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,…
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 a vacation home, a retirement…
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…
Let the buyer beware or “caveat emptor” when building or buying a house in Costa Rica. It’s incredible how so many buyers do not hire an expert to make what could be the most significant investment of their life. Would you hire a cardiologist to see if your teeth need repair? Would you hire a…
Estimated Reading Time: 11 Minutes Do you want to know everything about taxes in Costa Rica? We’re now in 2024, and the information below is updated. In this article, I will cover what type of taxes the local government charges and when they must be paid. You must pay taxes when you work, own a…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that every Costa Rica property owner must present a property value declaration every 5 years? Probably not, eh… In most countries worldwide, property owners receive notice from the tax authorities that they have to pay their property taxes. Not in Costa Rica, though! Like many other things…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you know where and how to pay the Costa Rica corporation tax, or “Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas“? The Costa Rica corporation tax was approved in January 2012 and went into effect on April 1st, 2012. Many foreign buyers own property in a corporation, which is a practice that…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Be well-informed about the free trade zone and its locations before renting or purchasing a warehouse or office space in Costa Rica. In this article, you will find the advantages and disadvantages of being in a Free Trade Zone or “Zona Franca” in Costa Rica. Let’s first tell you what…