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Hello to all and some free advice would be appreciated. We are thinking of moving to Puerto Rice later this year, after a planned visit for a couple of weeks to check things out, and would appreciate advice on good locations to look at. We are retired military and federal government so would like to be close to Fort Buchanan if that is economically possible and also close to the beach if that is physically possible.
We are planning to rent for a year or two to see if we adjust to island life prior to purchasing a home. What can we expect to pay for a nice 2 bedroom apartment in a good complex?
We have a car we are planning to bring when we move which I already have a quote to ship. Since Puerto Rice is an US territory I don't think there should be any problem shipping it from Florida. Am I correct in that assumption?
Personally, I would suggest a short term rental, perhaps thru Vacation rentals by owner (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/caribbean/puerto-rico - broken link). 3 to 6 months should give you plenty of time to explore the island and to experience living on the island....not just visiting the island...there is a difference. Permanent relocation to island life can be an adjustment some are not prepared to accept. Are you Spanish speaking ? Does your vehicle have easily replaceable front and rear fenders/quarter panels ? Seem like an odd question, but once you witness Puerto Rican drivers, you'll understand.
Personally, I would suggest a short term rental, perhaps thru Vacation rentals by owner (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/caribbean/puerto-rico - broken link). 3 to 6 months should give you plenty of time to explore the island and to experience living on the island....not just visiting the island...there is a difference. Permanent relocation to island life can be an adjustment some are not prepared to accept. Are you Spanish speaking ? Does your vehicle have easily replaceable front and rear fenders/quarter panels ? Seem like an odd question, but once you witness Puerto Rican drivers, you'll understand.
Im going to be very honest PR is becoming a very big ghetto island and I say that with all the pain in my heart cause I love my island. Unfortunately the economy, the easy living my people like to live, an accepted culture of corruption, lack of morals and ethics is turning this island for the worst with no positive signs in the near future. Crime is at a all time high, we have been setting murder records for the last 5 years and we have a higher murder rate per capita than mexico.
Be prepared to pay through the roof for electricity and water compared to any place in the US. I had a 3 br apartment only for me when I was single and paid on avg $150 a month, when I got married my wife brought her 2 daughters and now is $250.
I wouldn't advice to bring a vehicle because you will have to pay taxes on it, unless you home of record when you join the military was PR, it can be anywhere from 2,000 to 15,000 depending on the vehicle. Mine when i pcs here was $7,200, but it was waived due to being AD military on orders.
All and all I wouldn't recommend PR as a retirement location for anyone that is on a low, middle class budget. And once you buy a property... Good luck reselling it cause the housing market is basically dead and has been for the last couple of years, so if after a couple of years you decide its not for you, you might be stuck with a property you will not be able to sell.
Having my job in the AF has opened me to so many options for places to retire, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru are my top choices right now. I have been to those countries and I will get more bang for the buck than in PR, plus all of them have top notch medical facilities if that is of your concern.
Finally, if you decide to come and live in PR there are ways you can isolate yourself from the bad stuff, by buying or renting away from the metro area (I always recommend Dorado(north)or Rincon(west))... there is a large american concentration on both town due to the tourist environment and people that come to work here either military or private sector. Im familiar with both towns and they are coast towns, lots of views, nice weather, good restaurants. If you can afford a gated community (most of them start at 250k) even better.
Bunch brings so many true things about the island that somebody is bound to yell at him for being so negative. lol
As Bunch said, murders are rising every year, the total amount got to 1,000 on 2011. Although it is true that most of those murders were because of drugs, the fact is that, if there are many of shootings in an area, the probability of you getting in the crossfire is higher.
I also second the advice about double checking your idea of buying a house. If you are planning at some time to move, the house may become a hard problem to get rid of. You can expect a good house to be worth 250K or higher.
I hope you speak Spanish unless you are planning on not meeting many people. Contrary to what I've seen in this board sometimes, not may natives speak English. If you are planning on going out a lot to meet people, you will sooner or later have to learn Spanish, not fluently though. You can mix in some English words within your Spanish and people will mostly understand you. That's Espanglish for you.
gemstone1 said: "Does your vehicle have easily replaceable front and rear fenders/quarter panels ? Seem like an odd question, but once you witness Puerto Rican drivers, you'll understand."
This is so true. Do not underestimate PRs reckless driving. I didn't know about the high taxes Bunch referred to.
Overall, I second Bunch by telling you that PR is not that good for retired living. Dorado or Rincon may be your best bet, preferably within a gated community.
I hope no one takes me as negative, like I said I love PR...it's my place and I'm proud to say it but people that come here are looking for an honest opinion and we should give them that. I have found that this site offers a plethora of advice to anyone that it's anxious about making what it is a life changing decision and we should have the courtesy of providing honest, accurate and realistic information for those who seek it.
OP...the both towns that I mention have close access to military installations. Dorado is 30 min away from Ft Buchanan and Rincon is 30 away from want once was Ramey AB and there is still a Coast Guard detachment, a DOD school and a small PX but no commisary (Buchanan has a big commisary and AAFES). Also both towns are close to VA hospitals but I definately reccomend Rincon as the VA treatment facility doesnt see as many people as the one in the metro area.
You can go to this link and check the amount of tax you would have to pay. dont worry its in english Vehicles Excise Taxes
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