Artboard 2

Let’s go bowling in Cariari

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Great news, now you can go bowling in Cariari, called BolCariari. When I was 12 years old, our neighborhood gang used to play baseball on a large commercial property under construction near my home. The owner of the building under construction invited us to keep visiting after the building would…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Are Costa Rica homes able to withstand an earthquake or not

Are Costa Rica homes earthquake-proof? Should you be afraid the house will fall down on you during an earthquake? It was September 5th, 2012 and a 7.6 on Richter hit us. That earthquake was now almost 3 years ago and has been on the news worldwide. A 7.6 on Richter doesn’t happen very often. This…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Motorcycles and you together on the roads of Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, almost all motorcycles are dirt bikes. And they come out of nowhere in traffic. Motorcycle riders in Costa Rica have no respect for traffic laws; double yellow lines and traffic lights are non-existent. They will get right in front of you at the traffic light, zigzag between cars, and use the sidewalks…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Do Costa Rica listing agents pay attention to bathroom listing photos?

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I’m a Costa Rica listing agent myself but I am always surprised about the bathroom listing photos some listing agents post on their websites. Is the listing agent really interested in selling the property advertised or is it a joke?  And what is the reason for some of my colleagues…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

The Much Too Helpful Homeowner in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes A helpful homeowner is cool, as long as he/she stays out of my way during showings. When I list a Costa Rica home for sale, I always instruct the homeowner what to do and what not to do when we show their house to a prospect. At least I try…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

What are chunches in Costa Rica?

“What about Deco Chunches? That can be a great name for your business” I told my friends. Years ago, I was just starting to work in Costa Rica real estate, I helped some friends who started a used furniture and decoration store to find a name for their store that people would recognize easier. Their…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Drinking habits coming up after retirement in Costa Rica?

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Do you have any drinking habits like this? “Hon, grab me another cold beer from the fridge, will you? God, it’s hot today and it’s making me thirsty”.  It is only 10:00 am and John is ready for his 2nd beer of the day. What else is there to do…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Should a homicide be disclosed by the real estate agent?

“Are you serious, you mean the homicide was right here? And you want me to live here?”  This could be the reproach from a serious buyer who was at a showing with his realtor in Costa Rica. This is not from a suspense novel, written by a client. During the showing, he heard from the…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Should you worry about cockroaches in Costa Rica?

IVO HENFLING | MAY 29, 2015 When I moved to Costa Rica  a while ago, the last thing that came to my mind were cockroaches in my house. The first cockroach I met in Costa Rica was in my house in the Santa Ana mountains and the animal was huuuuge. I’m not so crazy about…

Continue reading
Artboard 2

Is there enough storage in Costa Rican homes?

Do you think there are Costa Rican homes for sale with too much storage space. After 30 years of selling real estate, I still have to see the first one. I’m sure you have all this “stuff”, we call them “chunches” in Costa Rica. El “cuarto de chunches” is the room where you stick all…

Continue reading