Ivo’s Blog by Godutch Realty

a Costa Rica real estate blog

In Costa Rica we drive over the dead - speed bumpsArtboard 2

In Costa Rica we drive over the dead – speed bumps

Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes We have speed bumps in Costa Rica, lots of them. And often won’t even see them until you hit them at full speed. In Spanish, they call them “muertos”. The translation of un muerto is a dead person, but it is also a speed bump. I know, it’s a strange…

Read more
How important are nearby amenities in your home purchase?Artboard 2

How important are nearby amenities in your home purchase?

Estimated Reading Time: 13 Minutes Often homebuyers in Costa Rica forget to check on nearby amenities before they fall in love with a house. Are nearby amenities important to you? Or is lots of sunshine enough for you when you move to Costa Rica? Are you unsure whether you’d like to live in the Central Valley…

Read more
Top 11 Places to Visit Before Retirement in Costa RicaArtboard 2

Top 11 Places to Visit Before Retirement in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Before retirement in Costa Rica, you must determine if our country is your best choice. Only by doing your homework, you’ll learn which country fits your requirements to retire to. Before you travel, you can visit this site for the Costa Rica safety report. Once you have decided Costa Rica…

Read more
How to be the Perfect Home SellerArtboard 2

How to be the Perfect Home Seller

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Last week, I showed clients of another agent a property I recently listed and found the perfect home seller. This was probably the first time in my real estate career that I met a seller who really cared about her property, making an effort to want a buyer to fall…

Read more
6 Reasons for NOT paying household employees once a monthArtboard 2

6 Reasons for NOT paying household employees once a month

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know that you’ll all be better off when you pay your household employees every week instead of by the month? Most of the time, I find new topics for my blogs while being with clients shopping for a home in Santa Ana. This time, my clients and I…

Read more
Costa Rica English language churches and religious servicesArtboard 2

Costa Rica English language churches and religious services

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes There is a large population of English-spoken expats in Costa Rica looking for English-language churches and religious services. I was born and raised a Catholic and I believe in God, though I stopped going to church many years ago. But I learned to respect the beliefs of everyone else. So…

Read more
Christmas traditions in Costa RicaArtboard 2

Christmas traditions in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Christmas traditions in Costa Rica are probably not what you are used to.  You can prevent culture shock by learning what Ticos do during the Christmas holidays and where they go. Christmas Eve in Spanish is Nochebuena. Adjusting to another culture is one of the most challenging things to do…

Read more
28 Solutions to Cons of Living in Costa RicaArtboard 2

28 Solutions to Cons of Living in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 12 Minutes I always see blogs from realtors about all the great and positive things. Most sugarcoat their reporting, but I see never one that shows the cons of living in Costa Rica. I am well known for giving it straight up, although some don’t like it. I think Costa Rica is…

Read more
Costa Rican punctuality, also known as Tico TimeArtboard 2

Costa Rican punctuality, also known as Tico Time

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rican punctuality, or the so-called Tico Time, will be an essential part of your lifestyle as soon as you live in Costa Rica. Tico Time is being comfortable with NOT being on time for a date, a meeting, or an appointment. This means the person is taking the liberty…

Read more
Why is treating Ticos like shit not rightArtboard 2

Why is treating Ticos like shit not right

Amazingly, you’d be surprised how many “gringos” treat Ticos like shit. Because they’re stupid, they’re ignorant, they’re uneducated, dumb, or idiots. First, Ticos are not like that; even if they were, you should be ashamed of yourself if you’re one of the name-callers. I know I shouldn’t use bad language, and I apologize for the…

Read more