About
Welcome!
This blog was originally created to serve as an addition to the Banana Tree Hotel website to help guests of the Banana Tree, and anyone else interested, avoid being ripped-off and hurt, if they were coming to Costa Rica to buy real estate, invest, live or retire. Another goal of the blog was to try and stop, or at least slow down, the destruction of Costa Rica’s environment and society.
I don’t know how effective I have been, I lost a long and costly legal battle to keep the Banana Tree Hotel, and be present to prevent the deforestation of land that was once part of Manuel Antonio National Park. In the end, little me and my little hotel were no match for a greedy landlord, multi-millionaire American real estate developer, and a mafia figure. I knew it was a losing battle, but I was fighting for more than myself, I was also fighting for those who were even more defenseless. The monkeys, sloths, toucans, lizards, snakes, hummingbirds, frogs, trees, agoutis, halaconias, butterflies, armadillos, pizotes and thousands of other creatures and plants. All who lived in the land behind the picture of me you see at the top of this page.
Even though I knew I didn’t have a chance, I hoped that if my battle could buy some time, then maybe the animals and plants would be able to escape their destruction. And my loss would be their victory. I knew that the U.S. economy was headed down and that the Mafia guy would, given enough time, end up dead or in jail.
The greedy landlord cannot rent or sell the property that was once the Banana Tree Hotel. The American real estate developer from Florida, is probably scrambling to save his condo empire, and is in no position to destroy the rainforest. And the mafia figure, he is finally in jail and will stand trial as I predicted, messing with Costa Rica soccer finally did him in.
I did not come to Costa Rica to fight, I came to live in peace and enjoy the beauty of it’s nature, and the warmth of it’s people. I came to Costa Rica to seek refuge from a country that was determined to live in war, greed and fear. But as John Donne wrote “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.“
And as I fought for my hotel, realizing that no place on this earth would guarantee me freedom, not the United States nor Costa Rica, freedom from the greed and cruelty of my fellow man, many Americans followed. Some to find refuge - others to make a profit. And I watched as many of you were lied to and robbed, by your fellow Americans and Costa Ricans, and the trees and animals were destroyed in the process. So I created this blog.
Ramsay Mameesh
August 15, 2007
I keep the original section of the page below:
Are You the Owner?
Every week, without fail, a guest will walk into the lobby and ask “Are you the owner?” “We’re thinking of buying property in Costa Rica. Maybe investing in a business. Retiring in Costa Rica. What do you think about….” You can fill in the blank. I’ve seen many more guests, who have also come to Costa Rica searching for the same answers, but for whatever reason didn’t seek my advice.
Asked a Hundred Times
I’ve been asked at least a hundred times about Costa Rica real estate, investing in Costa Rica, and retirement and living in Costa Rica. It’s natural that guests want my advice. I have been down the path that my guests are considering taking. I moved my family from the United States, started a business, learned Spanish, involved myself in contracts and real estate, even learned to surf at the age of 42 - I also give surfing advice free of charge to my guests.
I’ll spend anywhere from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours talking with my guests, learning more about their particular situation, and then I’ll share with them my knowledge. Many of my guests have already researched Costa Rica. A few of them, have visited Costa Rica several times, and are now ready to make the move to Costa Rica.
What makes Costa Rica so attractive to so many people?
The weather is fantastic, the beaches are beautiful, the people are friendly, and land and home prices are more reasonable.
No Army just Monkeys!
There are other reasons as well. The political climate is stable, Costa Rica welcomes foreign investors, Costa Rica is only 2.5 hours from the U.S. mainland, Costa Rica doesn’t have an army, there is social welfare, education, health, labor protection, i.e. a middle class. Costa Rica has protected large parts of it’s environment. The list goes on.
It’s All True
This is the Costa Rica that everyone reads about, and its’ all true, Costa Rica is incredible. However, there are other truths, that my guests haven’t read or heard about.
The Other Truths
Costa Rica’s infrastructure is awful. The country’s roads are beyond terrible. Water, electricity, sanitation, in many parts of the country are in very poor condition. Phone and internet service is truly third world. It’s famous environment is under constant attack from developers, poachers and pollution.
Land Sharks are Waiting
Worse is who is waiting for you when you arrive. Sharks. The land variety - the ones in the ocean have all had their fins chopped off. A lot of people are watiting for you to arrive. So they can rip you off.
Unpatriotic Americans
Your fellow Americans are the first to get you. You naturally trust them over Costa Ricans, and so you walk into an American owned Real Estate agency, thinking you have a friend - You don’t.
