Traditional Costa Rican Christmas food
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Traditional Costa Rican Christmas food is probably much different than what you used to eat during the Christmas holidays when you grew up. Getting used to local food in Costa Rica might be more complicated than you think, as Tico’s taste buds are very different from yours (and mine). The…
Eat Tamales at Christmas time in Costa Rica | you must try them
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Have you tried tamales made in Costa Rica yet? Unfortunately, we’re no longer making tamales for Christmas; my wife is on a diet. And tamales make her fat, she says. So, I guess I’ll have to buy a couple of factory-made tamales in the grocery store. For many years, during…
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. This country is definitely not boring during Christmas time; there is plenty to…
Why Rivers have Setbacks – Victims of Flooding
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you know why rivers have setbacks? There is a fundamental reason for that. It is raining more and more every year. It rained more in 2024 than ever before I moved here in 1980. It’s more water in a shorter time, and the soil is not able to suck…
Who says it does not get cold in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes Who says it does not get cold in Costa Rica? Of course, it does. Compared to the temperatures in some other places, this is still paradise. Many of us who have moved to Costa Rica come from cold places. Most of us relocated because of the nice weather, which is…
Frustrated with getting Utilities Connected in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Getting utilities connected in Costa Rica can be a frustrating process, especially for newcomers unfamiliar with the country’s bureaucracy and service delays. Buying a property in Costa Rica is a relatively simple process. However, the challenges to getting utilities connected often begin with the language barrier, as most communication with…
8 Unusual things housekeepers in Costa Rica do
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes This week, I want to share some interesting habits of housekeepers in Costa Rica—things that might seem unusual to us, who come from different backgrounds but habits that are entirely normal to them. These actions stem from cultural differences and unique lifestyles, which expats must understand before hiring a housekeeper…
Do you think I can sell my Cariari home for a million dollars?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Sellers often ask me, “What can I sell my Cariari home for?” The Costa Rica real estate market is quite vibrant. Like other markets, it can move up or down quite suddenly, as many have witnessed. Nonetheless, prices of properties here don’t move much most of the time. There are…
27 Perks of Living in Atenas
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know there are a ton of perks of living in Atenas, Costa Rica? What was a quiet little village is now one of the largest retirement destinations in Costa Rica. Don’t get scared; only a few thousand retirees live in Atenas, I’m sure you can handle that! There…
How to Purchase Property with Cryptocurrency
You can purchase real estate in Costa Rica with cryptocurrency like bitcoins; you only need to know how to do it. At GoDutch Realty, we have found the legal solution. It’s legal in Costa Rica to trade crypto, own the currency, and provide crypto-related services because no law currently prohibits these activities. Nonetheless, cryptocurrencies are…
11 Ideas That Will Help To Sell Your Home In Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes You can avoid making mistakes by following these 11 ideas to help sell your home in Costa Rica. Selling a house can take years for different reasons. So, what can you do as a seller to sell your house as fast as possible? The short version is to clean up…
Do you need a Tourist Visa or Residency to live in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes U.S. Citizens and Canadians do not need a tourist visa or residency card to enter Costa Rica as tourists; they only need a valid passport. Most Europeans do not need a visa to enter our country either. They’re lucky because Costa Ricans need a visa to go to their countries…
Costa Rican weather and temperatures: what you need to know
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I’m sure you already know that the Costa Rican weather is one of the country’s most attractive advantages. Nonetheless, you might not know that the weather and temperatures can change tremendously from one village or town to another. A friend sent me some very cold-looking photos of snow-covered roads, rooftops,…
Premium Costa Rica Home Purchase Advice by Buyer
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I have some home purchase advice that I’m sure you’ll like. My wife and I learned a lot when we bought our home in Costa Rica, and I’d like to share this advice with you. I am TicoNuevo and moved to Costa Rica in 2013. This is one of the…
Legal Obligations when Owning a Corporation in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know you have certain legal obligations when owning a corporation in Costa Rica? Corporations are used to do business and often to hold property. For many years, lawyers have recommended that foreigners use a corporation to own property in Costa Rica for liability reasons. Money laundering laws have…
Why does Costa Rica not have a good real estate MLS?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Costa Rica has never really had a well-functioning real estate MLS system. Real estate licensing is not mandatory in our beautiful country. This is why the two existing real estate boards have never been able to create one. Although, maybe it will happen soon… What is a good real estate…
An Overview of Internet Service in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes Internet service in Costa Rica has been available for many years now. It might not be what you are used to and might not be at the same cost, but it is available almost everywhere, especially with the Starlink option now. Of course, before you buy a home from us,…
Active Adult communities in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you looking for active adult communities in Costa Rica? Then it would help if you read this blog to understand how different our retirement market is from the U.S. and Europe. I often get emails from clients in the US and Canada looking to retire in another country. They…
The Indigenous Games
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Did you know there are The Indigenous Games in Costa Rica? When Tribal Elders recognized that many of their young indigenous members had a poor perception of their future and had few or no goals, a solution was sought. It was from that exploration that the Asociación De Mujeres Indígenas…
How can sellers prepare for a buyer needing a bank mortgage?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes When selling to a local buyer, there is a good chance that the seller will purchase with bank financing. If you want a smooth process and do not get stuck with unknown procedures, follow the recommendations in this article. If only one real estate agent is involved, especially a Godutch…
Having Patience is Mandatory for Expats in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I’m pretty sure that a Tico or Tica came up with the saying, “Patience is the mother of all virtues.” The Spanish word for patience is “paciencia,” which is easy to learn; start practicing now. In my first years of living in Costa Rica, I was always surprised to learn…
The wrong approach when looking for property on your own
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Many foreign buyers make the wrong approach when looking for a property on their own in Costa Rica. This mostly happens because they want to save themselves the realtor’s commission or they don’t believe the realtor’s expertise is necessary. Unfortunately, there are many pitfalls when buying a property in a…
How to pack your dishes when moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you really want to pack your dishes when moving to Costa Rica? What makes you think you want to bring your dishes? I can only imagine what else you’re going to bring with you. You must really adore your dishes, but if you insist, here is how you can…
Geriatric Care in Costa Rica: Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes As the population of older adults continues to grow worldwide, the demand for quality geriatric care in Costa Rica becomes increasingly important. In Costa Rica, a country known for its natural beauty and welcoming communities, efforts to meet the healthcare needs of its aging population are gaining momentum. This article…
Is Costa Rica paradise or hell?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rica is hell for a lot of people that I know of. They tell me all the time: Hell, it’s beautiful here – hell, the food is excellent here – hell, the women are beautiful here – hell, I’m having a great time; Costa Rica is paradise. via GIPHY…
Shopping at the Puriscal Farmers Market
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Ah, it’s Saturday morning, my day for shopping at the Puriscal Farmers Market. It’s 7:30 as I head into Puriscal for my weekly visit to the feria (farmers market). I prefer going early before the large crowds arrive, so I still have time to attend to clients to show a…
Pet culture and stray dogs in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Until recently, dogs were not part of most families in Costa Rica, nor was there any pet culture at all. Now, almost everyone has one or more pets at home. Some years ago, people were complaining that in their condominiums, dog owners wouldn’t clean up the poop their dogs leave…
All About Costa Rica Property Tax
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes The annual Costa Rica property tax runs from the 1st of January until the 31st of December. You can pay the property tax quarterly. The percentage of the yearly property tax is 0,25%, as regulated by Law 7509. The correct way of calculating the Costa Rica property tax or impuesto…
What’s up with the Corporation Tax Costa Rica this year?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes If you own an active or non-active corporation, you will want to know how much corporation tax Costa Rica (in Spanish: impuesto a las personas jurídicas) must be paid this year. The 2023 corporation tax 2023 must be paid before January 31st, 2024. Those who fail to comply with this…
What makes Living in Escazu Unique?
Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes Do you know what makes Escazu unique? Living in Escazu is different than it is elsewhere in Costa Rica, anywhere, really. I moved to Escazu in the 80s, when we had cows and horses in the streets. Now, living in Escazu is comparable to urban living in other parts of…
Parking your car in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes You’d say, “What is so difficult about parking your car”? It seems simple, but let me tell you a few things. It might save you from getting a ticket, having your tag taken, or getting your car scratched all over. Once you move to Costa Rica and drive your own…
Back home we do things differently
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes So, you did things differently back home? Well, guess what? They do things differently in Costa Rica than you are used to. Who says that the way you do things is the correct way? I see expats get mad too often in the grocery store, the bank, the hospital, the…
What NOT to pack when you move to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes What and what not to pack when you move to Costa Rica? Probably half the stuff you plan to pack you do not need. But there are other things that you don’t see the need to bring but you might kick yourself in the head later. The title of this…
Costa Rica escrow and real estate closing
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes What is Costa Rica escrow, and why should you use escrow for a real estate closing? Is it really necessary? The Costa Rican authorities don’t want you to purchase a property with a wheelbarrow full of money. For many years, cash purchases happened all the time. Worldwide, authorities want more…
9 More Crucial Points NOT to become an Unhappy Seller
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes When selling your property, it’s crucial to NOT be an unhappy seller. An unhappy seller usually turns into an angry seller, which makes the sale of their property almost impossible. After writing this article about the 5 crucial keys to NOT being an angry seller, I have come up with 9…
How to bring your dog when moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes How to bring your dog to Costa Rica, just like Ticonuevo did many years ago. Ticonuevo moved to Grecia in 2012 and shared his experiences on moving here on Ivo’s blog. The amazing thing is that in all those years, since 2013 when he wrote this, really nothing has changed…
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…
How we measure properties in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know we might measure properties in Costa Rica differently than you do? It depends on which measurement system you were educated in. When in school, you might have learned to measure properties in yards, inches, square feet, and acres. In our beautiful country, all that is no good,…
Learn Basic Spanish before you Move to Costa Rica
Estimated reading time: 4 Minutes This picture got your attention, didn’t it? Well, that was exactly my intention. Further down the page, I posted another one for the ladies. They say that you learn basic Spanish best with a native. I can only confirm that affirmation because that’s what I did. Most people don’t pay…
How to show your house when you have pets
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you have a house in Costa Rica for sale, and do you have pets? Are your pets like a nice and cute Doberman that scares the hell out of most people? Or maybe a scary poodle that bites you in the ankles when you turn around? A lot of people…
Is moving to Costa Rica with a dietary problem or a disability a good idea?
