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Choose Costa Rica for Retirement, 8th: Information for Travel, Retirement, Investment, and Affordable Living (Choose Retirement Series) (Paperback)

~ John Howells (Author)
Key Phrases: los sue�os, offshore corporations, Costa Rica, United States, North Americans (more...)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Information on managing investments, cost of living, and medical care and safety in Costa Rica makes this guide perfect for retirees looking to relocate. In addition, the guide offers useful tips for exploring the beautiful coastal areas, finding entertainment, and dining on delicious Costa Rican specialties.

From the Back Cover

Not Your Father's Retirement Guide! Looking forward to a time when work and family obligations are behind you? Choose Costa Rica for Retirement gives you all the info you need for how to travel to, invest in, and feel at home in this unspoiled and thriving Central American country. Inside you’ll find up-to-date information on:Local customs and politics
Cost of living and real estate Business opportunities
Advice for making new friendsRecreation and community offerings
Medical care and personal safety

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Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: GPP Travel; 8th edition (November 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0762741643
ISBN-13: 978-0762741649
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #371,275 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#50 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Central America > Costa Rica
#76 in Books > Parenting & Families > Aging Parents > Retirement Planning

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Inside This Book (learn more)

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
los sue�os, offshore corporations

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Costa Rica, United States, North Americans, Social Security, Central Valley, Central American, Tico Times, Latin American, San Ram�n, Valle Central, Pacific Coast, Puerto Viejo, Lake Arenal, Santa Ana, Caribbean Coast, Playa Grande, Manuel Antonio, Public Record Office, San Carlos, Inter-American Highway, San Isidro, Ciudad Col�n, San Francisco, Nicoya Peninsula, San Vito

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	38% buy the item featured on this page: Choose Costa Rica for Retirement, 8th: Information for Travel, Retirement, Investment, and Affordable Living (Choose Retirement Series) 5.0 out of 5 stars (8)
	21% buy The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica 4.6 out of 5 stars (45) $18.95
	20% buy Moon Living Abroad in Costa Rica 4.6 out of 5 stars (35) $13.57
	14% buy Choose Costa Rica for Retirement, 9th: Retirement, Travel, and Business Opportunities for a New Beginning (Choose Retirement Series) $14.49

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living abroad in costa rica(4)

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview of the Subject, January 4, 2008

By	Allan Holtz (Lake County, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I just finished reading the 6th edition. The book really does a great job of discussing the many aspects of making the move to paradise (aka CR). The advice about importing vs buying a car alone was worth the price of the book -- that's the kind of useful info you just won't find in most of the books about moving to CR. He also does a good job explaining the rather daunting problems of employing people in CR (the rules are worlds different than in the US).

I especially appreciated that the author admits when he doesn't know absolutely everything about a given subject. Makes me feel I can better trust the information he does impart. I also appreciated that he wasn't hawking his services like many similar books (he does suggest you visit his website, which is fine -- no hard sell or anything).

The 6th edition was, I felt, a little light on language issues. I have found that not many Costa Ricans outside the tourist industry know much English but the author seemed to gloss over the fact that you better know your espanol when you make the move (unless you plan to lock yourself up in one of those expat enclaves -- ugh!). If you want to move to CR and not get taken for a ride by shady gringo characters your best defense is to learn Spanish so that you can deal with the Ticos yourself.

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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, well written & up-to-date, January 2, 2008

By	T. Kerrick (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'll mention up front that this is the only book I've read on the subject of living in Costa Rica, but I can't imagine many being much better. I spent 10 weeks in Costa Rica (8 weeks in language immersion school, 4 days a week). Having two full weeks plus several 3-day weekends to travel around, I'm familiar with the basics of Costa Rican culture & geography.

Nowhere near retirement age myself, I was impressed to find plenty of information on other topics: Mr. Howells reviews culture & politics, but not in any long and boring sense - really keeping to the necessities. He frequently compares cultural topics with North American analogies, helping to define it better for North Americans. He does take pains to be clear, while concise, about business, legal & immigration matters - all of which you probably find interesting, anyway, if you think you want to move to Costa Rica. He also does a great job covering costs of living for all life styles, health care, transportation, education, real estate and investments. He's interviewed plenty of folks for the content, too. From parents with children in private or public schools to immigration or real estate lawyers. This was clearly not his first attempt at such a book.

One thing I repeatedly found interesting were the details about North American & European expat communities all over the country. I'm sure some of those details change in time, but it really gives you a feel for what to expect in the way of finding English (or other European language) speaking friends & advice. (But you are encouraged to learn some Spanish, of course!) Another specific that he gives several pages to is driving to Costa Rica from the US! I've always wanted to do that, and he's done it several times... I'm inspired already!

My only concern with the book would be for someone who isn't familiar with the geography (thus my disclaimer @ the top) might like to supplement their reading with Google Earth or a map. The book does a fair job of keeping you oriented as he travels around, though, so don't worry if you'd rather not. It does have some maps indicating the regions he discusses.

I found the book so interesting that I actually read most of it while traveling in Ecuador. At no point did I ever feel bored or bogged down and I didn't skip a single page. There's even some comic relief! This book, combined with a good trip, should be a nice spring board into living, retiring or doing business in Costa Rica.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource, January 20, 2008

By	Connie "conniedallas" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This book (8th edition) is a frank and helpful look at the practicalities of moving to Costa Rica. I especially appreciated the information about altitudes and temperatures of the various locales where expatriates tend to live, detailed immigration information, and considerations for renting or buying real estate. John Howells has a wry, self-deprecating wit that I found refreshing and his writing is entertaining as well as very informative. I found this book more helpful and much better written and edited than "The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica."

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellently written
Well written,informative. Doesn't come off as terribly biased. Not afraid to give the negative info along with the positive. Read more

Published 18 days ago by R. Thibault

5.0 out of 5 stars Choose Costa Rica for Retirement
Fast and excellent customer service on order.

Excellent information and review. I will be awaiting the next edition since information always changes... Read more

Published 24 days ago by Dale T. Schraufnagel

5.0 out of 5 stars Costa Rica - complete info
What an all inclusive book! Puts all the information you need at hand and gives you lots of choices for further investigation.

Published 15 months ago by B. J. Price

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful Book on Costa Rica
This is one of the first books we chose to start the process of deciding whether Costa Rica might be the spot where we could retire. Read more

Published on November 25, 2007 by Susan Murphy

5.0 out of 5 stars Great information on CR
I've only read 4-5 books on CR but this is my favorite by far. John gives a lot of detail about what various towns & areas are like & why you may or may not want to live or visit... Read more

Published on January 19, 2007 by L. Lewis

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