Retire for Less in Costa Rica Update – January 3, 2018

Welcome to our Retire For Less In Costa Rica Newsletter

Paul and Gloria

In This Issue: 

• Update on Featured Property in our Last Newsletter
• Featured Property in Lake Arenal: Lake Arenal: Great Value Home with Arenal Volcano and Lake Views-$100,000

• Cooking in Costa Rica: An Expat’s Guide to Buying Groceries, Cooking, and Eating in Costa Rica
• Our Ultimate CR Healthcare Tour

UPDATE: Featured Property in Lake Arenal: Best Deal on Lovely Spanish-Style Home in Tranquil Setting

RFLCR Note: We featured this property in our recent newsletter, however we have just been informed by the realtor that there is now a problem with its sale. As we previously mentioned, the house is part of an estate sale, and there was a misunderstanding about the sale price of the house. It is NOT $110,000; in fact, the price is still pending but it will most likely be about $195,000. There is also a problem with communication from the legal owner so things are at a standstill. Since this is an unusual situation, and in light of the response from our readers, we wanted to publish an update ASAP. We, and the realtor, apologize for the misinformation.

Property: Ref # 214

Location: Nuevo Arenal

2.5 Bedrooms

2.5 Bathrooms

1,947  square feet

Acreage: .7 acres ( 2913 m2)

Pool

Lake Arenal: Great Value Home with Arenal Volcano and Lake Views-$100,000

Property: Ref # 251

Location: Nuevo Arenal

2 Bedrooms

2 Bathrooms

1,292 square feet

Acreage: .18 acres (744.38 m2)

Price: $100,000 USD

Description:

This 1,292 square foot unfurnished house is located on a 4-wheel-drive-only road, just 10 minutes from Nuevo Arenal. It has a clear view of Volcano Arenal, surrounding landscaping, and a partial view of the lake through large glass windows.  The house has two bedrooms and two baths, plus an office.  There is a front second story balcony for pleasurable relaxing.

It is being offered for sale at a low firm price. A very good value and peaceful country road setting.

Property: Ref # 251

Click here for more photos and to contact the realtor for this property.

Click here to check out our other properties under $150,000 and read about what to do before you buy.

Cooking in Costa Rica

I’m so excited to announce that my new book, Cooking in Costa Rica: An Expat’s Guide to Buying Groceries, Cooking, and Eating in Costa Rica is now available on Amazon.com! Here are a couple of my 5 star reviews:

Outstanding. I have been looking for a book that would tell me where to buy certain items that are not available in the local Costa Rica stores and I found all of that and more. Information such as translation from English to Spanish and of course Spanish to English. This is helpful so when I am shopping I can find what I am looking for using the translation. There is a break down of measurements and substitutions that was helpful. I like the few recipes that are included, and can’t wait to try them. This is a great book with so much information to help you learn about cooking in Costa Rica. I love the layout of the book and the clear explanations, and its easy to locate what I am looking for without going through an entire book. Also the resources in the back have been super helpful.. Thanks so much for the book.”

Practical as well as scholarly, this is a must-have guide for any man or woman who commands a kitchen in Costa Rica. Wonderfully readable and quickly useable for whatever and whenever you may need to know all things culinary in Costa Rica. And if that were not enough, what an amazing tour guide for English-speaking lovers of food in a Spanish-speaking culture, where the recipes you know and have always loved can come alive in new and exciting ways. I just feel smarter having read it!”

When you move to a Spanish-speaking country, it can be daunting to stock your kitchen and cook meals when you don’t know what your ingredients are called in Spanish. And even when you know the Spanish translation, it can be a challenge at times to find what you are looking for.

You can download this practical, comprehenive guide and on-going reference tool on your smart phone or iPad so you have it with you whenever you shop. The table of contents is interactive, so you can easily click through to the meat section when you are at the butcher shop (carnicería) or to the dairy section when you are standing in front of the dairy case. Here’s what you will find inside:

• A little bit about me, our life in Costa Rica, how and where we shop for groceries, what we spend, and some insights about grocery shopping in Costa Rica.
• An English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English food dictionary, broken down into the following sections:
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Meat & Poultry
  • Fish & Seafood
  • Grains, Nuts, Seeds, & Baking Ingredients
  • Dairy & Eggs, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods
  • Beans, Canned & Prepared Foods
  • Herbs, Spices, & Seasonings
  • Condiments
  • Beverages
• An English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English food dictionary in alphabetical order.
• An English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English dictionary of things you find in the kitchen.
• A Glossary of cooking terms and helpful adjectives to use when buying and cooking food, ordering in a restaurant, and reading recipes in Spanish.
• Recipe substitutions for when you can’t find familiar ingredients here in Costa Rica.

Chipotle Beef Chili

• Recipes which I have adapted to use with ingredients found in Costa Rica, plus some favorite recipes of other expat cooks in Costa Rica.
• A U.S. Measure to Metric Conversion Guide for temperature, volume, weight, and length.
• A resource section with links to expat cooking blogs, Facebook groups and pages, specialty products, and other food-related things.

The Kindle version is available now on Amazon.com. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the Kindle app for your iPad or computer at this link.  A print version is in the works; I will let you know as soon as it is published. In the meantime, you can buy the Kindle version through this link:

I hope you enjoy my book and find it useful!
Gloria