Undecided - November CR

Alamo. Use them every time. You WILL have to buy insurance. Get the cheapest option - something like $8/day. Suggestion on location - with a good rental car you can access a ton of spots. If your thinking Pacific side then you got northern, central or southern as home base. Each area has their pos and neg. Although there are spots a plenty i tend to drive around alot for variety. Enjoy.

 

Take the wife to Lola's Bar on the beach for a romantic sunset...you guys can chill with a few Imperials...take your board though!!! Right out front there are 2 reef breaks

 

Definitely thought about the re-sale value, although we'd hope (I should say him, as I won't be buying, just leaching off of them haha). CR was just a thought for a cheap(er) alternative to Oahu. Honestly, I'm figuring that he should either go big (Oahu) or stay home haha. Which is what I think he feels like doing as well. And thanks for the well wishes, Barry. Hopefully this will be a reality in the next couple of years or less!

Haha I know that. $400k was in the event we tried something cheaper like Costa or PR, which we probably won't be doing.

I'm guessing your old man surfs too? That sounds pretty suite! I admit, I know next to nothing about property costs in Costa. This Oahu dream has been something that I've thought about for many years.

I only have to work between September-April and just a couple weeks, sometimes only 10 days in between May-August. But 60-70 and sometimes 80 hours a week in the other months and lots of travelling by plane to difference cities. I had my own business before this, grossing over $100k. I tried to do both, but I eventually just went out of business in early 2012, because I didn't have the time. Even though this pays less than half as much, it's much more stress free and I get way more downtime. Not as much pressure, much more time to do other things, especially in the Spring and Summer. I've been wondering why I don't Summer somewhere else, the past few years.

My best friend makes $250k+ a year and his house in California is paid off. He has a deal with his brother, that he lets him and his wife/their kids live in his for nothing, to let him save up money for a down payment for their own home. He told him if he saves up enough for a down payment (almost $100k) he'll sell him the house for cheaper than it's worth, since they won't have to go through a realtor and all that. So he plans to hopefully use the profit, as well as other money in the bank to get a place on Oahu. Realistically, we're probably looking at a condo, but as long as it's walking distance/bicycle distance from the beach, that's fine with me. He figured the budget will be around $700k grand. I honestly don't mind Honolulu, near Waikiki, Diamond Head would be suite too. It's in a central location, as well. I could sell my house for $650k right now, maybe more, then use the profit (which won't be $650k haha) and buy some middling condo there, but I'll still need a place to live in Jersey during the year anyway. So that's not an option right now. I'm glad I never made that hasty decision, after briefly considering it.

 

Here you go Mang, save me the spare room:
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/HI/pmf,pf_pt/house,condo,apartment_duplex,townhouse_type/82424009_zpid/18_rid/2-_beds/0-800000_price/0-2959_mp/globalrelevanceex_sort/21.464412,-157.741528,21.229382,-157.9846_rect/11_zm/

 

You own this? Nice! I've stayed in the Diamond Head Beach hotel a few times, which is pretty nice, but sometimes the reviews for it suck. This is close to that, I know exactly where this is.

One thing that bothers with Zillow, as opposed to other sites, is that they don't tell you the ''Hidden'' details, like the homeowners association fees and the rental fees, which can be like $1500-$2500 a month combined in some of these places. Have to go to redfin and trulia and sites like that usually for that info. He needs to wait for his brother to save up the $100k-$110k for the down payment on the house he owns now, before he unloads it. It's on pace to happen sometime between Spring of 2017 and Spring of 2018, with what he apparently has stashed away already right now. I know using these places as a vacation rental during the time it's not being used, is pretty easy. Some of the places that we've browsed online, have this policy that you're not allowed to rent out for the first year of ownership. The rental/homeowners association fees would be paid for by the vacation renters.

