I guess because I had my fill of tourist traps having grown up in one - Myrtle Beach, S. C. - I've always lived in Costa Rica locations where local culture predominates.My first decade was spent in the Central Valley area, where the capitol city of San Jose is located. I ran a tourism company for many years, offering packages that included diverse locations. I thought I s...
If you're considering an investment in Costa Rica real estate, the most important decision you have to confront is "where."This post breaks down key investment zones with pros and cons of each, according to the "humble" opinions of yours truly... Central Valley This is the area of the GAM (gran area metropolitana), which is where around half the country's entire population li...
Last year the Costa Rica real estate market was hamstrung by uncertainty...The uncertainty of the 2024 election.So far, 2025 also seems hamstrung by uncertainty...The uncertainty surrounding the now known result of the 2024 election.However, why the continuing uncertainty? I mean the guy is just doing everything he told us he was going to do. Did people just not believe him?Her...
In my southern zone real estate market there is a firmly established deal structure. It is laid out in my Costa Rica deal process article.But is this process the only way?No, it's not...But it is the most prudent way for expats (meaning foreigners) to do it when international money is involved (meaning deal funds both arriving and exiting from/to the exterior).The other way is...
Actually, the subtitle to this post is a tad misleading...Because in Costa Rica's southern zone real estate market, you can sort of have your cake and eat it too...That is, you can have both mountains AND beach.But can you really? That question really gets at the heart of this post.You see, we do have a coastal mountain range that hugs our gorgeous Costa Ballena. It's what...
There's often a misunderstanding between Costa Rica real estate agents and their foreign customers about setting up showings...For instance, I'm often contacted by buyers who want me to set up showings last minute. That's when I have to educate them on how property showings are different in Costa Rica.For one thing, most of the time the properties the client wants to see are in...
Just a few days ago Donald J. Trump took the oath to become Number 47...And his first few days back in the drivers' seat of U.S. power have been, well, what comes to mind is the "Tasmanian Devil" in those old Merry Melodies cartoons.As many of my readers are probably aware, I predicted a strong real estate market in Costa Rica this year, mainly due to Trump's pending election.W...
I'm often asked, how essential is it to speak Spanish in order to live in Costa Rica?It certainly helps, but it's not entirely necessary.Costa Ricans are very patient with non-Spanish speakers. And most communicate quite well with English speakers. Many actually do speak it. And many who don’t have learned how to manage rudimentary conversations.I'm also often asked wheth...
Over the 25 years that I've lived in Costa Rica, I've seen dramatic improvements in infrastructure, especially with Costa Rica's roads.Nevertheless, compared to the U.S., Costa Rican roads are bad.In many areas of the country, the main road might be paved and quite good, but virtually all secondary roads will be dirt.And in some cases, a paved road can be worse than a dirt...
Since many of the folks making decisions to move to Costa Rica are what I would call "political refugees", the question many probably are pondering is, what's the political climate in Costa Rica?As a newly minted expat, even one with a residency, temporary or permanent, you won't be able to vote in Costa Rica elections. To do that you must take the step of actually becoming a c...
The 2024 election is finally over!And, while I’m certainly not happy with the result, I can't say that I'm really all that surprised.Previous posts have revealed the depressing effect the election was having on the Costa Rica real estate market.Election years always provoke a lot of uncertainty and that usually doesn't bode well for real estate buying decisiveness. And th...
That's a bit odd since there seems to be so damn much of it! I mean, its one of the rainiest places on earth. There's certainly no shortage of fresh water rivers, creeks, and springs.Nevertheless, Costa Rica takes the issue of water very seriously.One of the areas of real estate that can be most confusing for expats is how all these water laws and regulations might affect the p...
You’ve been diligently searching in the Costa Rica real estate market and have finally found your dream property.Your buyer-agent drafted an offer (or letter of intent) and after a bit of back and forth, it was accepted by the seller.What’s next?The next step is for you, the buyer, to choose an attorney to represent you in the deal.The very first task of your attorn...
Understanding where you as a buyer stand, in terms of negotiating power, in the Costa Rica real estate market essentially means understanding what type of market you're dealing with.Just like real estate markets everywhere, there are essentially two types:Buyers' markets - where supply (properties) exceeds demand (buyers);Sellers' markets - where demand (buyers) exceeds supply...
Costa Rica has been near and dear to my heart since first arriving in 2001. However, 15 years ago something happened in Costa Rica that changed my life, forever. I married a Colombian lady named Lily!And ever since then, Colombia has also been near and dear. I’ve made month long visits there ever since and even before we were married on November 29, 2009.I’ve notice...
