Michael Richter
@motomataru
American expat in Puerto Rico
Forum posts
49
Contacts
5
About me
American
Lives in Caguas
Registration: 20 July 2010
Sense of humour in Puerto Rico by Bhavna
Hello everyone, Should we set out to explore Puerto Rican聮s culture through its sense of humour? Indeed, if one is planning to settle in the country, it is best to understand the cultural codes governing humour in order to avoid any ...
"Somos un pueblo burl贸n..." a friend of mine once posted. "We are a mocking people." In general, people on this island like to laugh. There's even a popular Christmas-time song-game to make extemporaneous, limierick-like ... Read More
How to bring your car to Puerto Rico by Bhavna
Hello everybody, If you exported your car to Puerto Rico, were there any formalities that needed to be completed beforehand? What were they? What is the best way to export your car? Is there a limit on the number of vehicles, or perhaps the ...
We shipped our car from Chicago in a container. From what I recall, there were no formalities. One must pay a fairly significant tax to pick up the car on this end -- a protectionist measure, I suspect, to the large dealership industry here. We ... Read More
Speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Spanish is essential for a successful integration in Puerto Rico. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Spanish? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a ...
Try yelling "auxilio!" ;) Read More
Speaking Spanish in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hi everyone, It is widely agreed that speaking Spanish is essential for a successful integration in Puerto Rico. Do you agree? Share your experience! Do you speak Spanish? If so, where did you learn this language? Where can one attend a ...
I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the need for Spanish to find work here. The straw the broke the camel's back? When they wouldn't hire me to edit English documents because "no dominas espa帽ol!" In general, ... Read More
Keeping up with the news in Puerto Rico
I've found two options in English: the San Juan Star, a storied paper whose brand still persists, and Caribbean Business. I prefer the latter, as the copies of the former I've seen were badly proofed. The Spanish papers serve me mostly for ... Read More
NYT Article that Matches My Experience Well
Most articles/policies I read have been spun by the Island's politicians or those benefiting from their policies. This one better matches my personal perception (ignore the technical fallacy w.r.t. the Jones ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
To my mind, the current push to revive agriculture makes much more sense than heavy industry. The prices of the inputs are not inflated by the Jones Act and Puerto Rico needs the food security (I think something like 15% of the food consumed here is ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
Bad idea. PR has no access to cheap energy or steel. Right now, it's not economical to even recycle steel cans. It's Manos a la Obra all over again. Since it's not economical but the government wants it, they will subsidize this losing ... Read More
Bomba part of our African culture by ReyP
Unlike in the US mainland where there are divisions between races, in PR we celebrate each of our cultures including the African coulture. Like in the US, Africans were slaves, but they got their freedom and we all integrated, here is a video, watch ...
I have a music teacher friend that plays bomba. He says salsa is cultural colonialism. :) Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
It is almost certain non-residents who don't really see Puerto Rico as part of the US will not "do right" by the Island. Although I welcome a new perspective that takes the financial issues seriously, I doubt matters will be handled ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
What did they expect? Sovereign states cannot avail themselves of Chapter 9, whatever the statehood people and independentistas say. One can't intentionally run up an unpayable debt to maintain size of government, as the populares did, and then ... Read More
Decay
The electrical infrastructure here has decayed so badly that practically every day there's an explosion in the neighborhood. Today it was my turn. The high tension wire insulator behind my house simply fell apart, provoking three explosions. Of ... Read More
You MIGHT No Longer Be an Expat If...
- You demand pigao with your rice. - You know what punchline is coming when someone says, "Llegu茅 en mi Dodge..." - You can identify all fifteen types of verduras under your salt codfish stew. - You come to a one-year-old's ... Read More
PR Government Blows Off Its Taxpayers... Again
The last line of the notice I posted above seems to indicate that Hacienda has not made the processes for electronic filing yet -- which didn't stop them from disallowing paper filing. I usually use third party software to file. It is also not ... Read More
Spanish language classes in Puerto Rico by frogrock
Has anyone taken a Spanish language course here in Puerto Rico? I am looking for a college course, or something similar. I want something 'in person' and not online.