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes Are you afraid to move to Costa Rica because you have a dietary problem or are disabled? Don’t be, although you should know a few things about it. I’ve tried to cover this important topic in this blog. I’m sure you’d like to cover this before you take the important…
Does Costa Rica have security issues or not
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Why is there so much razor wire everywhere? It seems there are security issues in Costa Rica, or not? Many clients ask if Costa Rica has security issues when they start their due diligence. Usually, that is because they see so much razor wire and bars everywhere. Most cities and…
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…
All About The Property Sale Proceeds
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know that Law 8204 can freeze your property sale proceeds if you cannot show the origin of the funds? The sale proceeds are the funds received by a recipient from the sale. You might think, “What do I care where the buyer got the money.” But, unfortunately, you…
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…
13 Important Rules when Hiring a Maid or Caretaker in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Having your doubts about what to do when hiring a maid or a caretaker in Costa Rica? Imagine never having to clean your house yourself again! Or doing the laundry and ironing shirts and pants when you have a day off. Stop worrying about cleaning the windows, doing the yard,…
Squatter Rights in Costa Rica – how to stop it from happening
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Yes, squatter rights exist in Costa Rica. Absent landowners sometimes complain about it. Once you have squatters on your property, getting rid of them is difficult. Is it a risk to purchase a property anywhere in Costa Rica and lose this property to squatters? Here is what you can do…
Why is Zoning so important when purchasing real estate?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do we have zoning? Imagine buying a property and finding out later that you’re not allowed to construct, or install the business that you had in mind? In my opinion, that is a great reason to investigate first. Before you purchase real estate in our beautiful country, you first want…
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…
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…
Oops it looks like the buyers agent made a mistake
Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes Are you planning to hire a buyers agent? Then you need to read this blog, as it will explain how important it is you hire an experienced one. It is not so important whether this agent is a licensed agent or not. In Costa Rica licensing is not mandatory. Unfortunately…
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…
Moving to a New Country | 8 Tips to Settle In
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Many think that moving to a new country is the hardest part, but how difficult is it to settle in? Moving abroad takes guts, organization, and a lot of hard work. When moving to Costa Rica, you’ll have to plan a zillion things like, what to take and what to…
4 Secrets To Convincing Your Spouse To Move To Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes With these 4 secrets to convincing your spouse to move to Costa Rica, I expect to make thousands of future expats happy. When I published Brooke’s article 4 Secrets for a happy living in Costa Rica on my Linkedin, William Robison suggested I write an article so he can convince…
Retirement in Costa Rica is way different than in Florida
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes It’s a fact that retirement in Costa Rica is way different than it is in Florida. The reason for this blog is to show those who plan their retirement in the tropics that Florida and Costa Rica are two different worlds. Your lifestyle should indicate where to retire. I was…
How to Deal With Pre-Construction Changes And Get It Right
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Pre-construction changes are probably the most difficult ones to make when buying a home. You’re dreaming about moving into that brand-new home or condo soon and then it turns out it isn’t as great as you had imagined. For a real estate developer or a builder, a client who changes…
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…
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…
11 Reasons for NOT hiring a realtor when selling property
Estimated Reading Time: 2 Minutes Today I wanted to publish Victoria’s reasons for not hiring a realtor when selling your property in Costa Rica. We should always give you the good and the bad about everything, the reason for publishing these comments. We already know that there are people who think there is no value…
Retirement Fund Prohibitions when you buy Costa Rica real estate
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes There are a few retirement fund prohibitions when using your IRA or 401(k) to purchase real estate that you should know about. Many retirement fund owners don’t even know you can buy real estate in Costa Rica with your self-directed IRA (Individual Retirement Account) or your 401(k) (Retirement Savings Account).…
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…
Do not change your new environment too much when moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Many people looking to relocate or retire to another country change for the attraction of a new environment. Of course, when you’ve lived all your life with cold winters, you dream of a life on the beach. But does the beach offer you a new environment that you can live…
10 Reasons to hire a realtor when you purchase Costa Rica real estate
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Some buyers looking to buy a property in Costa Rica do not want to hire a realtor. Instead, they prefer to purchase FSBO, which is very understandable, but a mistake. First, it’s essential to know that this word is a registered trademark. Very few real estate agents can call themselves…
How retirees in Costa Rica communicate with back home
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes There are lots of retirees in Costa Rica, and in some way or another, they all communicate with their children, grandchildren, and friends back home. Technology changes faster than you want if you’re over 60 years old. I know because it drives me crazy already, and I’m computer savvy. My…
15 Benefits of Urban Living in Escazu
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes To make it easier for you to decide if urban living in Escazu is a better lifestyle choice for you than other parts of the country, I have come up with 15 benefits. When I moved to Costa Rica in 1980, Escazu was the most attractive community for expats. In…
Is Tap Water in Costa Rica safe to drink and affordable?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes When newcomers ask me if they can drink tap water in Costa Rica, I cannot just tell them a simple yes or no. I do drink the water from my water dispenser on my refrigerator. That’s more because it’s cold than I worry about water quality. My wife buys bottled…
3 Easy To Use Plants For Your Indoor Garden
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The sustainable path that Costa Rica has built itself upon has created a springboard for astonishing biodiversity. According to iNews, the country is one of the most biodiverse locations anywhere on the earth – despite only accounting for 1.3% of it. This makes the nation one of the most exciting…
Let’s compare Escazu and Atenas lifestyle
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes If you plan to move to the Central Valley, you want to know if the Escazu or Atenas lifestyle is for you and your family. There is a huge difference between living in Atenas and living in Escazu. Those who live in Atenas wouldn’t live for anything in the world…
13 Tips for the Costa Rica Rainy Season
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Would you like to break an arm or a leg walking into a Costa Rican shopping mall when it rains? I bet you don’t. The rainy season, or the green season as we, the marketing specialists, call it, is a phenomenon to have respect for. When it rains in Costa…
9 Tips to efficiently run private real estate without any hassle
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes If you’re an investor who wants to make money with private real estate in Costa Rica, it’s essential to understand how to manage a property correctly. Real estate is one of the best opportunities to receive an additional income, apart from your regular job. However, as a rental property owner,…
Why Concrete Patio is the Best Choice for Homeowners
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you know why a concrete patio is a perfect choice for homeowners? You probably know already that when it rains, it pours here. Many areas of Costa Rica have clay topsoil, which drains poorly. When it comes to outdoor living spaces, few options compare to a concrete patio. Not…
9 Habits that Help you Save Money
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Life has become extremely expensive, but there are ways to save money. The pandemic led to high inflation. As a result, you might want to start thinking of how to save money to have enough available balance at the end of the month. The cost of living has gone up…
International Schools in Costa Rica
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…
5 Crucial Keys to NOT be an Angry Seller
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…
Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world
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:…
Do property sellers accept almost half the asking price?
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…
Costa Rica Home Buying Guide for Foreigners
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…
How Can Future Expats Go Native In Costa Rica?
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…
6 Super Tips That Unlock the Secret To Selling Your Home Online
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you selling your home and listing it on a variety of real estate listing websites? Then, you must read this post to avoid some common mistakes. These mistakes can prevent you from selling your property quickly and at a fair price. Although many real estate sites provide an excellent…
The Best Types of Home Water Filters That Don’t Require Plumbing
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…
6 Passive Ideas to Stay Busy after Retirement in Costa Rica
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…
Why Costa Ricans have two last names instead of one
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…
11 Free Apps that will make living in Costa Rica easier
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…
Is buying a house with bank financing and no money down possible?
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…
5 Ways to Ensure a Fair Sales Price for Your Property
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…
Should I trust the home inspector I hire when I buy a house in Costa Rica
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…
5 Common Realistic Listing Price Objections on Costa Rican property
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…
Homes are sold As-Is in Costa Rica
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…
Will you feel at home as much when you rent instead of buying?
