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wila5303 wrote:

Hello! My name is melissa and I am seriously thinking about moving back to PR. I lived in rincon/mayaguez from 85- 90. I went back to rincon last year after being away for 16 years and fell in love with it all over again. I would like to start planning n preparing for this new venture. Any guidance would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Melissa Perez

Hi Melissa,
We share last names. I left Puerto Rico 43 years ago and plan to return next summer and this time for good.

Welcome to the forum and hope you return soon to Puerto Rico.
My first suggestion is to go ahead and do searches on the site, there is plenty information to get you started, after that make a new subject/thread to ask your questions. A thread per subject works best so we discuss one type of situation at a time such as schooling , where to live, etc.

We are here to help

MnMExplorers wrote:

Hello Everyone.  I've been reading the forum for a few months now, but finally got around to joining. My Wife and I are closer to deciding that Puerto Rico is our next home so it seemed like a good time.  My wife and I and our 2 cats have traveled a lot and lived in Belize for 2 years, and Italy for 3 months (as long as they let you stay on a tourist Visa).  I work online, and my wife has a Photography Etsy Page hobby / business.  We've only visited Puerto Rico once, but we love the Caribbean and are looking forward to getting back to it. 

At the Moment, we are leaning towards the East side for easy access to the Ferry to Culebra, Vieques and even St. Thomas.  So any advice on the Liqullo / Fajardo, to Palmas areas would be more then welcome from members that may live on that side (or anyone else).

We are Spanish Challenged, (read not much at all ;-) )  but want to learn more when we get there.

Mike & Mary

We have several member in Condado, Isla Verde, Rio Grande, Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba (me), and Humacao. So you will have people to hang out with.

ellenbunch wrote:

Hello,
My name is Ellen.  I'm a piano teacher and gardener.  My boyfriend and I have been visiting PR for the last 4 years and each time consider moving.  We love Luquillo, Aguadilla, and Utuado.  Totally different places, but each amazing.  We have had considerable issues when looking to even see homes.  We've contacted through Clasificados, Point 2 Homes, and individual agents.  After reading two articles on expat.com about the process, I'm hoping to have more luck at the end of August.  I think in total we've seen 4 places through the years.  2 were contacted and 2 others were random.  It has been difficult to get responses.

Any insight on how specific my inquires should be would be helpful. Still hopeful to find a place, and looking forward to learning more through you all's experiences.  Thanks.

The problem is not that a Real Estate agent wont help you, they will,  the problem is the distance between a town to another. For example from utuado to aguadilla and luquillo on house hunting could go for about over a 4 hr drive on way before finding a home and some agents will not return your calls not because they don't want to help, is the distance and the time consuming of the nature. In the contrary in the states is a few minutes of distance or an 1hr away to locate a property. Puerto Rico is small but in driving distance is a looooong drive.

It depends on your lifestyle. My wife family are from Utuado, is very tranquil area if you like the country side, hearing the lil insects, coquis, in december it drops down to the 60's, and driving over an 1hr to get to the mall.

Now, Aguadilla and luquillo is more to the cost and pretty much close to the main road. I've work with different customers and my last customer from NY had a similar petition just like you, it wasn't an easy task but she found her dream home minutes away from the beach. If need assistance, I'll gladly help you!!

ellenbunch wrote:

Hello,
My name is Ellen.  I'm a piano teacher and gardener.  My boyfriend and I have been visiting PR for the last 4 years and each time consider moving.  We love Luquillo, Aguadilla, and Utuado.  Totally different places, but each amazing.  We have had considerable issues when looking to even see homes.  We've contacted through Clasificados, Point 2 Homes, and individual agents.  After reading two articles on expat.com about the process, I'm hoping to have more luck at the end of August.  I think in total we've seen 4 places through the years.  2 were contacted and 2 others were random.  It has been difficult to get responses.

Any insight on how specific my inquires should be would be helpful. Still hopeful to find a place, and looking forward to learning more through you all's experiences.  Thanks.

