Property fraud is a crime committed in almost every country in the world and each country has its own solutions to the problem if property owners cooperate and worry enough about their property to do something about it. Some years ago, in 2008, I started Property Guard, a service to check your property in the…
Did you know that real estate developers and home builders in Costa Rica are never happy with home inspections? They will tell you: why do you want to waste your money on a home inspection! Don’t worry, we will fix anything that doesn’t function. Your request for a home inspection from the developer or builder…
We cannot live without internet access anymore, not even in Costa Rica. In the last few years, Costa Rica has become well known as a luxury paradise that appeals to many people all over the world. Tourists and residents can enjoy a relaxed lifestyle, spectacular beaches, and lush tropical landscaping. Currently, Costa Rican lawmakers are…
If you are looking to sell your Costa Rica property, how does the process work when you live out of the country? The American European Real Estate Group has 25 affiliate offices from coast to coast. We get emails from sellers of Costa Rica real estate who live elsewhere almost every day. Occasionally we receive…
Do you have any idea where to start to find the perfect Costa Rica retirement location? Every day, I get emails from future retirees who are thinking of retiring in Costa Rica and don’t know how to start their due diligence. Retiring in Costa Rica is not something you just do, but where to start?…
Yesterday, we moved to our new house in Costa Rica. It is located in a nice gated community near San Mateo de Alajuela. We are trying to get installed and unpacking things after moving company Mudanzas Economicas Arpo S.A. didn’t give us the service we expected, as I explained in another blog last week. In…
Learn all about the 5 Reasons why the Costa Ballena Luxury Home Market is Alive before you purchase a luxury home. Summer “high-season” just came to an end and that was the busiest I have ever been since I sell real estate in the Costa Rican South Pacific. People came from all over: Canada, London,…
The size of Costa Rica real estate for sale can be a real problem. By law, the size of the property in the National Registry and the size shown on the survey map has to be exactly the same. If you hire the wrong person to sell your property or to represent you as a…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes It is now June, and the Costa Rica rainy season, or green season as we call it nowadays for marketing reasons, has started. As usual in Costa Rica, we have had a beautiful summertime. Because the weather is beautiful most of the time in Costa Rica, many do not realize…
I had the opportunity to a mortgage refinance on different properties in Costa Rica in December last year. So I’d end up with a mortgage on just my house. That way, I’d have the other properties free and clear. With the mortgage refinance I would pay no mortgage administration fees and make a much lower…
Can someone purchase (or sell) in my name in Costa Rica? I am not able to be there in time for the closing. This is a pretty common question we receive from clients. You are ready for your retirement in Costa Rica. Probably you have found the Costa Rica real estate you would like to…
Will foreign industries leave the country? Just before the Costa Rica elections 2014, the rumor of INTEL leaving the country to move operations to Asia has hit the newspapers. Will other foreign industries follow? Opinions are all over the news. These opinions are not real estate related. As an expert on Costa Rica real estate, I…
Do you know it is very important to make your house look good before you put it on the market? It is important for sellers of a Costa Rica house for sale, to know how to sell their properties at a good price. To receive a good price, it is important to have the property…
I have my real estate license in Michigan, so I know what I’m doing”. I’m sorry but you don’t, at least not in Costa Rica. The US doesn’t have a nationwide real estate license either. Costa Rica is another country with a different language and very different rules than the US. Real estate licensing is…
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.…
A strip mall is a great investment, as long as there is a convenience store. Even Costa Rica is now catching up with the rat race up north. Although mostly in the high-density areas of the Central Valley. Small rural towns from yesteryear like Escazu, Curridabat, and Liberia turned into busy suburbia. Bad city planning…