saysme
American looking for information about Puerto Rico
Forum posts
61
About me
American
Lives in San Juan
Registration: 25 November 2018
Managing mailboxes or PO boxes in Puerto Rico by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Something as simple as receiving mail can become a whole new experience when you settle in Puerto Rico as an expat. Mailing management can indeed be different from what you are used to. In order to help other expats and soon-to-be ...
@CherylForwarding mail to Puerto Rico is a nightmare. The problem seems to be on the Puerto Rico side. If you try to use the U.S.P.S online mail forwarding, invariably you are informed that U.S.P.S. does not recognize the Puerto Rico address. ... Read More
Furniture removal by GuestPoster11302
I am planning to move next month from San Juan back to the U.S. and can鈥檛 find anywhere to dispose of my furniture. I have a bed, desk, dining room table, etc. Does anyone know of a trash removal company or someone in need of some apartment ...
CALL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND SEE IF THEY WILL PICK IT UP. Read More
Building permits by lenausa89
Hello everyone! Who applies for the building permits in PR? We were told the Ingeneer does and not the builder. Is it the case? thank you
Oh, same deal as in the states. Yes, we call them expediters in English. They save you from the hell on earth that results from pulling any permit anywhere. Read More
Building permits by lenausa89
Hello everyone! Who applies for the building permits in PR? We were told the Ingeneer does and not the builder. Is it the case? thank you
@GCSchmidt12Are you talking about a plans expediter? Read More
Building permits by lenausa89
Hello everyone! Who applies for the building permits in PR? We were told the Ingeneer does and not the builder. Is it the case? thank you
You yourself can apply for a permit as as owner-builder and then hire a project manager who reports to you to oversee the job. This protects you in case you need to fire the contractor. The job will go on with a new contractor and you will control ... Read More
Accessing live U.S TV shows by saysme
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ...
Thanks guys. i signed up with Sling and managed to get what I wanted: live and DVR. Good price too. Read More
Accessing live U.S TV shows by saysme
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ...
But isn't it the Dish satellite that is providing access to TV streaming? Read More
Accessing live U.S TV shows by saysme
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ...
Direct TV is the one that blocks live channels from U.S. in P.R. All I can do is record and play back. Do you get Sling and Hulu etc. through a dish or an app? How are you accessing 'satellite' TV? Read More
Accessing live U.S TV shows by saysme
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ...
Are you talking about installing a dish? Read More
Accessing live U.S TV shows
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ... Read More
U.S. Cable or Streaming Access
Does anyone know a way to access a live stateside TV lineup? Liberty's "English-language channel lineup" is a joke. I have been streaming stateside TV using an Apple TV but I cannot get 'live' channels. I can only record what I think I might want to ... Read More
calm water swimming beaches by open water swimmer girl
We are planning to visit the island to explore places to move/relocate. We want to focus on visiting areas that are near or on calm water beaches good for distance swimming. Looks like the west coast is good for surfing. Are there also calmer areas ...
Depends on the shark species. I scuba dive in the Caribbean and have seen divemasters actually play with nurse sharks by grabbing their fins. They are harmless and plentiful. You need a shark guide chart so you can differentiate among the species. ... Read More
Long term rental by EliCabi
Hello all, I鈥檓 moving to PR sometime between March and May of 2021. I鈥檓 going to be renting while I look for a house to purchase(12 months). When would be a good time to start looking at rentals? Or any advice in general on renting.
@vanescalera聽Can you contact me directly please? Thanks. Read More
Long term rental by EliCabi
Hello all, I鈥檓 moving to PR sometime between March and May of 2021. I鈥檓 going to be renting while I look for a house to purchase(12 months). When would be a good time to start looking at rentals? Or any advice in general on renting.
I am the person who started this rental thread looking for a place as Saysme. I would be interested in CR. I have been looking there but agents are unreliable in terms of response. Please let me know about the house. Thanks. Read More
Transporting pets using Amerijet by Nolarosebud
I鈥檓 relocating to San Juan for work and am considering shipping my dogs via Amerijet. Has anyone else used this service? Thanks!
You need to try Ebeneezer. The rates being quoted are usurious. Read More
Transitioning help needed by jillmedina
We are struggling trying to get anyone to answer any of the phone numbers we have been given and hoping to somewhat group all of the questions in one post here: 1) how did you ship your household good here from the mainland and what was the cost? ...
