Just curious about the expat scene in Rincon

I don't live in Rincon, but go there quite often. I live about 45 minutes away. I know many people are in the service industry. You meet a lot of waiters, bartenders, etc. Many work on boats, are dive instructors, surf instructors, etc. A great deal start there own tourist type businesses. That place is growing and full of expats. Hope that helps!

Greetings,

  Welcome to the PR Expat forum. First off let me say that the main reason for waking up in the morning is that you live in Rincon! Everything else after that is just icing on the cake. I don't live there yet but I will be soon. Have been there a number of times and am satisfied it's the place to be to live out my days. My wife is from Mayaguez and Rincon is her favorite place. When I go there I will be semi retired and starting a small business with my wife. There are a lot of good people living there both native and gringo. No matter how your day goes in Rincon, you can always round it out nicely with a world class sunset and the sound of the coqui. Go there and visit. You will be glad you did.
  I've been through you neck of the woods many times years ago. I used to live in RI and then Conway, NH. I don't miss the cold up there but I sure do miss hiking through the NE woods and mountains. But I miss Rincon even more.

Gregg

You can check out this website an expat made about moving to Rincón and living there with his family. Guy seems pretty accessible, if you have any questions for him. ca2pr.com

Are there a lot of timeshare companies in the tourist areas?? This has been, up until about a year ago, the industry I built my career in...then the economy and you know the drill, thinking that if I could move to paradise AND be back in the business that I have become so attached to...well, you can't really ask for more

I don't know of any timeshares, but there are a number of condo complexes, and some new ones currently in the construction phase.

I have been living here for 2 months. I bought the property 3 years ago thinking I would retire here at a later time. With the global economic disaster we are now living through,
I can't think of a better place to be. Yes I sold a business and lost a lot of money in that and in the sale of my home. But I don't care. I am tired of trying to live a middle class life in the states. It no longer exists!
Here in Rincon I feel at peace. Don't have a job yet, but every day is a pleasure.
If I have to live near the poverty level, I can't think of a better place to be.
Everyone here is so kind and willing to lend a hand. My husband is from here and his family has been a blessing.
Love it love it love it here!!!!!!

Well said Ranjani.

Gregg

When I was booking my package to come for my first visit...recon...lol The resort that they offered was a Wyndham Resort...the largest timeshare company in the world...so I know they are there, just wondering if there were more options, thanks for your help

MIstyrx, I know that there is the Wyndham Rio Mar and El Conquistador is a Wyndham property, but neither of those are in Rincon. Both are on the other side of the island. I was thinking you meant in Rincon. If you are looking into San Juan, yes there are some. You may get more responses if you start a new topic. Good luck in your journey!  BTW, I think we share the same first name!

I don't live in Rincon, but go there quite often. I live about 45 minutes away. I know many people are in the service industry. You meet a lot of waiters, bartenders, etc.

I read that electricity bills and food costs are sort of high in Rincon.  Does this seem true to you who live there?

I haven't lived in Rincon but I can say that electricity and food costs are very high throughout PR. An electricity bill in excess of $300/350 per month is not unusual if you run your A/C regularly.

Likewise, most food products are imported and are therefore more expensive than most places in the US.

In addition, there is a government-backed diary cartel that keeps the price of milk extremely high ($6 per gallon when I lived there), which of course has knock-on price effects for other domestically-made products that incorporate diary.

Most fruit is cheap though!

I didn't live in Rincon but I spent a lot of time there. I lived in Moca where the electric and food costs are the same, VERY high. And from what I understand the rates have gone up again since I left in July of 2012. Also Rincon would lose their electricity every Wednesday. It was supposedly due to upgrades being done. Don't know if that is still going on. Food is very high as well. The cost of transporting it takes it's toll. Sometimes I would see plantains in the supermarket anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar each. Here in Florida at Walmart they are 15 cents each. And they aren't grown here. My favorite ice cream at Walmart in PR was $7.59 a half gallon. At Walmart here it is $3.58. Gas is about the same there but housing is fairly cheap. We rented a very nice 2,000 sq. ft. 3 bedroom house for $600 a month. But everything else cost an arm and a leg.

I've visited Rincon since 2002 and now have an apartment there; I spend at least 6 months in Rincon, rest of the time in NJ. Rincon is becoming a popular vacation destination; I've met visitors from  Russia, Israel, Spain, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, and other countries, in addition to the US. Most of my expat friends reside in Rincon full time, and I also have puerto rican friends. Rincon is a very social environment with many events and activities and opportunities to socialize. There is also a thriving surfing culture (I started surfing last year). What do expats do with their lives. I (am retired) play tennis, surf, swim, have meals with friends, do laundry, clean my apartment, shop for food, give photography workshops, read, cook. In addition my wife does yoga and zumba. Quite a few expat friends have started businesses: day car center, espresso bar, food cart, yoga instructor, masseuse.

