May 28, 2009 - This evening I received a copy of a letter which was sent to the editor of www.suddenlysenior.com where we advertise:

I recently found your site and the feature article. Soon after I prescribed to an article, “Yes, you can retire in Costa Rica. ” It stirred my interest and I spend quit a bit of time checking out the web pages and became a member of xxx’s News Letter.

After 2 weeks learning and I have ordered 2 books and 1 Map, which I have not received yet but expect to do so. I have to say that I think your article is not true anymore. I found xxxx a great site ‘xxxxxxCostaRica’ (might not be exactly the same words or spelling but I have a very good feeling about the author. I answered to one of the recommended real estate broker.

He called me and asked personal questions as to my age (71), my income, how much I could or would invest in my “dream house”, etc.

I was honest about my income and my age but not about how much money I have, but how much I would be willing to invest (100 000 to 175 000 US $) I was dropped like a hot potato.

He said he would call me back but I could tell by the tone of his voice I would not hear from him again, and I was right. So, I would like to hear from you of what it would REALLY take to have a house, not a mansion in CR. It seems the price ranges from 200 000 to 500 000 being the medium and what ever the wallet can approve after that. To me, that is not considered “Yes, you can afford to Retire in CR. By the way,

I will copy this letter to xxx

Respectfully xxxxx

Now, obviously I have taken the names and specifics out of this letter . But the point is: you never know when you are being lied to and potentially taken advantage of. This situation arises ( very simply) because people have no real idea what prices REALLY are in Costa Rica and what construction ( or any other merchandise or services ) really cost.

The moral: like we always say, do you homework. Check and recheck and reconfirm. We bring people to our homes, introduce them to our builders and do not have secrets. Unfortunately other people do.

Randy and Rhonda Berg have been living in Costa Rica for over 7 years and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to buying a home in Costa Rica. You can contact them at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it