Beware of Seguros Multiples. I had a car accident and they were a nightmare to deal with. No one spoke English. They do not bother to use email and you can spend hours on hold trying to get someone. They canceled my policy and handed the premium ... Read More
Building Permits in Puerto Rico by CoachTrana
We have purchased land near Aguada on the beach. We have received a bid for building a home from a local company. The bid includes Schematic Design architectural $5,950 Construction Documents $4,462 Construction ...
Thanks! Great help. Read More
Building Permits in Puerto Rico by CoachTrana
We have purchased land near Aguada on the beach. We have received a bid for building a home from a local company. The bid includes Schematic Design architectural $5,950 Construction Documents $4,462 Construction ...
Is the 10-12% fee solely for design and plans, or does it include project management as well, if you know? Thanks. Read More
Rio Mar/Rio Grande Condos by JoeJon
Considering moving to start the 2022 tax year. I speak no Spanish. I prefer to not live in San Juan even though I know it has the most English speakers. I know Dorado and Palmas del Mar are the other recommended locations from people moving from ...
AND, Palmas cleans up the sea weed and dead fish off the beach. Not too shabby. Read More
Building Homes in PR by Live2sparkle
I have seen a few posts from people who have built a house or will build a house on the island. Rey, I know you have a beautiful lot that you posted a photo of. And a few others, whose names escape me at the moment, have mentioned building. I am ...
How does one pull a permit in Florida for new construction without calculations showing the windspeed the structure can withstand? I think YouTube's a little off. Read More
Looking for a bank account that can be set up from the states by jillmedina
I am trying to establish a bank account in PR that would allow us to have visa and most importantly ATH access. Has anyone been able to set up an account while being physically in the states? We will not be on the island for apx 2 more months.
Banco Popular (BP) does not have Zelle to connect to my stateside Chase account. The only transaction I am allowed to do is transfer/send funds from BP to pay my Chase CCs but I cannot send money to deposit in my personal Chase account (or vice ... Read More
Doing business in an Act 60 LLC before the Grant is approved by William Cameron
I can鈥檛 seem to get an accountant to respond to me. It鈥檚 Puerto Rico, 馃榿馃榿 I have an LLC and it is in the process of being reviewed for the Act 60 grant. I would like to know if I can begin to do business in it while ...
What exactly, if anyone knows, is PR looking for during the application process? Is the IRS involved? If you were living in PR operating a company incorporated stateside prior to filing for the grant, is PR residency held against you even though ... Read More
Building Homes in PR by Live2sparkle
I have seen a few posts from people who have built a house or will build a house on the island. Rey, I know you have a beautiful lot that you posted a photo of. And a few others, whose names escape me at the moment, have mentioned building. I am ...
Lisa, The mountains won't save the house from windstorm and earthquake. Only building codes will, and that's what you get with new construction. Read More
Dealing with mold and/or mildew by Claudid
Mold or mildew due to not living in Puerto Rico full time. Any suggestions on dealing with it? Usually happens from June to September when we don鈥檛 visit the condo .
It's not about you. It's about arresting mold development. If you leave it at 76 in the summer, it will not be cold enough to overcome the mold when it's 90 degrees outside in the daytime. What do people do without AC? They live with the ... Read More
Dealing with mold and/or mildew by Claudid
Mold or mildew due to not living in Puerto Rico full time. Any suggestions on dealing with it? Usually happens from June to September when we don鈥檛 visit the condo .
The AC should be left running at about 72 degrees, 24/7, regardless if you are there. All windows/doors closed. You could distribute bags of DampRid where the mildew is the worst but with AC, you shouldn't need them. Read More
Purchase a home in Puerto Rico by darcybrookins
My husband is in a wheelchair so we found a handicap beach in Lugillo and love the area. How do we purchase a home here? We tried two homes and realtor says 'no available.' Discouraged.
Prepare yourselves for a long haul but be aware that a lot of houses, recently renovated, are owned by Banco Popular. They might even be willing to make ADA changes for you if it will close the deal. Talk to one agent, not several, and make it the ... Read More
Home builders by Ana R. Knote
Buying a parcel of land in Naguabo. It's on a downward slope. Looking for builders or even prefab concrete home sellers.