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.…
How to dress and live without stress in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Costa Ricans still dress quite conservatively in public, although they are not as prudish anymore as they used to be. Costa Rica is not that 3rd world country where I moved to in 1980 anymore. Although, of course, television and foreign influence have opened their minds tremendously. But there are…
Bring Furniture to Costa Rica or Buy New After Arrival?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I often get the important question “do I bring furniture with me or should I buy new when I arrive there”? The answer can go both ways; it depends on a few things. Once you have the correct information, you can decide to bring furniture or not much more manageable.…
3 Useful Homebuyer Tips for Financing a Home
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Homebuyers often have different challenges to overcome, the reason we like to give you these 3 useful homebuyer tips. Unfortunately, foreign buyers need to be aware of the fact that you need to be a resident to obtain home financing in Costa Rica. I’ve seen a couple of banks who…
10 Most Read Live in Costa Rica blogs 2021
Estimated Reading Time: 11 Minutes These are the most read live in Costa Rica blogs 2021, of a total of 615 published since 2010. It all started when I realized how many questions our website visitors ask that I could respond to easier by writing a blog about it. The hard part of writing a…
How to keep the good Costa Rica information from the bad
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes There is a fantastic amount of old information available online. But, how do you know if an online article or blog gives you excellent and up-to-date Costa Rica information or if it’s outdated? Google sends me messages when somebody writes a blog or an article about Costa Rica real estate,…
Aguinaldo or Christmas bonus in Costa Rica is obligatory
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes In most countries around the world, employees do not receive a Christmas bonus – Aguinaldo in Spanish. For your information: it is mandatory to pay the Aguinaldo – Christmas bonus to all your employees during the first 20 days of December, even if they work only a few hours a…
Discover how to cook the different Tico vegetables with imagination
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes This week, we had the monthly ARCR seminar, part of the Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica Tour. Elizabeth, one of the participants, asked me about Dutch cooking, and we ended up talking about vegetables and Tico Cooking. So I thought to re-publish this article. In 2015, I felt an…
The neglected house for sale in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Does a neglected house sell quickly? Let’s find out now! Dick and Jane del Valle – Springfield called me to check out their house for sale. They needed help in getting the house priced right because they already have moved to another country. Their 20-year old son is living in…
17 Questions to ask when buying a rural home in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes Buying a rural home in Costa Rica sounds like an exciting plan, but is it so easy? Now, with Covid, some are looking to buy in a rural area. Others even go a step further: off the grid, Costa Rica has a varied topography. The Central Valley has smooth hills…
Tolerance is the #1 Virtue needed to Move to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes No matter where you live in the world, you need tolerance to live in peace and harmony with your neighbors. Therefore, if you want to move to Costa Rica, YOU have to adapt to the local culture and not the other way around. To be able to adapt, you will…
Checkin’ Out Costa Rica on Suicide Showers and other things to avoid
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Suicide Showers, Surfer Hotels, and Other Things to Avoid on Your First Trip to Costa Rica. Unless you want to go native and adapt to your new home country. In this blog, I’m trying to cover things you may not hear or read before you visit Costa Rica for the…
Checkin’ Out Costa Rica | Getting Around
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Getting around this relatively small nation is pretty straightforward, but you should know a few things. Costa Rica has more than its share of national parks, outdoor activities, beaches, wildlife, laidback lifestyles, and many cultural activities. You should be aware that driving times and speed limits are slower than you…
Checkin’ Out Costa Rica | Part 1
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes We decided to start checkin’ out Costa Rica; this was in 2013. We have settled in our little community and still love it here. As stated in my last blog, “Movin’ On,” we were committed to an exploration holiday to La Suiza Centroamericana. The plan was to get to know…
All About Costa Rica vehicle restriction or tag day
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes I was updating this blog about vehicle restriction or tag day and realized that the government started implementing this restriction on the 6th of April, 2013 for the first time. So, it’s about time for an update, especially with all the Covid restrictions. For a realtor, before Covid started, vehicle…
How to handle culture shock way before moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Would you like to learn how to handle culture shock when you move to Costa Rica? Did you know that culture shock is good for you? Honestly, I didn’t either. George Santayana explains in his article that you should try culture shock to keep the mind nimble, kill prejudice, and…
A Beginner’s Guide to Flipping Houses in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Flipping houses is a financially helpful pastime that isn’t done that often in Costa Rica. Nonetheless, in some specific areas of Costa Rica, flipping houses may soon become a very profitable business. Although it can be an expensive business to start on, the payoff can be hundreds of thousands of…
Why Resort Communities like Nativa Resort are Not Successful
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes There are reasons why resort communities like Nativa Resort in Garabito not to be thriving. There are quite a few abandoned residential communities along the coast of Costa Rica. Sonesta One Jaco, Columbus Heights, and Costa Esterillos are just a few in the Central Pacific coastal area. Some were sold…
6 Lifestyle Changes that influenced Residential Construction in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Residential construction in Costa Rica has changed quite a bit in many ways over the last 25 years. This is due to changes in the way of living, the climate, and construction materials. When shopping for a house, of course, you have your expectations of how your house should look…
A Former Expat about Life in Costa Rica in the 90’s
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I have thought about writing to you to say how much our life in Costa Rica meant to us. First of all, I want to tell you about another special experience we had there. When we moved down to Costa Rica, I purchased two Isuzu Troopers to take with us. …
4 Important Tips for Successful Real Estate Investment
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes For a successful real estate investment in a foreign country, and to keep it successful, there are a few things we want to have a good look at. To keep a financial investment secure, and without having to predict what will happen in the near future, you have to understand…
