Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes If you’re moving to Costa Rica with your children, you want to know all you can about the international schools and the educational system here. The country has a reputation as a place where families can go to give their children a taste of living in a different culture and…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Sometimes, a lovely person becomes an angry seller that realtors don’t want to work with/for. It is surprising what selling a house can do to very nice people. I’ve told you about this perfect seller before. I love working with motivated sellers. I know; it’s like looking for the perfect…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that Costa Rica is a top scorer on the Happy Planet Index? And that we’ve been so, every year, since 2006? Costa Rica has scored #1 on this Happy Planet Index (HPI) from 2007 until 2019; you can download an excel sheet with all the HPI details:…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Information floating on the internet seems to give property buyers the impression that property sellers in Costa Rica accept half the asking price. Is this true? Some buyers express that they find the prices all over the place. Well, yes, prices are sometimes all over the place. And that can…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I decided to create a home buying guide so you can get the max out of Costa Rica’s laid-back feel and lifestyle. Quite a few foreigners end up wanting to call Costa Rica home. Property in Costa Rica is still very affordable, and property isn’t hard to buy. There are…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Are you a future ex-pat ready to move to Costa Rica and do you want to go native? Then you better read this. Often, those who plan to move to Costa Rica don’t want to live in a gringo neighborhood. They really want to live amongst the local population. I…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Water filters are the go-to means for keeping a clean water supply in a home in Costa Rica. You’ll find the most incredibly well-tasting water in most locations in the country. But during the rainy season, your water supply might not be as expected. Unfortunately, some homeowners avoid water filters…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes We have come up with some passive ideas, so you can be busy after retirement and still make some extra income. Sitting at your pool all day will last only so long. Many of those who have worked hard their whole life and suddenly have too much time on their…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Did you know that Costa Ricans have two last names? When born, children are registered in the civil register with the father’s surname first and the mother’s as the second surname. If you come from a non-Latin American country, it’s hard to figure out why Costa Ricans have two last…
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes Looking for free apps you can use in Costa Rica? If you’re a tourist or an English-speaking resident, this blog should interest you! You’ll be surprised how much assistance these free apps can give you in Costa Rica. Many of us now live with our phones in hand, all day…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Can you possibly buy a house with bank or owner financing and no money down in Costa Rica? Is that possible? The short answer is no unless you do it illegally. And believe me, it happens. I recommend against it. If you are selling your house and a buyer or…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes One of the foremost concerns when selling your property is getting a fair sales price. It’s likely that you’ve lived in that house for years and invested quite a lot in making it a beautiful and comfortable place. In short, that property has both monetary and sentimental value; it’s only…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Can you trust the home inspector to do a good job when you buy a home in Costa Rica? Will he be on your side? A client asked me that question some time ago, which left me speechless. I know that she is reading this blog. And I want her…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Property owners in Costa Rica are often not realistic about the listing price of their property; so I decided to publish the five most common listing price objections. Listing a Costa Rican property for sale can be a lot more complicated than you think, no matter if you’re a motivated…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes Did you know that in Costa Rica homes are sold “As-Is”? In every country real estate laws are different and Costa Rica is no exception. The purchase of property is handled differently in Florida than it is in France, or in Thailand. I have seen hundreds of different purchase sale…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Should you first rent instead of buying so you can feel at home? First, do your due diligence before you do anything at all! You might read someplace that you should rent first before you buy. This works for some but doesn’t for everyone. And there are reasons for that.…