The Costa Rica Real Estate Expert

For YEARS now, Costa Rica has been a favorite place for retirees to settle down - either part time or full time.  These lucky people discovered that Costa Rica has a lot more to offer than friendly people, gorgeous beaches, and fresh squeezed fruit juice every morning!

During this seminar, we’ll tell you why so many people have been, and currently are, interested in Costa Rica as a retirement spot, and also how even those who own a modest home can live in luxury, peace, and healthfulness in this paradise called Costa Rica.

During this presentation, I’ll go over some great vacation, investment, and retirement opportunities available in Costa Rica, as well as:

• An introduction to Costa Rica and why people are retiring there.
• Staying healthy and worry-free in Costa Rica for your entire retirement.
• Easy immigration.
• Introduction to retirement properties.
• Discuss financing options and products.

Everyone is welcome!  Limited seating, so RSVP now!

WHEN:  Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 7:00 pm (please show up at least 15 minutes early for sign-in).

WHERE:  Prudential Financial Offices - Computax Tower
21250 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 500
Torrance, CA  90503

ENTRANCE FEE:  Free, but we please ask that you please bring a non-perishable food donation for the Los Angeles Food Bank.

RSVP:  Please RSVP to Chris Turkmany at 310-516-3444 or by filling out the form below:

RSVP for Costa Rica for Retirees - Torrance (April 16, 2008)

1. Your Name (required)
2. Email (valid email required)
3. Address
4. City
5. State/Province
6. Zip/Postal
7. Home Phone
8. Cell Phone
9. Number of guests

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Last updated February 12, 2008 

Costa Rica has an excellent healthcare system that consists of private and public (government run) medical facilities.

Here is an ever-expanding list of medical facilities throughout Costa Rica:

Cartago

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-551-0511

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy. 

Heredia

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-260-4959

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

Jaco

Clinic CARE
Phone:  506-643-4300
Email:  emergenciascare@racsa.co.cr

This is a private clinic intended primarily for emergency care, also offering ambulance transport services to larger facilities in San Jose.

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina (satellite site)
Phone:  506-643-5059
Email:  info@gruposantacatalina.com
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php
Location:  400 este Pops Jacó, Puntarenas

This is a satellite facility of the much larger Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina located in San Jose.  This facility boasts many English speaking, qualified dentists and doctors

San Francisco de Dos Ríos

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-218-0035

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina (satellite site)
Phone:  506-218-1717
Email:  info@gruposantacatalina.com
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php

Location:  San Francisco de Dos Ríos, del parque Okayama 50 sur

This is a satellite facility of the much larger Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina located in San Jose.  This facility boasts many English speaking, qualified dentists and doctors

San Jose

Clinica Biblica (main facility)
Phone:  506-522-1000 or 800-911-0800
Fax:  506-258-7184
Email:  info@clinicabiblica.com
Website:  http://www.clinicabiblica.com
Insurance:

• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Cigna International
• Aetna Global
• United HealthCare
• Prudential
• Humana
• Secure Horizons
• See more…
• Expects to be affiliated with Medicare in 2008

Staffed with highly trained doctors.  Facilities include an ER, maternity ward, MRI equipment, and a lab.  The hospital is currently adding a large, new wing. 

Clinica Biblica also has an International Department to specifically provide excellent customer service tailored to the foreigner.  They also have a corporate partnership with HomeWatch, which provides specialized home care services for the elderly, patients recovering from surgery, people recovering from plastic surgery, and a host of other situations.  Check with your long term care insurance plan to see if they will cover the services from HomeWatch.

Clinica Catolica (a.k.a. Hospital La Catolica)
Phone:  506-246-3000
Fax:  506-283-6171
Email:  info@clinicacatolica.com
Website:  http://www.hospitallacatolica.com/eng/indexeng.html
Location:  Guadelupe, suburb of San Jose.

Complete hospital and emergency services 24/7. 

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina
Phone:  506-250-5059
Website:  http://www.gruposantacatalina.com/eng/index.php
Location:  Costado Este de la plaza de deportes de Gravilias, Desamparados, San José

This private hospital provides emergency services, dentistry, opthalmic services, gynecology, dermatology, cardiology, and a number of other medical services.  They also boast a medical imaging center and a pharmacy which is open 24/7. 

Clinica Hospital Santa Catalina also has satellite offices in San Francisco and Jaco.

Hospital CIMA San Jose
Phone:  506-208-1000
Fax:  506-208-1001
Email:  cima@hospitalcima.com
Website:  Click here to view the English version of CIMA’s website, translated by Google.
Location:  Escazu of San Jose.  See map.

CIMA is the most well known medical facility in all of Costa Rica, and for good reason.  It was built around 2000 and is affiliated with Baylor University in Texas.  CIMA has all the modern conveniences of a hospital in North America, with high tech equipment and well trained doctors and nurses.

CIMA provides emergency services, surgeries, laboratory services, psychiatry, physiotherapy, medical imaging, a pharmacy, and numerous other services.

San Pedro

Clinica Biblica (satellite site)
Phone:  506-283-6058
Location:  San Pedro mall

Doctor on site, as well as a pharmacy.

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I have to say that since getting involved in Costa Rica real estate, I have been surprised by the number of people who have contacted me who are interested in moving to Costa Rica permanently.  I’m not surprised that people want to move there, because it is a fantastic country, but I’m just surprised at the number of them ready to make such a bold move.

So, a common question that I do get from those looking to move to Costa Rica - either full time or part time - is what do are the residency rules.

Short Term Stays Are Easiest

Well, lets start with part timers.  For anyone staying less than 6 months, you need nothing more than your passport.  That’s it!  No paperwork, no visa, none of that.  In fact, anyone with a passport can stay in Costa Rica for up to 3 months.  If you want to stay longer than 3 months, the easy way to do that is to just leave the country for 72 hours, and re-enter.  You are now able to stay another 3 months!  Of course, doing this once or twice is okay, but more than that and it is frowned upon.  So if you plan on staying for longer than 6 months at a time, you may want to consider applying for residency.

Seniors Have an Advantage

In Costa Rica, there are different residency options.  To start, seniors can obtain pensionado residency.  This is a great draw for seniors, as pensionado residency rules are more lenient than other types of residency. In a nutshell, seniors can obtain residency simply by proving that they have an annual income of $7,200, and that income will be deposited into a Costa Rican bank account in colones (Costa Rican currency).  The best part is that any dependants (spouse or children under 18) can obtain residency automatically.

Costa Rica Loves Investors

Just more proof that Costa Rica is foreign investment friendly.  Special residency opportunities are given to investors - small or large.  For small investors with investments that bring in a regular income, they need to prove a monthly income of $1000, guaranteed by a banking institution.  An alternative to that is to deposit $60,000 into a Costa Rican bank account, where you can withdraw $1000 of your money each month. 

Investors who have invested at least $50,000 in a sector that the government deems a priority - such as tourism, forestry, and low-income housing - will get you inversionista resident status.  Larger investments up to $200,000 in other sectors will also get you inversionista resident status.

Applying for Costa Rica Residency

There are many other types of residency statuses, but the ones I’ve listed are the most common.  If you are considering applying for one of these residency statuses, don’t wait until you are in Costa Rica.  In fact, Costa Rica’s Department of Immigraion (Direccion General de Migracion y Extranjeria) says that foreigners should apply for residency from their country of origin.  This appears to be more convenient for many, as applying for residency while in Costa Rica would subject the applicant to long, confusing lines and wait times.

If you have any questions about applying for residency in Costa Rica, contact the Costa Rican consulate (Canada | US) in your country of origin.

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