3 Important Tips to Achieve An Off The Grid Costa Rican Dream
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Are you planning to live off the grid? This can be a rewarding way to live, but it isn’t always an easy transition if you have always lived in a traditional neighborhood. Costa Rica is the environmentalist’s dream home, yet putting your roots down in the Central American nation isn’t…
6 Benefits of waking up early in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Waking up early morning is horrible for many of us unless you’re a farmer. Normally, people who live in a colder climate go to bed late and wake up late. Some have a really hard time adjusting to that when they move to Costa Rica! Nonetheless, when you live in…
Can You Search For Public Property Records in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Quite often I receive an email from someone looking for property records. Sometimes it’s the wife of someone who believes her husband bought a beach condo in Costa Rica for his lover. More often a loved one passed away and for some reason, the heirs suspect they own a property…
3 Must-Have Items and Virtues for New Residents in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Rica is a marvelous place to live; however, there are 3 items new residents cannot do without. The Switzerland of Central America, as Costa Rica is known, is a place where it feels like every day is a vacation. With a population growth rate of 1.48% per year, more…
4 Common House Shopping Errors and How to Avoid Them
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Buyers make loads of house shopping errors, especially when they come from another country. I’m sure that first making this big decision of moving to Costa Rica and then making costly mistakes when buying a house in your new home country, is not What you are looking for. I’m also…
How Long Should You Live in a House Before Selling Again?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes In many countries, it is pretty common for homeowners to live in a house for five to seven years before selling. It’s rare a house is a “forever” house. The truth is, if you are like most people, when you purchase a house, you only plan to stay for a…
Should a realtor disclose a smoker’s house?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes A non-smoker will notice immediately a smoker’s house, from the moment of entering. Also, a strong smell of Febreze, air fresheners or other fragrances could mean that the seller is trying to mask an odor. The other day, when we arrived, the seller was sitting up front, waiting for us…
Obtain Investor Status in Costa Rica by Using Retirement Funds
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that you can get a foot in the door by investing in Costa Rica using your retirement funds? Of course, there are some rules. But most think their IRA or 401(k) can only be used to invest in stocks and bonds or in real estate in the…
Due diligence before you purchase property in Costa Rica
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Of course, everyone says they have done their due diligence before they buy a property. Unfortunately, many think they do. They end up buying in the wrong place and say it’s everyone’s fault, except their own. This happens more often than you think. That’s one of the reasons I always…
Costa Rica on Ethical Traveler Top 10 in 2021
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Ethical Traveler keeps supporting countries working to maintain strong environmental, human rights, and eco-tourism values. This nonprofit organization, Ethical Traveler, started placing Costa Rica in its Top 10 in 2011 of the best ethical destinations worldwide. Costa Rica did it again in 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Ethical…
5 Best Places for Buying a House in Chicago
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Are you moving back to Chicago and buying a house there? Even though it’s pretty cold in Chicago, some expats have reasons for moving back. I’ve had quite a few clients moving from Chicago to Costa Rica over the years. Kathy D. Peterson even wrote about her experiences. Kathy has…
Tree Upkeep In Your Costa Rican Garden
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes If you have a garden, no matter where in Costa Rica you have your home, tree upkeep is indispensable. There are over 2,300 different species of trees in Costa Rica, including the national tree, the Guanacaste. This tree is also known as the monkey-ear tree. With the average temperature between…
4 Things to Know Before Buying a New House
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you buying a new house? From a real estate developer? Buying or selling a new house in Costa Rica is no easy task for a common man. It’s an everyday routine for a real estate agent, but it takes the savings of a lifetime for a buyer. One little…
5 Best Seafood to Try in Costa Rica
Do you enjoy seafood as much as I do? Before I moved to Costa Rica, I was strictly a meat person. I would kill for a medium-rare steak! When I married Nina, who is a seafood person, I was introduced to the world of seafood. And I really never went back. When straddling both the…
7 Ways to deal with bad neighbors in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes In this blog, I’m not going to solve the problems you have with bad neighbors. I’ve heard complaints from readers, who often forget that back home there are bad neighbors too. Everywhere! Hence the decision of writing this blog, so you can pick any of the 7 ways to deal…
A Condo in Costa Rica well explained
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes What is the definition of a condo in Costa Rica? To many, it’s not very clear. However, we have a wide selection of condominiums for sale. Therefore, I invite you to learn more about them. In other countries, a condominium is often something different than it is in Costa Rica.…
What is a Soda in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The definition of a soda in Costa Rica is different from soda in North America. The word soda has different meanings here, but they are easy to tell apart. Quite often, expats move to Costa Rica without taking the time or making the effort to learn the language of the…
2 Powerful Reasons Your Business Should Use Solar Energy
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes If you have a business anywhere in Costa Rica, you could be using solar energy. As a business owner, your success relies on giving your customers what they want. Their needs are what puts you in business and make you thrive as a company. Did you know that over 80%…
Property Management: 7 Ways To Do It Right
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Property management can be an exciting and rewarding career. Whether you have your own property management business or you simply manage properties for a particular company, it comes with a lot of responsibilities and demands. In order to succeed, it is important to know what is expected of you and…
Why do most homes in Costa Rica do not have an open floor plan?
Have you ever wondered why large single-family homes in Costa Rica do not have an open floor plan? They always have the kitchen enclosed, unless they’re built for expats. You’ll find larger homes with an open kitchen only in Atenas and the beach areas. There are several reasons for this. I think it’s all a…
Is Vinyl Plank Flooring Right For Your Costa Rican Home?