Your biggest problem is that those places are far appart. Most realtors will not drive 4 hours one way to show you 1-2 houses then drive back another 4 hours with traffic. To then do it again the next day. Select a town or two that are very close to each other then find a realtor in one of the towns. His trip will be 20-30 minutes and he will be in much better mood.
Decide on one area.

ellenbunch wrote:

Any insight on how specific my inquires should be would be helpful. Still hopeful to find a place, and looking forward to learning more through you all's experiences.  Thanks.

Are you pre-qualified for a loan, or do you intend to make a cash offer?  If so, be certain to inform the listing agent of such.  He or she will want to know that you are serious, and not some tourist wasting his or her time.

If you are in the market for a property selling for less than $150,000 the agent might not be willing to invest much time.  It seems to me that many agents would rather hope to make a single, million-dollar sale than make six sales at $150,000.  If your housing needs are modest, your indication of pre-approval or cash in hand will help even more.

**Edit:  Oops, Rey beat me to it.  Great minds, and all that....

EricDove wrote:

Hey all,

Newbie here!  My wife, Loren, 15-month-old son, Rivers, and I will be moving to PR from Charleston, SC in spring of 2018 and I've already been enjoying the down to earth info on these forums...so thanks!  I'm a full-time audiobook narrator and Loren is a hair stylist.  We're both avid sailors (Rivers already has about 1200 ocean miles under his belt) and are moving to PR to enjoy Caribbean sailing year-round, live a slower pace of life, hopefully get full health insurance coverage again (being self employed and above the income level for government assistance, our premiums are simply not doable for us here in the states), and enjoy a lower cost of living (primarily due to selling our home here to pay off a lot of debts, then renting for a lot cheaper in PR, eventually buying).  Looking forward to chatting with you all and hopefully meeting some of you next year!  Incidentally, we're coming for an explorational/research visit August 28 - 31 and are primarily looking at the eastern end of PR - Luquillo, Fajardo, etc. since those marinas offer the best location for sailing the VI's.  Oh yeah, and we'll be sailing the boat down once we're settled - probably the offshore "I-66" route in case anyone has ever done it and has any stories to relate.

Eric

You'll find great info and meet well minded people that are willing to share there experience and knowledge.


In my Real Estate adventure I get to meet the most wonderful people that I now consider as friends and one of them own a boat business in Fajardo maybe you could get in contact with him.  From all the decks in the island in my opinion fajardo is the prettiest of all.

passandstow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and wanted to say hello.  I wish I had found this site years ago, it's without question the best resource I've come across and I haven't been a member for 24 hours yet!

Anyways, I'm ellenbunch's boyfriend (she posted a few times above), and we are very excited about the prospects of making a move to the island.  Thank you for all of your responses to our questions thus far, it's really cool to know that such a friendly community exists here.

I look forward to talking with some of you soon!

The members from this forum are absolutely very helpful. Great to have you guys here!!

passandstow wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the site and wanted to say hello.  I wish I had found this site years ago, it's without question the best resource I've come across and I haven't been a member for 24 hours yet!

Anyways, I'm ellenbunch's boyfriend (she posted a few times above), and we are very excited about the prospects of making a move to the island.  Thank you for all of your responses to our questions thus far, it's really cool to know that such a friendly community exists here.

I look forward to talking with some of you soon!

You and ellenbunch are both welcome, hope we can help you two make the transition.

Jyee wrote:

Moving from SF Bay Area to the west side of la Isla next month, the wife is calling it a family sabbatical lol

Good to hear, the west side does remind me of California.

Jyee wrote:

Moving from SF Bay Area to the west side of la Isla next month, the wife is calling it a family sabbatical lol

We may be moving to the west side, as well. Hopefully, next month we will be able to go check out Aguadilla, Isabela, Rincon & Arecibo areas. Been to going to PR my whole life but never been past Arecibo so I can't wait to check it out! Best to you and your fam on your move there.

Jyee wrote:

Moving from SF Bay Area to the west side of la Isla next month, the wife is calling it a family sabbatical lol

Welcome to the Group.l and to the island!!