GoDutch Realty’s real estate agents all check property title before listing a Costa Rica property for sale. But, we still like to share our knowledge with buyers and sellers, so you understand better what we do for you. Many of you do not speak or read Spanish and it is not too easy to know where…
A property seller asked what the sales commission and fees are to list and sell a property. The seller’s second question was: what happens if an outside source provides a buyer. So I’m taking advantage of these questions and put it all in one blog. All GoDutch Realty agents charge 5% sales commission at closing.…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Wondering how important a clean house on closing day is? Often, everyone involved in a real estate closing overlooks this because everyone is too busy. Many sellers move out on the closing day, so they don’t have to stay in a hotel the night before the closing. So everything…
Should you place a real estate for sale sign on your property when selling, or not? When selling your property, you want people to know it’s for sale, right! In most countries, you’d list your property with only one agent. Then, that agent will place a real estate for sale sign in your yard or on the…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes How far are you willing to go to buy a second home? Some people drive for days to get to their second home and don’t realize that it is quicker to fly to Costa Rica. How would it be to own a vacation house or a condo in Costa Rica?…
Every day, we receive emails from buyers asking for the property location. Coming from a foreign buyer, this is a pretty normal question. But in Costa Rica, real estate agents refuse to divulge the property location. They won’t until they have a chance to show you the property and register you as their client with…
Selling your home and you don’t want to put up with buyer’s annoying behavior during the showing appointment? Then leave before the agent arrives with the client. Most sellers in Costa Rica have the bad habit to stay at their home during a showing appointment. I allow sellers to say hi at the door when…
Do you want to know if you can afford to buy a home with a pool in Atenas? You really don’t need a lot more money to buy a home with a pool in Atenas than one without a pool, did you know? Before I started this article, I was researching online about why people…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I call myself a 24-7 real estate agent. But am I really? It’s 9:30 pm and my phone rings. The phone number is from Miami, Fl., so I answer. The caller asks if it’s too late to call. Pretty nice of him. Almost nobody who calls after business hours asks…
It does not happen very often, but once in a while, our agents receive multiple offers on a property. The Costa Rica real estate market behaves very differently than other markets. As you probably know, real estate agents here also behave differently. Everything is different in Costa Rica than it is elsewhere and so are…
When in a bad market, and a property doesn’t sell, some sellers want to increase the listing price. Is it smart to increase the listing price, even in a good market? What do other sellers think about this idea? A seller, Kellyfoota, answered a question on the Houzz forum: Is raising the price on your…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes When you get older, the knees cooperate much less, as do some other joints. That’s probably when it’s time you need to buy a Cariari single story home. Why in Cariari might you ask? Well, there are quite some good reasons and even more benefits to buying a Cariari single…
Flipping fixer uppers might seem like an interesting business in Costa Rica. Buying a cheap home that needs TLC, revamping it, and reselling at a much higher price seems simple to do. In some countries, there are people who make a living by flipping houses. Generally, the most difficult part of this business is finding…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Before buying a condo in Costa Rica, you first want to know if there are any vacation rental restrictions in the condominium. There are already some condo owners in Costa Rica who have had their problems with the condo administration about their short-term rental clients in their condo. Some do…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Many expats, before they move to Costa Rica, ask if small town living is possible in Costa Rica. I come from a big city in Holland myself, so I do not have much personal comparison. I can only refer to the experiences of my clients and give you some guidance.…
When keeping up with international real estate news, I always see great international articles about when to list a property. Some experts like Catherine Sherman at Zillow say that it is best to list a property early in the year. Others have very different opinions. Maggie Wilson at Real Estate Daily says it’s best to…