Personally, whether or not I were in Puerto Rico, I would also hire a project manager to guard the chicken coop. I would never rely on the bank or the contractor to complete the work timely and to code. The project manager, usually an architect, ... Read More
Transporting pets using Amerijet by Nolarosebud
I鈥檓 relocating to San Juan for work and am considering shipping my dogs via Amerijet. Has anyone else used this service? Thanks!
I tried but couldn't use Amerijet. Their flights take off at midnight from Miami - S.J. There are no civilian flights on AA or any other airline at that hour. So, the owner cannot sync a flight with the animal's. Essentially, you need 2 ... Read More
Getting our dog to Puerto Rico by Kurt Gowdy
My name is Kurt and my wife and I are moving to Puerto Rico when I retire in about 5 months. We are trying to find out what options there are for getting our dog to Puerto Rico. Our dog, Maya, is an American Eskimo and weighs about 50 lb, so we ...
Ebenezer quoted close to $900 to ship a 50 pound dog San Juan to Miami. Out of my league. Not clear if it includes the crate (probably not). American charges $200. Read More
Getting our dog to Puerto Rico by Kurt Gowdy
My name is Kurt and my wife and I are moving to Puerto Rico when I retire in about 5 months. We are trying to find out what options there are for getting our dog to Puerto Rico. Our dog, Maya, is an American Eskimo and weighs about 50 lb, so we ...
Hi Chris, Ballpark, what do they charge for a 50 pound dog, if you know? Read More
Getting our dog to Puerto Rico by Kurt Gowdy
My name is Kurt and my wife and I are moving to Puerto Rico when I retire in about 5 months. We are trying to find out what options there are for getting our dog to Puerto Rico. Our dog, Maya, is an American Eskimo and weighs about 50 lb, so we ...
Well, I transported a cat in cargo. Be careful about the weather. American Airlines will not fly the animal if the temperature exceeds 75 degrees. I flew in July and they made me wait with the cat FOR HOURS in Miami Airport until the temperature ... Read More
Apartments by Maine 2004
Hello I'm thinking about moving to Puerto Rico but I'm retired and I have an income of 1200 a month is that enough to live comfortably in Puerto Rico thanks
There are apartments here for $400 mo. that include elec. and water. Not great neighborhoods in San Juan but if you move out east or west (i.e. Humacao), the neighbors improve. Most apartments in this price range lack appliances, so you may need to ... Read More
How to pick up our shipped car from San Juan Port? by liuyi9509
Hi I researched everywhere but I couldn't find answer for this. We are using https://www.puertoricocartransport.com to ship our car from states. It is door to port service that we need to drive it home ourselves from port when it arrives. However, ...
I drove my car around San Juan for two weeks before getting registered or insured. I still had the Florida plate on the rear. I was never pulled over or ticketed. Then I drove out to CESCO in Carolina and changed the title from FL to PR, and got a ... Read More
Moving Back... by TAMISHA12
Hello All, I'm not necessarily new, but haven't been quite active in awhile. My name is Misha and my family and I briefly lived in Condado 5 years ago, and will be returning next year. This time, we'd like to like in Aguadilla, ...
You could try Pet Airways. It's expensive but may be the only alternative for that size/breed. They have retrofitted planes so that animals fly inside the plane itself, not in cargo. The staff is devoted to caring for the pets from drop-off to ... Read More
Long term rental by EliCabi
Hello all, I鈥檓 moving to PR sometime between March and May of 2021. I鈥檓 going to be renting while I look for a house to purchase(12 months). When would be a good time to start looking at rentals? Or any advice in general on renting.
You can start by looking on clasificados.com for largo plaza rentals. You are expected to fill in information in the little pop-up box as to where you wish to move, size of apartment (determined by number of bedrooms). It can be tricky if you ... Read More
Where/how to report medicare/medicaid fraud by individuals in PR?
Report it to the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. They have a website with a drop-down menu for Fraud. HHS manages Medicare/caid. Inspector General is the watchdog (and the ones that are currently being fired). Read More
Where/how to report medicare/medicaid fraud by individuals in PR?