I'll have to check out UPR again. I looked all over when we moved here, including there. Seems many times the offerings were canceled for lack of interest. Por fin, aprendaba en la calle. But, of course, there are giant holes in my knowledge, ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
They did this with the child tax credit, after all, leading to all sorts of abuse (selling children's social security numbers, etc.) The authorities here don't care, because it's money from taxpayers not from here. Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
Exactly. People keep saying it's an economic problem, but the larger problem is political/cultural. The governors DID know. The previous one made a big show of austerity to win the love of Wall Street (but actually raised the debt). He earned ... Read More
Puerto Rico's Sovereign Debt Crisis by NomadLawyer
Well, Gov. Garcia Padilla has [url=http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/business/dealbook/puerto-ricos-governor-says-islands-debts-are-not-payable.html?referrer=]admitted[/url]what many of us have known for sometime: Puerto Rico cannot pay its debt ...
Apart from some exaggerations meant to pander to this magazine's right-wing evangelical readership, I think this article is dead on. http://www.worldmag.com/2015/12/puerto_rico_panic I think this crisis, like the continuing anemia in the US ... Read More
PR Government Blows Off Its Taxpayers... Again
One way to avoid paying back excess payroll taxes taken: don't allow the filing of tax returns! https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/8432316/Screenshot%202016-02-03%2012.56.26.png This after the same department was just reported last week as ... Read More
4 Months Living in Puerto Rico...This is what I have learned so far by hct408
I wrote a post a couple months ago detailing my thoughts on Puerto Rico after having lived here for three weeks. We are now four months into our stay here and I have more to add. I guess, I want to point out that I think of expats who live here as ...
I have to say that people here are not gratuitously rude the way they can be stateside. Maybe about 1 case in 50 for acting in a professional capacity but not speaking Spanish fluently. Now compare that with someone doing ANYthing most elsewhere in ... Read More
Electric bills... by damisme
As we are researching areas to live and as I read more about the electric "crisis" on the island I have sort of a "not so smart" question regarding monthly costs. The home we are considering is very close to the beach. Does it cost more for ...
I heard solar packages were generally $25,000, which not coincidently was the amount of a PR government subsidy. Installations had a "season" before the subsidies ran out. I'm not sure the subsidies are still available -- the best way to find out ... Read More
Expat blog gatherings in Puerto Rico by Julien
Hi all! What about meeting the other Puerto Rico 大咖福利影院 members in real life? Organizing an 大咖福利影院 meet up would be an excellent way to know them! :) An 大咖福利影院 meet up can be a diner gathering, having coffee, a bring and share in a ...
What do you play? Every year around the holidays I pull out the old guitar and make a nostalgia pass through my book of English carols. Read More
Internet for Gaming and Downloading in Vega Baja? by preguntonontrack
Hello, i have been living in Puerto Rico some years now and i moved to Vega Baja for a good work i got. I have been using this last year Claro DSL. For Six months i have been calling their support because i am having slow connection problems, ...
We had Liberty at the old house. It was fine up until about two years ago, when the Internet started dropping, sometimes so frequently we couldn't get a connect. Then we had months of technicians visiting, replacing cabling, modems, etc. They ... Read More
anyone else a magnet for overcharges? by a_c
I seem to have an extra amount added to my bill every where I go in PR, and the amount is usually the same, almost $20 - is this common on the island or am I being singled out somehow??
Very strange. Tips (la propina) work the same as continental US: they're typically not automatically added unless it's a large party. Were they cover charges? I've never gone anywhere here fancy enough to charge them... Maybe post a scan of those ... Read More
Should I move back home? by Guelo
Hi everyone, I decided to post and get some feedback on my specific situation. I noticed that on this forum most people do give thorough responses with real information backing both their positive or negative comments and I hope to achieve the same ...
