Tank Tops Flip Flops Newsletter edition no. 99

99 Bottles of Pilsen on the wall – 99 Reasons why I Love Living in Costa Rica.

One of the things you will notice, if you spend some time here in Playas del Coco, is that there are a tremendous amount of people from Wisconsin who live, retire, vacation and snowbird here. Maybe it is because the weather is so horrible there, or maybe it is because they just love to drink beer, but it seems a bundle of them have chosen the land of PURA VIDA to call their home. There is even the one and only PACKER bar in all of Latin America right here in the middle of town, Coconutz, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite places to hang out. Earlier this year, there was a huge game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, as the Wisconsin Badgers took on the LSU Tigers. So it just made sense that a whole bundle of these Cheese heads were going to make the trek up north for this colossal sporting event. And do you think I would miss out on the fun? No way Jose, I was in like Flynn. About 50 of us loaded up on a school bus from Appleton on the day of the game, and consumed like animals the entire way to the stadium. As you can imagine, the energy was amazing, and the crowd was rocking. When it was all over, the Badgers had defeated the superior LSU team and the city went nuts!!! There were people partying like it was 1999 and it took hours to get everyone back on the bus and headed home to the hotels. This was where I wanted to cut my wrist. You see, there is always that ONE guy, who just has to lead the choir, and he started singing the most obnoxious song, ever written in the history of mankind: the 99 Bottle songs, and it seemed to go on for an eternity.

So in remembrance of that torturous 2 hour bus ride, and also in Celebration of my 99th Newsletter, I bring to you MY list of the 99 REASONS WHY I LOVE LIVING IN COSTA RICA.

99. Ninety Nine Bottles of Pilsen on the wall, Ninety Nine Bottles of Pilsen…. Take one down pass it around: Costa Rica is 99% green. It is almost totally carbon free, and the most environmentally protective country in the world and most of it still looks like it did when the dinosaurs walked the earth. You have to love and respect somewhere, which places nature above money. This haven will blow you away.

98. Hiking. There are so many spectacular places to hike; National Parks, volcanoes and mountains that the scenery seems to go on and on forever. You could spend eternity clunking around this little paradise and never see all there is to see; there is an endless supply of “secret spots.”

What are Costa Rica closing costs?

In Costa Rica, all closings are handled by a law firm, with a government authorized third party escrow, such as Secure Title Costa Rica. The fees are generally much higher than you would see in the USA or Canada, but surely nothing that will scare you away from a purchase.

The reason for this is simple. The government of Costa Rica, like any government, must collect taxes in order to survive. Most Costa Ricans live in the same house their entire lives. They are not like North Americans, who might buy and sell many properties in their lifetimes. It is very common for Costa Ricans to still live with their parents, even as adults. And many properties are given from the parents to their children for free. A farmer might subdivide his large property and give small sections to each of his children to build a house on. In the USA and Canada, there are many ways to collect taxes to keep the country moving.   Capital gains taxes in the USA are some of the highest in the world. There is also an inheritance tax and unfortunately a death tax. You have very high property taxes in most states, and also many additional taxes: School taxes, road taxes, garbage taxes, State taxes. It never seems to end.