Are there any special requirements for international buyers of property in Costa Rica? One out of every 20 emails I receive from international buyers carries a question somewhere along the line of “Could you please send me the requirements for international buyers please”? Ownership of private property is regulated by the constitution of Costa Rica.…
The reason that I titled this blog with the question if realtors should hold earnest money out of the country? That is because the answer is a double NO. The first NO is that earnest money on a Costa Rica real estate transaction should never go to the realtor. The second NO is that if…
Our agents sell a lot of investment property in Costa Rica to absentee owners and it is often a problem what to do with the rental income. Many investors use their retirement funds to purchase a home for future retirement. Often, our agents or property managers take care of keeping the home rented, short-term or…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes This article will tell you what to do with your earnest money deposit. Was your offer on Costa Rican property was accepted by the seller? Only the earnest money will secure your negotiation. You want to make sure the seller will indeed sell the property to you at the agreed…
Should you select Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately when marrying a Costa Rican? It has become common for US Persons to find love abroad. You’ll often hear of an American moving to Costa Rica and marrying a young Tico or Tica. A U.S. citizen or permanent resident needs to consider a few tax…
See how Paula gets a new Caja carnet. Paula is a Canadian who moved to Costa Rica with her husband quite a few years ago. The Easy Times has had numerous requests from readers to help find a solution to the problem of getting or renewing the Caja carnet. The Caja carnet is necessary to…
To use a corporation to purchase real estate in Costa Rica is a pretty common way. The purchase transaction usually goes through a shelf corporation or newly constituted one, called an S.A. For many years, attorneys recommended foreigners to use a corporation to purchase real estate for several reasons. Those clients took the recommendation so…
Why would you need an exit visa for your car in Costa Rica? If the car is yours, why would you need an exit visa to cross a border with it? Unfortunately, if you ever plan to leave Costa Rica WITH your car, you need to go through the red tape of getting an exit…
An easement is often created to give access to a property. But what happens if that easement is not registered? Should a listing agent worry about it when listing the property? For those who are really into easements, there are many different easements possible. Water, power, drainage and water treatment. Check other blogs on this.…
Do you need the repatriation of a deceased family member? Most of us don’t want to hear this kind of information. But when you plan to live in Costa Rica, getting information about Costa Rica residency and Costa Rica real estate is not enough. When you read this article, do not call us to take…
Are you buying a condo Costa Rica in the wrong place? Before you buy a condo Costa Rica for sale, here are 18 reasons you can be buying in the wrong place. This past weekend, I was showing some condos to clients. While some administrators do not maintain their community and the common areas look…
The property owner stole the city park and hoped the buyer wouldn’t figure it out. I’m sure the property owner sold that property to someone else who did not know what was done. I would like to make you aware that there can be certain issues about a property that will not be seen by…
Should you have a good look at the property survey before signing the check to purchase a property? I bet you do! Learn why. You are ready to put an offer on a Costa Rica property. Have you had a look at the survey map, also called the plot map? You probably have not, but…
Ocean view property in Jaco Beach is definitely your best choice if you’re in the market to purchase beach property. If you have traveled as much as I have, then you know that it doesn’t matter where you are, great views are a premium. When you reserve a room in any hotel you will find…
Last week I received a call from someone who bought a condo in Costa Rica from a developer. He ended up working for them after buying. We had a discussion about the size of the Costa Rica condo. Now he wants to sell the condo he bought there. Which is what made me write this blog.…
For many years now buyers and sellers of Costa Rica real estate have been evading the Costa Rica Property Transfer Tax Law. The seller transfers the shares of the corporation that owns the underlying property to the buyer and this changes everything. By selling the shares of the corporation the parties in a real estate…