Hey Miguel, Three years ago, we did just what you're contemplating, though it was I, the husband, who spoke no Spanish. Even with contacts, it took over a year for my wife to find a permanent job, half the salary, not really what she was doing in ... Read More
Taxes by Twallin8
Hola! I am considering moving to PR to open a business and I'm curious about the tax implications of this. The revenue of the business will be less than $500,000. I will retain my address in the US and the business will be registered/incorporated ...
I wrote a summary last year for this site: /en/guide/central-america/puerto-rico/5847-paying-taxes-in-puerto-rico.html A couple of the US tax filing chains are established in PR. The preparers there are familiar with both tax ... Read More
A one-way ticket to Puerto Rico. by ThePogo
First off, thank you to everyone who has answered the questions of everyone else on this site. The other posts have all been very helpful! I am 22, living in Utah. I speak Spanish fluently(although not perfectly!), but plenty well enough to live ...
If you're LDS, you could try to build things through that. I had an ex-pat LDS family as clients last tax season, but unfortunately cannot remember their name or the name of the business he's established with his brother here. EDIT: and actually ... Read More
Parting Thoughts (my own personal experiences and opinions) by GreggK
Puerto Rico- A beautiful, idyllic Island Paradise. Who wouldn't want to live here? Relax in a hammock overlooking the ocean and drinking pina coladas all day, enjoying the fabulous night life of San Juan. Man, it doesn't get much better than that! I ...
I think there's a lot Gregg left off his list! I'd summarize it this way: 1. PR is an island. This quite naturally worsens the spread between economic opportunity and prices. This has an impact on social and civic institutions. 2. Outside of San ... Read More
Buying property in Puerto Rico by Christine
Hi, can a foreigner buy property in Puerto Rico? If so, is it complicated? What is the process of purchasing a property in Puerto Rico? Any tips for buying property, such as a check-list of items to verify ? Thanks in advance for ...
Last month we paid an electrian $1000 to REPAIR our meter. Seemed a little steep to me, especially considering that he did not find the two-inch hole in the pipe on the roofline that's letting water pour in. It took a couple days, too, because he ... Read More
New here...considering move to PR soon and looking for a good school by theJilly
Hi, my name is Jill and my husband and I are negotiating an expat position for him in PR. If all goes well, we'll be moving in the next 1-3 months, I think. We will probably end up in the Humacao area, and I am looking for a private school ...
Hey, there's actually a good Internet resource for this sort of thing! Kinda rare here... http://www.colegiosdepr.com/pueblos/humacao-0.html Seems like there is an option or two for you. Besides The Palmas Academy, Eastern Bilingual School and The ... Read More
New here...considering move to PR soon and looking for a good school by theJilly
Hi, my name is Jill and my husband and I are negotiating an expat position for him in PR. If all goes well, we'll be moving in the next 1-3 months, I think. We will probably end up in the Humacao area, and I am looking for a private school ...
Humacao's a nice town. I worked there last year. It compares to a large US town -- shopping malls, close to the coast, Las Palmas (the old military base turned resort). Many English speakers there because of Las Palmas. Speaking English is ... Read More
Island Gardening
Hi, I am curious.. how long did it take your kailan to grow?I can't remember exactly, but in general things sprout quickly (compared to stuff planted in Spring in Illinois). Read More
Opening a bank account in Puerto Rico by Julien
Hi all, is it difficult for expats to open a bank account in Puerto Rico ? Which documents are required to open a bank account in Puerto Rico ? How long does it take to open it ? Is there any restriction for expats regarding the services ...
The ONE thing that caught us by surprise is that there's a NINE day hold on checks from US banks. Nothing like having no access to all your money for a week-and-a-half... So we've maintained our US account along with the PR one and use internet ... Read More
Moving to Puerto Rico.... by ajvazquez
Hello, I have been reading all the post here....some very helpful, some not so helpful, some is really discouraging! They will not change our minds....We are going to move to Puerto Rico with in the next year. (hopefully right after Christmas!) My ...
