Author: Ivo Henfling

iconwht

How to protect your Costa Rica property rights

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes Now and then, you will read that an expat or a local property owner lost their 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 with squatting…

Continue reading
Financing Property in Costa Ricaiconwht

Financing Property in Costa Rica

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 Most articles are outdated, and few have the correct information.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…

Continue reading
Mandatory property value declaration in Costa Ricaiconwht

Mandatory property value declaration in Costa Rica

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…

Continue reading
Where and how to pay the Costa Rica corporation taxiconwht

Where and how to pay the Costa Rica corporation tax

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…

Continue reading
Is a Free Trade Zone Warehouse or Office in Costa Rica for you?iconwht

Is a Free Trade Zone Warehouse or Office in Costa Rica for you?

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…

Continue reading
Maritime zoning for Costa Rica beach front propertyiconwht

Maritime zoning for Costa Rica beach front property

Costa Rica beachfront property and maritime zoning are regulated by Law N° 6043 and its Regulations. First, read this article if you want to buy Costa Rica beachfront property. Then, if you still have questions, contact a real estate lawyer specializing in concessions. Maritime zoning In a nutshell, this is how maritime zoning functions: The…

Continue reading
IRA Limitations when you buy Costa Rica real estateiconwht

IRA Limitations when you buy Costa Rica real estate

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Yes, you can invest your Self-directed IRA in property in Costa Rica, but IRA limitations can be a downside. Before using your retirement funds to invest in property, you must do some due diligence. Often, custodians of self-directed IRAs will tell you it’s impossible to invest your funds in a…

Continue reading
Closing costs on Costa Rica property, how to calculate and who paysiconwht

Closing costs on Costa Rica property, how to calculate and who pays

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes The Costa Rica closing costs when purchasing or selling a property is just under 4% of the purchase price. When you research, you will find blogs that say 3.5% and others even less. Learn in this article about closing costs, how to calculate them, and who pays for them. It…

Continue reading
Is Moving to Costa Rica a Dream or a Nightmare?iconwht

Is Moving to Costa Rica a Dream or a Nightmare?

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Do you think it’s possible that your dream of moving to Costa Rica can turn into a nightmare? So you see yourself sitting on the covered terrace of your incredible new residence, sharing delicious piña coladas and boquitas (snacks) with your friends while enjoying nature or an incredible ocean view?…

Continue reading