Most homeowners in Costa Rica don’t even think about fire and earthquake insurance and if they still have to pay the mortgage after their house was destroyed. You own(ed) a house in Costa Rica. This house was destroyed by a natural disaster or fire and you are paying a mortgage. What should you do? Can…
Amazingly enough, homebuyers are sometimes their own worst enemy without knowing it, until it’s too late. It speaks for itself that most homebuyers only purchase a home only once or twice in their life. Therefore, it’s not really their fault. Is it? 1. Love the house Homebuyers who express their feeling too easily to a…
Your first due diligence when buying land or a property in Costa Rica is to request the zoning or certificación de Uso de Suelo for that particular property. The certificación de Uso de Suelo is extended by the engineering department at the Municipality where the property is located. Each city has its own zoning plan…
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…
Sellers often complain that real estate agents only promote a property on their website and don’t do anything else. Well, yes, that’s where buyers look for real estate nowadays. AND, it’s not so simple as it looks. Yes, the past is gone, it is no more. The time that we had no more options than…
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…
Are you trying to sell a 40 year old home in Costa Rica? Then you’re in trouble. Selling a 40 year old home in Costa Rica is an almost impossible task. Unless you’re willing to give it away at the cost of the land deducting the cost of demolishing the house. You will find very…
Starting a business in Costa Rica is easy. But successfully starting a business being an expat son otros 100 pesos. Translated into English: a whole different ballgame. It’s sad to see how often people think they can just move to Costa Rica, and make a good living by starting a business. Many return home with nothing…
How can you assure yourself of a low HOA fee when buying a condo in Costa Rica? Condos have an extra cost of ownership, which most houses do not — the condo association fee. When buying a condo in Costa Rica, you might expect a low HOA fee and not exorbitant fees. If you purchase…
It’s amazing how well seniors use the internet on a daily basis. In fact, the World Wide Web is the perfect tool for a senior to do research on the most incredible topics. 99% Of our clients do their due diligence on moving and retiring in Costa Rica. Also, a huge amount of seniors use…
If you are over 50 years old and move to Costa Rica, there are a few things that you should consider for your retirement dream home before you buy or rent. Some people are still quite fit when they’re 90 years old. Others, as soon as they retire, start having all kinds of medical problems.…
It is so easy to love Tamarindo Beach, but do you know why people do so? Have you not been to Tamarindo Beach yet? Well, here is a list of 12 reasons to love Tamarindo Beach, and why you should choose this incredibly beautiful part of the North Pacific to purchase a beach home in…
It’s amazing how many emails we receive from future expats who ask about financing a business purchase or a startup. Lots of people who would love to move to Costa Rica but don’t have enough money to start or buy a business to make a living. A great option for those who don’t have enough…
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…
Don’t you agree that homes with exotic hardwood cabinets look better? Well, they also sell better! Hardwood is not so easy to find anymore, not like it was in the 1900s. Nonetheless, homes with exotic hardwood cabinets are still loved by many home buyers in Costa Rica. Our agents get special requests from homebuyers that…
I encounter unprepared property owners quite often, but they’re only a few minutes away. I don’t list properties that are more than 10 minutes away from my office anymore. Lazy? No, not really. Just getting sick and tired of so many unprepared property owners. And I’m not willing to drive 30 minutes to get there…