Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The first offer syndrome can create huge havoc during the buy-sell process. Often, a listing stays on the market way too long and unnecessarily. Again and again, our affiliate agents see sellers reject the first offer they receive and not even come back with a counteroffer. Some take low offers…
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: 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…
Costa Rica beachfront property and maritime zoning are regulated by Law N° 6043 and its Regulations. If you want to buy Costa Rica beachfront property, first read this article. 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…
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…
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…
Did you know that your due diligence when buying from a developer completely differs from buying a house or apartment already built? Have you ever put money down on a real estate project that did not happen? I did, and I’m a seasoned real estate broker in Costa Rica and have lived here since 1980.…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Our Heredia affiliate, Xinia Salazar, wrote this handy property checklist a few years ago. It needed updating, and I would like to share it with you. When you buy a property, there are details you won’t find out until you hit on a problem or when it’s too late. For…
Have you fallen in love with a house in Costa Rica, and you can’t sell your house? Some want to make an offer on the house here before they have even put their own house back home on the market. Others have tried to sell their house for a while, but nobody bites. If you’re…
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…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 MInutes The other day, a client was looking for a recreational farm. All our agents are bi-lingual; some of us are even polyglots. But sometimes, they miss the nuances of a language. The agent asked: “I would like to know what you mean by a recreational farm so I know what to…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Without a proper vacation rental management solution, it is almost impossible to maximize the return on investment. A vacation rental property can be very lucrative, but it’s not a given. Our agents sell a lot of vacation rental beach condos to investors who live abroad or in another city. Managing…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know you cannot build on a property without the water company approving water availability? Wikipedia makes a very important statement about the water resources in Costa Rica: Urban development continues to increase the pressure on water resources, and the use of water and groundwater, in particular, is becoming increasingly…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Buying a home is always overwhelming, especially in another country, and an interior design consultant can be your solution. For many, the issue that is the most challenging is a lack of design vision – the inability as a buyer to see past an ugly wall color or cluttered rooms…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Buying a house is a significant investment, so here are a few important questions to ask before buying. You first want to know what you’re getting yourself into, right? This article gives you some valuable insight from U.S. industry expert Levin Rinke Realty, they are always there to help you.…