Are places selling fast in Honolulu/Oahu right now? I know they are here in Jersey. Just a few years ago, a house would sit on the market for 6 months, sometimes a year or more, before it wound up actually selling. It seems like it's only 2-3 months maximum right now, some are going even quicker by me. I know it will probably only be a 2 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom with 1473 square feet is pretty suite. That's a lot of space. Most of the stuff I've looked at is 2 bedrooms and under 1000 square feet.

 

Alternative

If Hawaii is your true goal, than check out The Big Island, namely Hilo where cost are still in line and the waves are so much fun.

Forget Cr, it is a great place to visit and the people are great, But if Central America is the choice then you would get a bigger bang for your buck in Nicaragua. Better waves, less crowded, off shore winds, good people and reasonable cost.

 

I’ve actually Nicaragua before and surfed, but didn’t stay long. We were doing a quick trip of Central America a while back and quickly hopped around.

I’ve considered the Big Island, but if I’m gonna do it, I think I’m going big and doing Oahu. There are definitely options though, and having them is nice!

Honestly, I’d prefer to keep it in America or an American territory, so I don’t have to deal with all the passport headaches and having property in another country. I do have a passport, I travel to Canada for work, sometimes a half a dozen times per year. Puerto Rico was always somewhere to consider, but it sounds like it’s rough shape right now. Perhaps in a couple years, that will change.

 

me, own it? no way! I was finding it for you, haha. I live on Big Island. Yes, HOAs can really screw you for owning a condo. The market has really picked up a lot recently, we were lucky and bought in the middle of the crash.

 

Yeah, I bought in Jersey in 2010. Luckily, my value has went up by quite a bit and I have made over 7 years of payments since then. Now I have a whole lot of house, and it's just me and my best friend, and my nephews sometimes. Less than a mile from the beach, though, so that's a plus!

 

If you cross the country to go from coast to coast, Tabacon resort is a great place to stop with the wife and pretty affordable. It's in the town of fortuna by Mt. Aranel, an active volcano. Also a state park in that town by a huge waterfall, worth checking out, the river valley is something out of Jurassic park. I always liked the town of Montezuma too, there is a fun waterfall in that town and a cool place called Sano Banano to stay at. Don't take the old lady to Puerto Viejo, I loved the town but unfortunately crack cocaine has saturated the place, I would go with friends but not sure otherwise, unless you want to do a little coco puff with captain zero. White water rafting is fun as hell in the CR and lots of women were on the raft with us too. Have fun, I love CR, pura vida

 

Anyone use Vamos for car rental in CR? They get a lot of good feedback on Trip Advisor.

 

You are such a fucking tourist.....don't forget to wear your Bermuda shorts, touron.
asshole.

 

O

 

Barry

 

Going to be in Mal Pais next week. Maybe a stupid question but do I need to bring my rental keys out on the water with me? Hopefully I'll get a car with a simple key vs. a fob type.

 

A couple of years ago I was in CR. Two friends of mine wore their flip-flops to the break beach; they were really OLD flip-flops, worn pieces of junk. They went to surf, they returned to beach--both pairs gone.
Many locals and expats are druggies, they will steal and sell your underwear, given the chance. And they *ARE* observing you as you enter the water--always.
Ask for a simple key; I agree they are better for surfers.

 

Hmmm. Now, I appreciate the feedback Barry but I don't recall you posting about actually going to CR anytime since I've been on the forum nor do you say where you were (Jaco isn't Tamarinod isn't Santa Teresa, etc...) so I'm going to have call this one a toss up between sound advice and trolling.

I will be asking for a simple key though.

I can picture Barry watching House Hunters International and yelling 'you're going to get robbed by drug addicts' at every episode with someone moving to a Latin American country.

 

Pretty sure Barry went to Tamarindo unless he made up the whole trip to look cool. I don't think it matters which town you are visiting...watch your shit or it will be at risk.

 

He went, was unimpressed and has been very open about that ever since.

 

Noted. Sorry for alleging you were making sheet up Barry.