Rosa del Monte has a branch in Chicago that we used. Still a little distant for you guys... Another consideration for your stuff; unless you will have A/C in PR (a big if considering how expensive electric is right now -- we have friends paying ... Read More
Moving to San Juan in September by chucknevers
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Hey Chuck, You've gotten quite a bit of good feedback. I have a couple additional observations to add. 1) Is San Juan bearable in July and August?I lived most of my life in DC and Chicago, both (former?) swamps. It's hot here, but with even the ... Read More
PR more expensive than NY?
Oh, sorry. The links are maps of summarized economic survey data for Puerto Rico and New York, respectively. The maps show yellow areas where living (and transportation) expenses are below a certain threshhold percentage of median household income ... Read More
PR more expensive than NY?
http://htaindex.cnt.org/mapping_tool.php#region=Caguas%2C%20PR&theme_menu=0&layer1=23&layer2=24 http://htaindex.cnt.org/mapping_tool.php#region=New%20York%2C%20NY&theme_menu=0&layer1=23&layer2=24 'Course, if you expect to make a NY salary in PR, ... Read More
Authentic Mexican Food Truck What do you think? by Katira
Hey all, My fam. and I are planning on a business venture out in PR. My Husband is Mexican,I am Puerto Rican, after our vacation in April 2010 he fell in love with PR. He is a Great Chef and he had the idea of starting a "lonchera" or food truck ...
There's definitely an interest on the island in Mexican food, and Ponce is a relatively sophisticated town. In our little barrio around Caguas we have both a street stall with enchiladas and a higher-end place that is "Mexican-inspired." Other than ... Read More
Moving to PR thinking of living on our boat! by Flipsid
Hello, We are living in Columbia, South Carolina US and are thinking about taking a job opportunity in PR. We have a 14 year old daughter who will need school and we also have a boat in which we plan to stay in at the start. Questions: 1. Good ...
Welcome to the blog, Flipsid, Just wanted to weigh in on one point. 4. Our spanish is very very bad. We would like to enroll in some local classes/groups.If you'll be in San Juan, you're in luck. There's one or two programs there. One is out of ... Read More
Income tax for expats
The tax exception is for certain employees of US government. See www.irs.gov/publications/p570/index.html for details. I don't have a recommendation for gated communities -- there's a lot of them and they do vary. Our town is quickly turning into a ... Read More
Island Gardening
So, what have people had good luck growing here? I'm not much of a gardener, but got collard greens, kailan, and basil going. Amaranth died off before I got the drip hose on it, but the lone survivor now taking off. Squash, most the tomatoes, herbs ... Read More
Income tax for expats
Income tax: It's complicated because you'll either pay to the US or to PR depending on where your income comes from. I haven't had to pay PR yet, so can't compare. Medical/Dental: We just signed up self-insured family at $275/mo to Triple-S, the ... Read More
Any opinions about the Caguas area? by Photogal10d
We will be moving to PR in August, to the Caguas area. We will be living in a gated community. I have been to PR, but while there, Caguas was merely a place to stop for gas while running other places. :) Can anyone tell me a little more than the ...
If you're not already here... Caguas is a largish and heretofore fairly well-run town. As Gary said, there are many large chains there familiar to people from the US: WalMart, Home Depot, Krispy Kreme (for Pete's sake)... The previous mayor (who ... Read More
Fabric and craft store in PR by Paet Burcham
I am wondering if fabric shops like JoAnn Fabrics and etc. are to be found in PR? Also craft stores such as Michael's. Any info would be appreciated. We will be living in the west of PR.
There's a craft store here in Caguas -- little mom & daughter place. My wife tried to do Stampin Up demos there, but they were a little too disorganized for her. Up Rt 30 from San Juan, off at Plaza Centro exit, take a right on big avenue just past ... Read More