Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Sellers, and sometimes buyers, often ask how long it takes to sell a home in Costa Rica. There are two short answers to this real estate FAQ: If you’re a buyer, we don’t have any data on that here, so we don’t know how long it takes. We don’t have…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes What you should do with the earnest money deposit is a real estate FAQ or frequently asked question for those buying or selling Costa Rica real estate. This question arises because, in Costa Rica, it’s customary for the buyer to give the earnest money to the seller. Local buyers rarely…
Don’t you want to know how much property tax to pay before buying property in Costa Rica? Learn now how much, when, and where to pay Costa Rica property tax, as well as other taxes. After you purchase a property in Costa Rica, you have to pay several property-related taxes: Property Transfer Tax When you…
What is a real estate purchase option and when is it needed? Who writes up this purchase agreement? What should be in this contract? Is it legally binding? A real estate purchase option is a contract where the seller gives the buyer the exclusive right to purchase a specific piece of property. The contract stipulates…
In this blog, I’d like to attend to a question we receive almost daily: what is the construction cost in Costa Rica? I wish the answer was simple but there are many details involved that will change the building cost of a home. Now, in 2019, construction cost in Costa Rica runs anywhere between $70…
A frequently asked question from clients is if the utility costs are included in rentals. It’s a great question because the utility costs can increase significantly. So the utility costs can cut into your budget tremendously. The correct answer to this question is that sometimes it is, and sometimes it is not. The inclusion of…
Visitors on our website often ask if they can get a VA loan to buy property in Costa Rica. U.S. veterans seem to be attracted to living in Costa Rica quite often. Costa Rica is another country and doesn’t belong to the United States. It doesn’t belong to the US territories either. The VA doesn’t allow veteran…
Property owners who live out of the country often ask if they can make property tax payments online. The short answer is yes; you can make your property tax payments online. But, as you probably expected, it’s not as easy as it sounds. The reason is, that you need to have an account at Banco…
A repeating real estate FAQ is how you can safely buy from a real estate developer in Costa Rica. Often buyers of property in Costa Rica do not know how to protect their money. It is not so easy to make sure the promises by real estate developers will be fulfilled. Most real estate developers…
To build a house in Costa Rica is quite a process. We are committed to making the process of your property purchase as smooth as we can. So, before you make any mistakes, let me walk you through the 9 steps to build a house in Costa Rica. 1. Budget What is your budget? Have…
Is renting or buying better is a Costa Rica Real Estate FAQ that you can grow old discussing. The answer to the question if renting or buying is better is not the same for everyone. This depends on a large number of circumstances and options that differ from person to person. It depends on your…
Do you enjoy playing golf and want to know where to find a golf community in Costa Rica? A very important Real Estate FAQ by golf players is the question if you can live on the golf course in Costa Rica or not. As you know, you can play golf in Costa Rica all year…
River setbacks are restricted areas of property surrounding the rivers and creeks in Costa Rica. The law strictly prohibits to build any roads or structures on river setbacks. Prohibited also are excavation, alteration, improvement, grading, landfill, paving, and storage. INVU controls the river setbacks, so they can protect the riverbeds against destruction. Looking to purchase…
An often recurring real estate FAQ Frequently Asked Question in Costa Rica real estate is should I sign a listing agreement? Have you decided to put your property on the market? Then you will want to know if you should sign a listing agreement with a real estate agent or company. There are two types…
real estate FAQ or frequently asked question in Costa Rica real estate is: is the neighborhood safe? Read any Costa Rican newspaper on any day and you’ll find stories about murder, rape, drugs, and robberies. It’s amazing that in my almost 40 years of living in Costa Rica, I have not personally experienced any of…
Is the property seller motivated is a frequently asked question in Costa Rica real estate. A property seller who is really motivated will sell at a much-reduced price. Buyers asking if the seller is motivated always hope the reason for selling a property is something really serious. Like a divorce, a death in the family…