Costa Rica."