Have you thought about using vinyl plank flooring in your home? Costa Rica is characterized by the beautiful balance between indoor and outdoor living. Spacious verandas, large glass sliding doors, and nature-inspired flooring are just a few features that blur the line between life within homes and their outdoor spaces. For many homeowners in Costa…
What is dar en el clavo in Costa Rica
To nail it – dar en el clavo – is usually a miracle in Costa Rica, especially when dealing with a governmental institution. Things always turn out differently than you expected. Oh, and don’t expect them to be logical. Their logic is quite different from yours. When you finally think you figured it out, next…
What is a Media Naranja or half an Orange in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes In Costa Rica, the ideal person to spend the rest of your life with is “la media naranja” or half an orange. According to Plato’s story the banquet in the Symposium, Aristophanes narrates that in the beginning, the human race was almost perfect, and they were spherical like oranges.…
What Can a Horse Lover and a Casino Fan Expect in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes Are you a horse lover or do you love to bet on horse racing? Then Costa Rica has plenty of great options for you. Not every horse lover can afford to live on a horse farm. For those who do, check out our horse property listings now. Costa Rica has…
International Money Transfer Companies option for real estate purchase
A money transfer is key to any international real estate transaction. It’s no secret that traditional banks are dinosaurs in the modern economy. Although banks still have an important function in our society, tons of fintech start-ups have begun providing financial services. Although they provide these services in a more modern and efficient way. When…
Where To Get a 24-hour Covid 19 Test In Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes We receive questions about a 24-hour Covid 19 Test from clients every day. Visitors from the U.S. are not confident about flying to Costa Rica so because they don’t know where to get the test before flying back into the United States. At GoDutch Realty, we do all we can…
Strange habits – Stories by a Former Expat in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes In Costa Rica, people have sometimes strange habits. They do a lot of things differently. When people ask me about Costa Rica, I talk all day, especially about strange habits. I just thought about a few more interesting things about living there and the house. We always thought the home…
Costa Rican real estate company prepares for retirees moving to Costa Rica in 2021
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Press Release – GoDutch Realty, a real estate company in Costa Rica, with a large market segment in the U.S. retirement market, is gearing up for retirees moving to Costa Rica in 2021. Customarily, the year after election year in the United States is a great year for Costa Rica.…
10 Most Read Live in Costa Rica blogs 2020
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes The best part about writing blogs for those who want to live in Costa Rica is that thousands of people read them. These blogs are the reason we receive so many visitors to our website. And, they assist our agents in answering all these questions you ask. Just like last…
7 Ways To Make Wooden Furniture Last Longer in the Tropics
Wooden furniture from Sarchi is quite commonly found in expat homes in Costa Rica. Nowadays, you’ll find many artificial materials in the market like plywood, partex board, etc. Those materials have gained a place in the furniture industry, but none could replace the appeal of wooden furniture. Especially being a homeowner, you’ll want most of…
Get rid of collectibles and war trophies before showing appointments
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you have collectibles or war trophies all over your house? Having a tough time selling your house? Is there a slight chance you are shocking the buyers with your collectibles or war trophies? You’ll be surprised how often that happens. A while ago, I received a surprising call from…
Who Are Costa Rica´s Greatest Sporting Icons?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes As a country of sports lovers, it is no surprise to see that Costa Rica has its fair share of Sporting Icons. There might not have been many ‘Ticos’ in NFL, NBA, or MMA Odds by BetAmerica. However, in soccer, there are plenty of names, as it’s the sport that…
The Art of Doing Nothing in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Doing nothing is pretty easy in Costa Rica. I know a lot of people who spend their entire day doing nothing or idling. When I want to do nothing, which almost never happens, I just sit on my terrace and enjoy the weather. A friend gave me the idea of…
10 Important Lease Agreement Data Tenants Need to Pay Attention To
The rules for a lease agreement in Costa Rica are not as simple as you might think. I’ve seen 3-page and 10-page lease agreements. But if at one point during the lease there is a problem between the parties, there is no simple solution. Costa Rica courts are not known for being speedy. A lawyer…
Please do not leave a message – Voicemail in Costa Rica
I hate voicemail. Please don’t leave a message, call me back later. You can also send me an email, a message on Whatsapp, or even on Messenger. But don’t leave a voicemail, please! Oh, and I’m not complaining, I’m just saying. Communications are supposed to get easier, but are they? I’m not even a real…
Buying Atenas Property During Covid19 with GoDutch Realty
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes My husband and I were considering relocating to Costa Rica after one visit. So we signed up with Christopher Howard for a retirement tour of 10 days in January 2019. As part of the tour, we attended an extremely informative two-day seminar with ARCR. There, we were introduced to Ivo…
Travel to Costa Rica from Virginia during Covid19 in September 2020
My husband James and I recently had to travel to Costa Rica from Virginia as tourists. And I thought I would share my experiences and tips that might help others. This is a reminder that these processes are evolving and should only get easier as time goes by. At this time to enter Costa Rica…
Clever Ways To Decorate Your Home With An Aquarium
I know, you usually wouldn’t think of decorating your home in Costa Rica with an aquarium. That’s probably because Costa Rica’s natural beauty is a major draw for people moving here. And we have 763 miles of coastline, so we’re surrounded by an aquarium! When decorating your own property in Costa Rica, incorporating tropical fish…
10 steps on how to buy a building lot in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes Not necessarily you need to have an eccentric taste to prefer to buy a building lot for your future custom house in Costa Rica. Even the budget for that future house should not matter. There are other more important things to take into account. There are various reasons for wanting…
Leasing VS Buying Commercial Property – Pros and Cons
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes When starting a business in Costa Rica, you’ll need to make the decision of leasing or buying commercial property. The question is to buy or to lease? This may be a simple question. Nonetheless, it has posed a dilemma for many small business owners just starting a new venture or…
5 Amazing Places to Settle Down in Costa Rica
When moving to Costa Rica you’d want to settle down in one of the most amazing places, right? A nice aspect regarding Costa Rica is that it is a fairly small country. This implies that you can get to pretty much anywhere in a few hours. Costa Rica is split up into five regions: Central…
3 Considerations When Buying Renovation Property in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Before you purchase a renovation property, there are a couple of considerations you should take into account. The minimum cost of constructing a Costa Rican house from scratch is about $750 per square meter, according to American-European. Depending on your budget, you might think it cheaper to just buy a secondhand…
