Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes After looking around for months and house-hunting day and night, have you finally found your new home? Congratulations! Relocation is a long process, and after looking at so many different houses and apartments, I am sure you found the one you love most. But, you never know how everything will…
Don’t “fall on your face”, like so many who moved to Costa Rica before you, when buying or renting a property. Protect yourself, your family, and your money. Learn about everything you should NOT do when you buy, or rent a property in Costa Rica. Participating in this legal due diligence seminar is the best…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Climate change and becoming Carbon Neutral is #1 on the agenda of some. For others, some of the largest nations, it’s not important. Costa Rica is in a financial crisis and the cost of living is more expensive than ever before. But Carlos Alvarado is trying hard to put the…
A participant in Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica Tour asked me if Resident Registration of home address necessary in Costa Rica. Chris and I looked at each other, both thinking the same thing: great question! It’s really something I never thought about because home addresses are so messy here. It’s so bad, that if…
Angela Passman, a long-time supporter of the American European real estate network wrote an interesting article about proper pet travel on her Linkedin account. Thank you for allowing to use your article, Angela! Flying with your dog can be stressful and proper pet travel is important. Here is a 6-step checklist to prepare for property…
Starting a new business requires a lot of hard work, determination, and a learning curve. Starting a new and doing business in Costa Rica, as a foreigner, can be complicated, and often frustrating. But most of all, especially if the new business is your own, it takes balls. Big balls. I know, I started my…
Caribe Sur real estate is not for everyone. Some people just hate surfing, snorkeling or just lying on the beach and sip piña coladas. It’s all about a lifestyle! Do you know what the Caribe Sur in Costa Rica is? The Caribe Sur is Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean region. It starts around Cahuita and runs…
I really enjoy reading discussions between expats if moving to Panama is a bad idea or not. I enjoyed Ivo’s blog about Bill who could not consider Costa Rica for retirement but prefers moving to Panama instead. I am not sure his neighbor in Vancouver has been to Panama recently, but I go quite often.…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Future expats don’t know where to live in Costa Rica before they move here. So often they just send emails to realtors. “I want to live in Costa Rica, send me listings.” You might think otherwise, but it’s not so simple. Sometimes they don’t even realize that Costa Rica is…
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…
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…
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…
The 3rd greenest country in the world is Costa Rica, did you know that? If you fancy lush evergreen forests, constant sunshine and fresh air, then you may find the sandy beaches of Costa Rica just the right place for you. The country is not only a true eye – candy for the adventurer, but…
A rent a car agency charged a client $2,500. We always recommend our Costa Rica real estate clients, to rent a car and to get to know the country a bit. Researching the different areas of the country is what you should do for yourself before retiring in Costa Rica. Many of my clients, when to…
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…
The next boom is on. Costa Rica tourism and Costa Rica real estate are ready to be in the mind of millions. Thanks to the Costarican national soccer selection, the world is talking about Costa Rica. The first time that happened was in 1987 when President Oscar Arias Sanchez won the Nobel Peace Prize for…