Despite all the craziness that’s been going on in the world over the last 12 months, there’s been a noticeable uptick in Costa Rica real estate demand…In fact, I think that the reason for this uptick may in fact be all the craziness that’s been going on in the world over the last 12 months!It seems that many out there view Costa Rica as a safe haven fro...
Let’s face it, so far 2024 has been a bust for the Costa Rica real estate market…Writing as a full-time Costa Rica realtor, when you go through one of these luckless downturns, it’s easy to start thinking, what the F am I doing wrong?And believe me, that thought has been entering my mind too damn much lately. And we all know that such negative thinking rarely...
Doing a real estate deal in Costa Rica is not so different than what you’re used to back home. However, one aspect that can make it seem so is the terminology. I’ve listed below ten Costa Rica real estate terms you ought to know. You will probably hear most of them during the course of your real estate activity in Costa Rica. Some are simply Spanish translations of...
I had an interesting exchange with a fellow realtor the other day. This realtor had reached out to me about “farms” in the mountains of Perez Zeledon. She’s known me for a long time and knew that I usually have a good inventory of these types of properties. She said her clients were looking for properties with altitude, privacy, a nice home and room to grow th...
Often times you’ll hear or read generalizations made about the Costa Rica real estate market as a whole that might just not hold true in all cases.In fact, I even wrote a post about the fact that in Costa Rica, the exceptions are the general rules.One reason that these generalizations might not hold true is because they fail to take into account certain distinctions betwe...
I feel a bit trepidatious to broach the topic of the dreaded “G” word…After all, if you mention “gentrification” in one of the myriad of Facebook groups where wannabe expats go for advice and humiliation, you’ll be met with sneers, snickers and anecdotes about how this or that person knows a tico who’s benefiting from it.Of course, the...
Let’s face it fellow realtors, U.S. presidential election years are not generally friendly to real estate markets anywhere, be it Costa Rica or worldwide!And this is an “election year” like no other in history.Now I’m not going to get political by disclosing who I’m pulling for. I believe many of my readers already have a good idea about that&helli...
After having spent a few years working as a real estate agent in Costa Rica's southern zone, I've started to notice something important. And that is that most agents, especially beach-focused agents, tend to gravitate more towards being seller's agents than Costa Rica buyer's agents.The name of the game for success in real estate in the ultra-competitive beach market is listing...
I’ve always said that in Costa Rica Murphy’s Law works overtime. You know, the one that postulates that whatever might go wrong, probably will.That “general rule” of life in Costa Rica is especially true when it comes to trying to move from Point A to Point B, in a car – and the tighter the time schedule the more certain that the law is bound to ki...
I get questioned often about how the Costa Rica real estate purchase process compares with that of the U.S., or Canada...The truth is, even though there are similarities, it does differ quite a bit. This article will walk you through the 4-strep process of completing your Costa Rica real estate deal.Granted, there are two distinct real estate market processes, one followed by l...
"We all had the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave…So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look west, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark–that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back."Hunter S. Thompson, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas As 2023 com...
Expats aren’t flocking to Costa Rica just for more of the same. Obviously, it’s the lure of something different and more exciting that attracts them…And I’m not talking about the typical differences that come to mind, like weather, cost of living, food, language and general pace of life. All those differences, while appealing, are a bit routine and sort...
The Costa Rica real estate market has witnessed significant changes over the years, driven by foreign investments and evolving market dynamics. In this post, we will explore the historical background, current state, and future prospects of the Costa Rica real estate market.The PastOne word I would use to describe the Costa Rica real estate market of the past is “inefficie...
Generally you’ll find a fairly ordered deal process in areas of the country where there is vibrant activity in the expat real estate market.However, it still ain’t Kansas!There are marked differences in the way things operate down here versus the States.Over my years of orchestrating real estate deals in Costa Rica, I have observed a few commonly repeated mistakes.I...
What is Costa Rica Expat Consulting?You’ve obviously arrived to this site because you have an interest in becoming a Costa Rica expat sometime in the near future. Alternatively, you have an interest in at least owning property in Costa Rica for investment, vacation, or perhaps part-time living.Well, actually accomplishing any of that is easier said than done. And the proc...