7 Ways to Get American Products to Your Door in Costa Rica
Some expats do miss access to American products once they’ve moved to Costa Rica. Expats who live in the beach areas often find a drive into the valley not worth the hassle. Shopping around for days to NOT find the American products you’re looking for doesn’t make sense. Others ask around on Facebook groups, such…
5 Important Things You Should Do After Buying a House
After buying a house, but there are some things you need to do soon after you have bought your property. Buying a new home, whether this is your first or ‘umpteenth’ investment, is an exciting experience. You can look forward to starting your new life in a house that you have dreamed about for so…
De pura guava o de chiripa for lucky people en Costa Rica
I feel I’m a lucky guy every day when I wake up. It’s another day in Paradise. Of course, sometimes I do feel unlucky. But that only happens when my wife’s car was hit by a taxi. Or when my internet connection doesn’t work for 3 days. There are also days that I’m just lucky.…
8 Reasons why your property in Costa Rica has not sold in 7 years
Buyers usually ask how long a property is for sale and why it has not sold. And why it takes so long in Costa Rica, while in some other places property sells in a matter of days. I wrote this article originally for the real estate section of The Tico Times. On request, I am…
GoDutch Realty es mucha galleta
I love galletas – cookies, I hope you do too. Because you know, GoDutch Realty is mucha galleta! To be mucha galleta, you have to be not only skilled, capable, and shrewd, but also competent. Fortunately, that is not hearsay. We can prove that many clients agree that we, at GoDutch Realty, are mucha galleta.…
3 Red Flags that will make you run from buying a property
Buying a home is like a love affair, you don’t want to see any red flags. Some buyers don’t realize that a love affair can turn into a money pit easily. An experienced realtor usually knows when buyers fall in love with a house as soon as they walk in. In my opinion, it’s important…
5 Reasons to pay attention to Tree Maintenance on your property
Not paying attention to the tree maintenance on your property before the rainy season starts can do a lot of damage. Costa Rica is a diverse country of plants and is home to about 1900 different species of trees. Many of them know how to thrive in Costa Rica’s tropical climate and fertile soil. The…
8 Reasons to move back after relocation to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Why do people move back after relocating to paradise? There are quite a few good reasons to relocate to Costa Rica. Try adventure, sunshine, lower cost of living, being happy, a better lifestyle, to mention a few. But what are the reasons to move back again? It is either a…
The Psychology of Pricing a Property for Sale
Do I think there a science or psychology to pricing a property intelligently when you’re motivated to sell? Yes, I definitely do! In general, property in Costa Rica takes way too long in selling. Why is that? There are many reasons for a property not to sell for years. In this article, I will cover…
We Love Paying a Referral Fee for sending customers to us!
Of course, we love paying a referral fee. It’s an important ingredient in our real estate business. In my 30+ years of being a real estate broker, I’ve had people referring for a fee coming out of my ears sometimes. Everybody wants a share of the real estate commission in exchange for a name and…
Same-sex couples health coverage at CAJA approved
Same-sex couples health coverage through CAJA is now possible. Although Costa Rica is way behind on some human rights issues like the “in vitro” case, the CAJA has been able to make a huge change in its rules and regulations. On November 19, 2014, the CAJA or C.C.S.S. (Social Security system in Costa Rica) approved…
3 Landscape Tips For The Rainy Season In Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Rainy seasons can get rough in Costa Rica, so I’d like to give you 3 simple landscape tips to follow. Because this year’s season starts, it is vital to prepare for the many changes that could occur in your landscape. Yes, your plants and lawns love water. But too much…
Building a private road in Atenas
Most people never build a private road in their lives, but mine deserves telling about it. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to write about our continuing efforts constructing a new home in Atenas. While our custom home construction project moved forward, we saw the need for a new design and construction…
Carport or Garage – Which suits your home best?
Only those who move from another tropical country understand why a carport or garage is so important. For a buyer who comes from another country, it is essential to understand the importance of a carport or a garage. That’s because if you have a car(s) in the tropics, you will want it under roof. Because…
7 Top Things to Do in San Jose Costa Rica
Though many would think that San Jose Costa Rica is not exciting, there are many things to do. Often, vacationers go straight to the beaches, or the national parks. So they don’t get even close to visiting San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica. Many travelers flying to Costa Rica think they arrive in…
The Central Valley farmers markets and other ferias
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes There are many ferias in the Central Valley, but are they all farmers markets? When people talk about going to the market, we assume this is the farmers market. Well, there are many different types of markets. The farmers market is probably the most visited because it’s every week. Any…
What is El Güiri Güiri in Costa Rica
I’ve never been able to pronounce güiri güiri well. You probably won’t either. My wife makes fun of me when I try. That’s because you have to be able to roll your r’s. We Dutch have a hot potato in our throat, it’s an impossible task to pronounce güiri güiri correctly. In Costa Rica, güiri…
Traditional food of Costa Rica or Comida Tipica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes You might think that the only traditional food in Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto. But Gallo Pinto is not the ONLY traditional food they have. The Spanish words traditional Costa Rican food is comida tipica Costarricense. Rice, corn, and beans are the main ingredients, but there are many vegetables here…
15 Tico Driving Habits – Driving in Costa Rica is different
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Driving habits are different because most drivers in Costa Rica probably don’t have the discipline you might have. Learn about Costa Rican driving habits before you move to Costa Rica. In my opinion, the reason is that the Latin-American mindset when driving is different. Some might think I’m trying to…
How to Boost Air Quality in Costa Rican Office Buildings
While Costa Rica is often known for its amazing air quality, the country still experiences pollution in some areas. This pollution exists mainly in the cities and is largely due to emissions from transportation. Therefore, the quality of the air inside office buildings should be a priority for anyone looking to install their new business in…
Have a good look at affordable Grecia home rentals
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The word is out! Grecia home rentals are among the most affordable in the Central Valley. It seems like lots of US citizens are running from something. YES, you can find Grecia home rentals for around $500 – $600/month already. Our agents don’t make much money on it, but you…
Fish tacos and more in Taco Bar
I just updated this blog about Taco Bar that I published in November 2012. Taco Bar now offers 4 locations: Playa Jacó, Escazú, Santa Ana, y Pinares. They are open during the Coronavirus emergency but check on their Facebook if you’d like to order. Every time I go to Jaco Beach, I need to stop…
