Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes You must have heard about the famous marchamo in Costa Rica. If you own a vehicle in Costa Rica, you have to pay the marchamo once a year. This is paid before the end of December. Let me tell you what a marchamo is all about. Before you read on, check our…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes In Costa Rica, a considerable part of the population lives on property in a condominium. What exactly is a condominium? Is it any different than a gated community? Learn more now to wisely invest in property in a condominium or gated community here. For people who work all day or…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Is an HOA or Homeowner Association legal in Costa Rican gated communities? The short answer is yes if the gated community is legally constituted in the National Register as a condominium. In a legally constituted condominium, the common areas are shared by all the owners of the properties within this…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Before moving to Costa Rica, you better first decide if shipping your household to Costa Rica is what you really want to do. Maybe you want to put your belongings in storage first, rent for a while, and see if you like Costa Rica. Then, the next decision is to…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes If you have assets in Costa Rica, you should also have a will in Costa Rica. That’s the best way to save your heirs an incredible amount of problems. When you purchase a property here, get it done at closing so you won’t forget. If you use a foreign will…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Property buyers often wonder if they need a property inspection and why they should bother. If you’ve never bought a property here, you probably don’t know that it’s not common to inspect a property before you purchase it. Costa Rican buyers do not have any inspection done unless they feel…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes How necessary is knowing everything about rain damage before you purchase property in Costa Rica, and how can you prevent it? The rainy season in Costa Rica starts in May and ends in November. The heaviest rainfall occurs during September, October, and part of November. So, yes, it rains quite…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Are you moving to Costa Rica and wondering how to bring your pets to Costa Rica? They’re family, right? If you have a dog, a cat, a horse, or a parakeet, you will want to bring them with you when you move to Costa Rica. Of course, once you have…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Should you look to purchase a beach home in Costa Rica in a Blue Flag community? And what about cities far away from the beaches? What is a Blue Flag, and why would you want to live in a community that was awarded one? Because a Blue Flag awarded community…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Rican beachfront property is located in the Maritime Zone, or ZMT (Zona Maritima Terrestre), and you should know about certain restrictions before purchasing. We have very little titled beachfront property, so this is very important information if you want to live on the beach. When buying a beachfront home,…
Let me explain why you should relocate to Atenas to escape the rat race. You have spent countless hours searching the internet for the ideal location for your retirement, second home, or investment. You have narrowed your list and have decided Costa Rica is the country for you. This decision is probably based on its…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes What is included in Costa Rica condo fees or HOA fees? Buyers often get scared when they see they must pay a condo fee but don’t realize what is included. Costa Rica’s lifestyle is changing, and people travel more than ever. Security is more critical than ever when looking for…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes As most of you know, I’m not into politics at all, and I’m even less into U.S. politics. Politics is usually not good for business, especially if you choose sides. But I do take clients’ happiness seriously; the reason why I make my living in real estate. And it seems…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes Now and then, you will read that an expat or a local property owner lost their Costa Rica property rights to squatters or thieves. Unfortunately, the Costa Rican judicial system is a bit slow in resolving property rights issues. The system has loopholes allowing the bad guys to get away…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes There are hundreds of articles online about financing property in Costa Rica. Most articles are outdated, and few have the correct information. That’s why you should do your own homework by calling around if you’re looking for a mortgage to purchase property in Costa Rica. Financing property is very easy…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes We found a new place to live – expats will love it. Property is much cheaper than many other locations in the Central Valley. Santiago de Puriscal (most Ticos call it Puriscal – but the locals call it Puris) is a small town of about 13,000 people, and businesses fulfill…