After three days of searching and much time spent in cabs criss-crossing the central valley we found a place to settle for the next year, or as long as we like it. In Costa Rica it seems people do the midnight move if they don’t like their accommodations despite signing the requisite one-year lease.
But like many things here, it took a big leap of faith securing it. We plunked down a half month’s rent, in cash, to hold it without any written contract — not that it would do us much good if we were swindled.
There are no real rules governing those who operate as “real estate agents.”
Many people — including expats — simply hang out a shingle and call themselves an agent or broker. They troll for clients and listings, both for rentals and sales, in the classifieds of the only English language newspaper, word of mouth and signs hung out on gates of residences. Owners pay them a commission if they bring someone in, although it appears there are no contracts or obligations to any one in particular.
In our case, we had one agent looking for us but it was in the end another who contacted us with a potential property after we placed an ad on a popular Internet classifieds forum cruised by people in the Central Valley.
Either the agent delivered the house of our dreams for what we need in the next year or we’ve been had. The modern residence situated at the top of a hill in a prime area just outside San Jose features three bedrooms with furnishings nicer than our home in Canada. It has a swing-set/climbing apparatus for the kids, a pool with an outdoor BBQ, lemon and orange trees and a miniature soccer field to boot. It is near a half dozen international schools, a quick bus ride to large grocery stores and everything else we could possibly need. All this for $1,200 per month — much more than we anticipated spending but certainly par or better for the local market, which is very tight on furnished lodgings with high-speed Internet.
Of course, we could get a place farther away from the urban centres for as little as $500 per month (not likely furnished) but then we’re still faced with the dilemma of no transportation and spotty Internet service, which is critical not only for me but more importantly my husband, who is studying for his master’s degree online.
Beating the boom and hightailing it out of Canada was about slowing the pace and escaping urban life but I’ve made peace with the fact that a lifestyle change is as much about your mindset as it is about your location. And this new home we’ve found seems to have the best of both worlds — it’s on a serene hillside situated on a dead-end street in a suburban-type area, overlooking the incredibly lush valley below. Yet the commercial development that has overtaken the nearby centre of Escazu still out of sight.
Not too far away, but far enough, is the Multiplaza. It’s a major mall that could be found in any major North American city, complete with a bustling food court and high-end stores.
Having settled into the small village where we first landed, I could feel my shoulders tighten as we strolled through the mall, weaving our way in and out of the people. The whole vibe was also in stark contrast to San Rafael, where the other day I watched someone step outside their gated property to guide a blind man with a cane up the road after we were unsuccessful in assisting him due to the language barrier.
When we became caught in a torrential downpour yesterday in downtown Heredia (the closest city to us with a population about 50,000 or less) a young woman kindly gave shelter to my children under her umbrella (we’ve now learned never to leave home without them.) Then, she walked us to a taxi stand so we could get home and out of the rain. Conversley, when we were at the mall today a man passed by me walking the other way and when I smiled at him he hissed “gringo.” Store clerks were equally as unfriendly, almost sneering at me when I plunked down the wrong change for a coffee, which by the way I asked for in Spanish — albeit badly pronounced.
Urban development and all that goes along with it can steal the soul of people and drive wedges between its residents. Whereas there’s usually more connectedness and community spirit among those who inhabit small towns.
Costa Rica is certainly no exception to this social phenomenon.
Perspective is something that can be found in both. It just depends on your view.