Go to the farmers market in the plaza. It's every Sunday. You will meet some absolutely wonderful people there, especially the vendors. If you meet a vendor named Vanessa please tell her I said hello. She sells vegan cakes and breads.

Gregg

My wife Jennifer and I will be relocating to Cabo Rico in late June. I will be the new Postmaster of that city. I speak very little spanish. We have three children (Berkley 18, Madison 16 and Liam 13). We are very excited but also very nervous. Would you be willing to provide us with some advice or insight into what we can expect? Is it better to rent or buy a home? Private schools? Cars? Pets?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Instead of posting the same message in three different (older) threads it would be better to start a new thread.

Then, please check the name of the place where you're moving to.. I would assume you mean Cabo Rojo?

Bill is this you I guess we look in same places before we make a move Postal

I, myself stayed in P.R. for two months in San Juan. There is always something to do. There's the rain forest, The Music Arts Center. If you research//you will find many things to do and see. There are also many tour guides. They are very full of information regarding the history, etc. of P.R.

My husband and son are going to move to Rincon at the end of June. But, you MUST know..if you've never been to P.R. It is amazingly hot during the summer months. IF you are not used to the heat...Well, Im just saying. IT'S HOT!..

Here's another blog you can check out.  It's a young couple who moved from Colorado to PR a few years ago.

lifetransplanet.com

You're going to love it there!   

Rincon reminds me of Coastal California, so if you like that, you will like Rincon. I am partial to the east coast of PR but we all are different.

GreggK wrote:

Greetings,

  Welcome to the PR Expat forum. First off let me say that the main reason for waking up in the morning is that you live in Rincon! Everything else after that is just icing on the cake. I don't live there yet but I will be soon. Have been there a number of times and am satisfied it's the place to be to live out my days. My wife is from Mayaguez and Rincon is her favorite place. When I go there I will be semi retired and starting a small business with my wife. There are a lot of good people living there both native and gringo. No matter how your day goes in Rincon, you can always round it out nicely with a world class sunset and the sound of the coqui. Go there and visit. You will be glad you did.
  I've been through you neck of the woods many times years ago. I used to live in RI and then Conway, NH. I don't miss the cold up there but I sure do miss hiking through the NE woods and mountains. But I miss Rincon even more.

Gregg

Would you say that the gringos out number the native Puerto Ricans? This is my wife's concern with moving to Rincon. She is Puerto Rican and doesn't want to be the minority in the town she lives in in PR. As she says, “she could live in FL for that.” As for me Im neutral but seeing Im Italian American (adopted and raised by a Puerto Rican family) I am sensitive to her needs. If there's a good balance I think it would be worth checking out.

MRTibbs,
There are more locals than expats, but everything revolves around the expats, the menus are in English, and they treat English speakers very well. I been there and as a local they ignored me most of the time at restaurants and bars. They made it clear I was taking a table that was not for me.

A few blocks away and things change, and locals run those areas. So it depends where you live.

Thank you Rey for clarifying and sharing your personal experience. That is something I would not want my family to experience especially on their own motherland. It helps explain why so many expats love Rincon with the servitude they receive among all that tropical beauty.

mrtibbs wrote:

Thank you Rey for clarifying and sharing your personal experience. That is something I would not want my family to experience especially on their own motherland. It helps explain why so many expats love Rincon with the servitude they receive among all that tropical beauty.

They are going after the money, and the real estate has gone crazy there. During turist season, sometimes they have power and water issues because the systems were not designed for that high level of population using the resources. During the tourist season it is crazy there, restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and beaches are full to the max and getting a parking close to the beach is hard. During the rest of the year is very pleasant and slow.

My wife and I used to live in Rincon, but we moved to Isabela, because we found a great rental property. We miss it, but the higher cost of rent, wasn't worth our staying. We still drive there, weekly, to attend Church, (Church without Walls), and other events.

Ah, then  you must know the previous-previous postmaster, (now postmaster in Rincon). He and his three children moved here, from Alaska. He was assigned to Cabo Rojo, where I believe he still lives. Your families have a lot in common, so that is my recommendation, if you don't already know him. Send him a letter, (Job Security!), at the Rincon P.O.

Mac-