The games these guys play, to put it nicely, would make Houdini proud. “Now you see it - Now you don’t.” Is just one of the more popular games. Worse than the real estate companies, are the scam artists, funny money men, and investment schemers.
Or you meet an American in a bar, who has lived in Costa Rica for 2o years (great guy - really knowledgable - speaks Spanish), he knows a great investment opportunity and he can get you in on it for the incredibly low price of… You’ll never see your money again, just ask my neighbor, she paid a visit to my lawyer last week.
But you’re smarter. Your going to skip the American owned Costa Rica real estate agency and deal directly with Costa Ricans.
See the Crocodiles and Find Your Dream Home - Only $49!
If you escape your fellow “Gringos”, you will most likely find yourself at the mercy of incompetent lawyers, or tour guides and taxi drivers. Everyone has a license to sell Real Estate in Costa Rica. And every taxi-driver, has a cousin in Playa Playa who’s selling his “finca” for next to nothing.
The tour guide knows everything and absolutely nothing, they aren’t from that part of Costa Rica (he just moved here, from another part of Costa Rica, 6 months ago), but he’ll gladly drive you around the country-side feverishly asking strangers to sell you their land, before you move on to Playa Playa Grande!
The lawyers, well they’re lawyers, what did you expect?
ouch! In the Garden of Eden
Costa Rica, like the garden of eden, is a beautiful but dangerous place. With more knowledge comes more protection. I am writing this Costa Rica reale estate, investing, retirement and living blog, as a service to to my guests and visitors, who are coming to Costa Rica to buy real estate, invest or live and retire in Costa Rica.
Surfs Up!
Since I’ve learned to surf, I spend less time at the hotel, and so we might not have the chance to meet. I hope you find this blog helpful.
Finding What You Need
This page is a general introduction to Costa Rica Real Estate, Investing, Retirement and Living. If you are looking for an anwer to a particular question, use the search box located at the top of every page, you’ll get a page of links to posts that contain those search words.
If you are interested in a topic, find your category in the column, on the right hand side of the page. And remember, it’s just my opinion, “what does a hotel owner in Costa Rica know anyway?” Ultimately, you are responsible, for the decisions you make.
Ramsay
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Comments»
Dear {FIRSTNAME},
Time has flown by the last ten years and I am nearing retirement. I have heard the buzz about Costa Rica and have started my research.
After browsing through your website, I feel an even stronger need to start preparing for my retirement immediately and my destination of choice is now Costa Rica. I have vacationed there several times and the thought of now spending the rest of my life there is overwhelming.
I am in need of assistance. Retiring is not a simple matter, as you know. There is so much information I need to gather before I actually relocate. Therefore, could you please refer me to other sources and websites that have more information about retiring there? …whether they be your sites or others, it makes no difference to me.
Since I am plan on spending the rest of my life there, I need to know everything about Costa Rica: senior citizen regulations, health care, social environment, relocation taxes, residency regulations, crime rate, and many other things.
By the way, I will refer your site to couple of my friends that are currently looking for the same information as I am. It could be that all of us will trust your company to handle our retirements in the near future.
Looking forward to getting the additional information as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Brian Sabean
Brian:
I understand how you feel. Being in charge while Barry Bonds disgraces baseball would want to make me retire from baseball as well. Writing as a former little league pitcher, the homerun that breaks Hank’s record, would not come from my hand - walk him in perpetuity. Walk him till he can collect Social Security and collapses at the plate.
I’m joking of course, in assuming that you are Brian Sabean of the S.F. Giants, I have no idea. But one of the pleasures of Costa Rica is being disconnected from Sports. In Costa Rica there is only one sport - Football (soccer). It is followed like a religon. But it is also easily ignored. In the U.S., I have discovered recently that there is Major League Lacrosse - I wish I were joking.
Let me try and give you a few one liner responses to your questions.
1. Senior citizens aren’t regulated!
2. Health care in many ways is superior to the U.S. - watch Sicko. This topic requires a lengthy discussion. Starting with how we view death. But let me just say that there is excellent private health care available at more reasonable cost. Public health care is available but it can be very spotty.
3. Social Environment was excellent - one of the best in the world - but sadly is deteriorating under the pressure of the American Consumerist ethos. I will go into it more in a later post.
4. You aren’t taxed to relocate.
5. Residency regulations. U.S. and Canadians are overly concerned about residency and are making a lot of Costa Rican lawyers rich.
6. Crime is increasing and more importantly violent crime is increasing in many parts of Costa Rica. Something that was rare but is now unfortunately more common.
I hope that is sufficient for now. Good luck with trading Bonds!
Ramsay