We have been looking on the internet @ rental properties & just checking out what kind of houses are in Costa Rica, I was very disappointed. The houses were like shacks, figure of speaking, & the prices are rediculous for what they are showing. Please tell me there is better affordable housing there than what the net shows. We have read that you can rent for as little as $500 month, does this mean a 2 room house? We are looking in the areas in & around Atenas & Cartago. Cool days. We are coming @ the end of July. Good grief, we don't know where to start. Please advise. Is there someone who is willing to email us with some help?
Thanks.

Be prepared, there are a lot of 'shacks' in Costa Rica.
But there are many lovely homes, so I don't know what you have been looking at.
Go to For Sale By Owner which carries a whole spectrum of homes. From a cheap but descent house to the most luxurious you can imagine.
A question for you though. Have you ever been to Costa Rica? I can't remember what you have already posted.

No, we have never been. We want to retire there, but want to come & stay at least 3-4 months before we make any kind of move. When we do decide to buy we want to stay under $100k so we can do some kind of remodel. But we just want to rent for the first year or so, just want to have a place before we get off the plane. Trying not to get the horse before the cart. Thanks for your help.

You need to get here first, this is not the States. You will find very few deals on the net.

Shopping the internet for any sort of real estate transaction is, in general, the worst possible place you can look.

The exception is the La Nacion, which of course is in Spanish. With a little help from Google Translate you can manage your way through it reasonably well.

I have looked at the For Sale by Owner web site. It is probably the most reasonably priced of all of them, but still you are dealing with people that for the most part are looking to get top dollar from a "stupid Gringo" that does not know any better.

I mentioned 'For Sale by Owner' really just for them to look at and see at a glance what is out there. It is a very easy site to visit.
I don't agree with your statement "dealing with people that for the most part are looking to get top dollar from a "stupid Gringo" that does not know any better."
When anyone sells a house they want the best deal for themselves, and this is only natural, but for the most part they are not looking for 'stupid gringos' just someone wanting what they have to offer. And like any home sale, offers can be put to the seller.
We sold our home through this company, and never advertised it 'way above it's proper value'. Most who use this site, are/were trying to save paying a commission to ex-pats who are working here illegally as you know that this is what many of them are doing, and I bet all of us who live here know someone that this applies to.
Better selling it yourself than letting or finding out after the fact that your 'agent' has added whatever he feels like to make a bigger deal for himself. And we have all heard this too.
Although there are legal agents, both Tico and people who have their permanent resident status, they are few and far between.

*I should have added, that since we2rready really have no idea where to start looking they need someplace to start. I would suggest they find a company/concierge that can give them the help they want and that they not expect/rely on BB members to be able to find them a place to live.
Recently on this site someone was asking about renting, and mentioned that by the time they contacted the owners/company the rental has been 'snagged' by someone else. They should consider a hotel/guest house for a few weeks as a base to search the surrounding areas that they have only read about in books or on the internet.
I do not mean to offend you, we2rready, but wish you the best of luck.

I agree with sabo941, its really little bit difficult to find good deal over internet. Try to move there and the search.