Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Johnny P. emailed the following question “We are planning a small remodel. We want to update our kitchen, bathroom, floor tiles, and windows in our 20-year-old condo. We are not planning any structural changes. Do we need a permit from the municipality for such a small remodel?” Don’t we all…
Why hire a surveyor before your property purchase? Maybe the fence was moved by a neighbor? Maybe the seller never made the effort to check the property boundaries by hiring a surveyor? Should you hire a surveyor before making a Costa Rica property purchase? A great example of why you should hire one is the…
While doing your due diligence before retiring in Costa Rica, you might read that you should rent before you buy a home. Though this might be a great option for some, I will show why this is not always true. Moving to Costa Rica, no matter if you doing so as a business person or…
Planning on searching for home sites in Heredia? Wait a sec, you might not want to. Starting August 2015, there are water restrictions on some home sites in Heredia. We all need water to be able to live and global warming has changed the ground rules. The water supply in some areas of Costa Rica…
Not every property buyer is interested in using the services of professional Costa Rica real estate agents for one of the most difficult investments most ever make: the purchase of your retirement home. Some have an aversion to all sales people which includes real estate agents. Reliable and knowledgeable real estate agents have a Costa Rica…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes A reader asks how what the options are to have property ownership for couples. Thanks to our readership for suggesting a great topic that is so important when you are buying property in Costa Rica as a couple. How can you divide the ownership between couples and what is prudent…
A realtor.com® survey in 2014 found that 17 percent of luxury home buyers say they entered the market because they’re newly retired. The survey shows that 19 percent of luxury home shoppers say a recent success in their career has prompted their home search. If you belong to the first group of luxury home buyers, there…
Quite often, we receive an email from a potential Costa Rica real estate buyer, asking us to send the listing location on Google maps. Real estate agents in Costa Rica, who have a property listed on their website, will never give the exact location of a property for sale. Unless they have a signed exclusive…
ThePlanning to buy a condo? Do you have any idea about Costa Rica condo owner rights? Before you purchase a condo in Costa Rica, from a developer or a re-sale, you should first request a copy of the bylaws. As a condo owner, you have rights and responsibilities that are described in the bylaws. You…
It’s amazing how many expats find out too late that they bring too much household. When you move to Costa Rica, deciding what to ship and what not to ship is a big decision. Almost as big as the move itself. Before you ship your household, I recommend you get rid of what you don’t…
Are you dreaming about Costa Rica property? Sunshine and white sand beaches? Mountains and ocean views? It keeps you awake at night and you can’t get it out of your system. Do you have the guts to make it happen? If you are going through that experience and you would like to make it happen,…
Buying a home in Costa Rica is easy, but what are the costs involved? You already knew, but I’m going to tell you again: in Costa Rica, things are done differently than you are used to. Buying a home in Costa Rica is the easy part. Figuring out the total costs involved in buying a…
Can a surfer become a real estate agent in Costa Rica? It is vacation time again. After a couple of weeks of surfing and living on peanut butter sandwiches, who would want to abandon paradise? Usually, after such a vacation, nobody wants to go back home and thinks of making a living as a real…
Any idea what taxes you have to pay in Costa Rica and when? Probably not… Therefore, let’s give you a Costa Rica expat tax update. In Costa Rica, most taxes and other payments, especially when you have employees, are due between December and January each year. Aguinaldo (Christmas Bonus) has to be paid in December, so…
Wouldn’t you first test the commute before buying a home in Costa Rica? Well, you should! Of course, before you purchase a Costa Rica home for sale, you should do your due diligence. There are several important issues that should be taken into account when you do and one is the commute. Will you be commuting…
Stop suffering and check out our winter homes in Costa Rica inventory online! It’s time to shovel snow again, for those who live way up north. I decided over 35 years ago to move to a warmer climate where there is no snow at all, my choice was Costa Rica. My wife has never seen…