An online complaint to whom? To which agency? Read More
Moving companies from US Mainland to PR? by Sobedani
Hello happy expats. We are planning our move from Florida to Palmas Del Mar in April and I am wondering if any one has recommendations on moving companies. We I鈥檒l need movers to load and unload on both ends. Thank you, Danielle
They are either very good or very bad because they use contractors, not their own trucks/employees. So, for example, they didn't want to send a contractor to Naples FL to pick up my stuff until there was another person who wanted to move from ... Read More
Moving companies from US Mainland to PR? by Sobedani
Hello happy expats. We are planning our move from Florida to Palmas Del Mar in April and I am wondering if any one has recommendations on moving companies. We I鈥檒l need movers to load and unload on both ends. Thank you, Danielle
I tried using Rosa del Monte. They turned out to be horribly disorganized and they misled me on for than one occasion regarding pickup dates. I finally gave up on them.. You might try contacting Crowley and seeing if they move furniture. I know they ... Read More
Importing a shipping container house from mainland US to PR by JakeWhiskey
Hello All, newbie here. I'm Jake, and I am considering moving to PR. I was thinking about building out a shipping container as a house here in Colorado and then shipping it down there. Does anyone have any experience with importing a prefab ...
You need to make sure your container will stand up to 185 miles an hour of wind once it is assembled. Otherwise, you won't have a home to return to after a hurricane. Read More
CHEAPEST WAY TO SHIP CLOTHES, ETC by cab2345
As the title suggests, looking for the most cost-efficient way to ship my clothes and other small items to San Juan should I decide to move there. Went to UPS.com for an initial quote, but wondering if there was a cheaper method. Any suggestions ...
Hi Don, I stopped by Home Depot but they weren't very helpful since you have to buy the drums on line. Any particular one you recommend that doesn't come with a spigot? I am concerned about how the top fits: I wanted it very secure like ... Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
Is the car tax included in the fee charged by the Hacienda when the car comes off the ship? Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
OK. As an American relocating, do I understand correctly that I do not owe customs duties on possessions I bring in? Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
I have been following your advice, Rey, as I am moving to P.R. in the next few weeks. I am hoping you can shed light on the 55 gal. drum you mentioned for shipping. Is it an industrial steel drum? What type of top is required to lock it down? The ... Read More
The pet culture in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hey everyone, Pets are an integral part of a lot of families. So much so that they would never consider moving abroad without them. Before doing so, it would be important to know the pet culture in Puerto Rico just to make sure that their little ...
I see affluent Puerto Ricans buying purebred Golden Retriever and Dachsund puppies while packs of starving (and friendly) dogs roam the streets. Makes you wonder about the P.R. mentality.... Read More
what to bring by laalinda
What are some things that you moved to PR that maybe you really didn't need? Should I bring my furniture or just buy when I get there? Small appliances- toaster, blender, crockpot? dishes? linens? As well, what are things you wish you took with ...
Rey, I seem to recall you mentioning using 55 Gal. drums shipped through Rosa de Monte a few months ago, and paying $40 in customs. Do I recall this correctly? I will be moving in a couple of months. I'm trying to figure out how to get ... Read More
Clearing your belongings through customs in Puerto Rico by Priscilla
Hello everyone, During one聮s big move abroad, shipping personal belongings to the host country can be stressful. Customs regulations differ from one country to another and you never quite know what to expect when trying to recover your belongings ...
Please try to be more precise, as it is difficult to follow your story. You said you expected the Hacienda bill for your car to be $8000 and it turned out to be $6000? Is that what you were trying to say? Might I inquire, what is year, make and ... Read More
CHEAPEST WAY TO SHIP CLOTHES, ETC by cab2345
As the title suggests, looking for the most cost-efficient way to ship my clothes and other small items to San Juan should I decide to move there. Went to UPS.com for an initial quote, but wondering if there was a cheaper method. Any suggestions ...
Wow! Thanks a lot! Seems to be the cheapest I've seen. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get 400 funds into the drums themselves. Read More
CHEAPEST WAY TO SHIP CLOTHES, ETC by cab2345
As the title suggests, looking for the most cost-efficient way to ship my clothes and other small items to San Juan should I decide to move there. Went to UPS.com for an initial quote, but wondering if there was a cheaper method. Any suggestions ...
Please clarify. It reads as though Hacienda charges some sort of $40 excise tax on the 55 gallon drum. Is that correct? What did Rosa del Monte charge to ship the drum itself, and from where? Thanks. Read More