Author: Ivo Henfling

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11 Reasons to live on a Costa Rican golf course

I’m not a golf player myself, but would I live on a Costa Rican golf course? From a real estate investor’s point of view, yes, I would. I’m also quite sure my wife would love a Costa Rican golf course as her landscaped backyard. Studies show that only 30% of the residents of a golf…

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Warning: Chris Schoo of Dutch Grecia Realty is NOT GoDutch Realty

Watch out, Chris Schoo of Dutch Grecia Realty doesn’t belong to our real estate organization. He is not our friend, partner or employee. The only thing we have in common is that he carries the Dutch Nationality and that he works in the same city as Brooke Bishop. Why this warning? Because we have a…

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8 Common condominium bylaw restrictions in Costa Rica

Thinking of buying or renting a condominium in Costa Rica? Then you should know about some of the condominium bylaw restrictions first. Maybe there are restrictions that won’t allow you the living comfort as expected. Bylaws are very important when you live in a condominium. Actually, they can give you a lot more living comfort…

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Costa Rica looking forward to $400 million casino resort for tourism and real estate boost

A casino resort is normally a big-time real estate investment involving millions of dollars. The latest such mega casino establishment to grace the gambling world will not be inaugurated in Las Vegas or Macau. It will be inaugurated right here in Costa Rica. A $ 400 million project known as Casino City Caribe is currently…

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Would you prefer Guaro or a Chiliguaro?

You’ll ask “what’s Guaro? And what’s Chiliguaro?”. Well, it all started with simple guaro. Guaro is a sugar cane – made clear liquor, similar to aguardiente. It was once the moonshine of Costa Rica. Now, it’s fabricated by the state-owned FANAL or Fabrica Nacional de Licores, in Grecia. It is marketed with the name Cacique…

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Smart Guide for buying property stress-free in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Buying property stress-free is like being a mom raising your first kid. It’s almost impossible to keep it stress-free unless you know what you’re doing. Just like parenthood, becoming a homeowner is wonderful, but challenging at first. But most of all, it’s exciting. If you know what you’re doing. It’s…

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10 ways to beat the urge of buying property in the wrong place

Buying in the wrong place can change your life tremendously. Honestly, I’ve met people who have wanted to hang themselves, because of it. I’ve written a blog about that before. Unfortunately, I get listing requests from people who purchased in the wrong place all the time. Of course, they are desperate to sell! You have…

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What is Qué Polada in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes If you want to get along with your Tico neighbors, you really don’t want to commit una polada. You don’t want those Tico neighbors or friends to think that you are a person of little culture and education. Because then you’ll be a polo. Polada = stupidity, an act of…

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10 Types of Expats in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Which type of expats in Costa Rica do you belong to? I saw an interesting survey about types of expats worldwide on InterNations. In 2018, Costa Rica scored # 7 on the best expat destinations. That’s pretty awesome if you see that we’re #7 out of 68 countries. Of course,…

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Awesome Costa Rican hand painted area rugs by Laurel

Most area rugs in Costa Rica have a problem with the humidity. Stop worrying about the area rugs in your house. You can now stop putting those beautiful area rugs away when you have guests coming in with wet feet. Traditional fabric rugs with fiber don’t hold up well in the tropical weather. And imagine…

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Meet your Marijuana friendly Real Estate Broker in Costa Rica

Yes, there is a marijuana friendly real estate broker in Costa Rica: me. I saw this article about Denver residential real estate agent Bob Costello. He launched a Marijuana friendly real estate broker advertising campaign in January 2014. That’s when the state of Colorado legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 and over. Great…

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All about kissing and greeting in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Let me tell you all about kissing and greeting in Costa Rica. Not that I’m a kissing expert… But I do know that people kiss a lot more in Costa Rica than you might be used to. The title of this blog should really be “how do people in Costa…

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Costa Ricans always smell good

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Ricans smell good, at any time of the day. Costa Rican men and women alike, always smell good, as opposed to some other varieties of humans. Now, you will probably say that you always smell good too and that you’re not a Costa Rican. That means you’ve either been…

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What is so special about Atenas valley view building lots?

Did you know that Atenas valley view building lots are incredibly special? Let me tell you all about it, so you’ll fall in love, just like so many others before you. Atenas real estate is pretty well known to expats. That’s because they say Atenas has the best climate in the world. If you’re looking…

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61 Clubs in Costa Rica for when you are bored stiff

Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Single people often need to be a member of clubs in Costa Rica to stay entertained. Couples have each other but often have nothing in common. So they still need to be a member of clubs to have a good time. (last updated on 7/26/2019 – we now have 75…

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7 Reasons we live in a gated community or condominium in Costa Rica

Often, clients ask why it is necessary to live in a gated community or a condominium in Costa Rica. In other countries, residents are used to living in a neighborhood. Of course, we also have neighborhoods in Costa Rica, just like you do. And just like you, we have safe and dangerous neighborhoods. In most…

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