What is Bajarse los Pantalones in Costa Rica
Bajarse los Pantalones is to give in on a dishonorable negotiation. If someone has lowered his pants when he accepts conditions that are clearly unfavorable to him. Now, that we’re in a tremendously difficult market right now. But don’t feel bad. Is there a lot of competition in your price range? Or is your property…
The Tica Zone
The Tica Zone, by author Allen Dickinson, was published in El Residente recently. I wanted my readers to also enjoy this beautiful story. Thanks Allen, for allowing me to share it. “You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries…
All About U.S. Tax When You Retire in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes For many retirees and soon-to-be retirees, the idea of retiring in Costa Rica, although appealing, can often get complicated because of the U.S. tax implications. So, before you say goodbye to your neighbors, take into account these vital U.S. tax considerations: 1. Pension Income How will your move abroad affect…
Using Ceramic Tiling in Costa Rican Home Designs Creatively
A very affordable way of updating your older home in Costa Rica is using ceramic tiling. Selling a 40-year-old home in Costa Rica is not as easy as some think it is. The younger generations want to live in a condo. Either way, you are likely to consider renovations to enhance style and functionality, depending…
Articles about Costa Rica – A Writing Gig during Corona Virus?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes The Covid-19 outbreak obliges some of us to re-invent ourselves and writing articles can be an option. Do you enjoy writing and do you have lots of interesting information about Costa Rica to share with others? Maybe this is the time to get started. Why? Link building is an…
Dealing with home financing in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Are you dealing with home financing in Costa Rica or will you be soon? Then you will find this a very useful blog. Purchasing a home is a huge responsibility, especially if you think you can afford it but can’t find any home financing. Often, future expats start shopping for…
How to write an application essay for a Costa Rican college
Are you moving to Costa Rica so you can go to a Costa Rican college? An application essay is a crucial part in the admission of students a Costa Rican colleges as well as it is in other parts of the world. The importance of the essays is well known and it proves to be…
40 Smart Steps to Take before Renting a Home in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 11 Minutes Now you probably say “40 smart steps to take before renting a home”? Why so many? You would think that renting a home in Costa Rica is easy. It is when you already live in the country, and if you speak Spanish, it’s a piece of cake. But when you’re…
The 10 things I hate most about bad landlords
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes A reader suggested I should do a blog about bad landlords. Recently, I did a blog on the 9 things I hate most about tenants in Costa Rica. Thanks, Molly for your suggestion. The fact is that no matter if you rent in Costa Rica or elsewhere, you’ll find bad…
How to Write a Resume for the Company from Costa Rica
Do you know how to write a resume that hits a home run? I bet you don’t! Getting a job in another country can be a daunting task. When the country in question is Costa Rica, it becomes twice as hard. However, working in Costa Rica promises one an encounter with an intriguing culture and…
What is amarrar el perro in Costa Rica
Amarrar el perro is to tie down the dog. But in Costa Rica, amarrar el perro is something that might happen to you if you’re not careful: Someone you know asks for a loan but will never pay it back. There is a good reason for not making that loan. The reason is that you…
23 Awesome Mortgage Tips for a Property Purchase in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes If you are looking to make a property purchase you’ll love the mortgage tips. In fact, using these mortgage tips will save you time, money, and effort. When you go to view houses on sale, the seller’s agent may make the buying process seem easy and straightforward. If the price…
Los Chiles Visa Renewal Border Run
I went on my first border run to the Tablillas crossing, better known as Los Chiles. Many of my clients need to go on the 90-day border run. Usually, that’s because they have not received their residency papers yet. Generally, when you come into the country, they give you a 90-day visa. Once that is…
5 Costa Rican Vacation Essentials to Pack
To spend your vacation with no worries, it’s important to think about your vacation essentials. Costa Rica is a land of many wonders. From nature and welcoming people to adventurous activities, good food, and plenty of heritage and culture, there is something here for every visitor. Moreover, the fact that the country shares a coastline…
Inactive corporations in Costa Rica must declare assets in 2021
In December 2019, the Costa Rica Tax office published a resolution that starting 2021, existing inactive corporations must declare their assets. This must be done between January 1st and March 15th, 2021. New corporations will have to do this starting 2020 but let your attorney worry about that when he/she constitutes a new corporation for…
What is guácala en Costa Rica?
When the food is awful, you say guácala. But when it’s great you say esta riquísimo! The word guácala means horrible, disgusting, distasteful, yuck, dreadful, gross or nasty. Even if you’ve never had anything like it, and they serve you a Gallo Pinto, don’t say guácala. Just tell the host or anfitrión, no, pero muchas…
10 Most Read Live in Costa Rica blogs 2019
It’s amazing how many people have enjoyed our bi-weekly Live in Costa Rica blogs 2019. What’s even more important is that blogs written 6 years ago get so much attention. Imagine that #10 was written in 2012. The #1 blog even had 32 views per day during 2019! I still enjoy writing Ivo’s blog and…
5 Important hurdles when doing business in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Do you think you can survive doing business in Costa Rica? Well, it’s easy for some, but for others, it’s more difficult than they think. Of course, nobody wants to talk about how difficult it can be to do business in Costa Rica. But here we do because we want…
What does Pura Vida mean – Where does it come from?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes As soon as you arrive in Costa Rica, you’ll hear the words, Pura Vida, all the time. Keylor Navas, the famous Costa Rican goalkeeper uses Pura Vida all the time. Costa Rica might be famous for its nature, the beaches, and its coffee, but everyone is learning about Pura Vida.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The mangoes at my Atenas rental home are keeping me awake
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I read the complaint “the mangoes are keeping me awake”. This complaint was from a client who had signed an agreement on an Atenas rental home. Strange, I thought, I never have any heartburn when I eat mangoes. I get it from pineapple but not from mango. When I read…
12 Insane Factors That Reduce Home Value
Sellers often forget to take into account the insane factors that reduce home value. I know, sellers don’t have any control over many of those factors. Therefore, I’d like to show you both external and internal factors that reduce home value. It happens that the situation around your house changes, for some reasons. Maybe you…
5 Experts you need when doing a fixer upper in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I have described in another blog why doing a fixer upper in Costa Rica is not so easy. Nonetheless, doing a fixer upper can be a profitable investment project, if you do all the right things. Sometimes, the perfect home for you can be in that older neighborhood that you…
When the seller backs out of the property sale?
It’s time to tell you what can happen when a seller backs out of the property sale. In another blog, I’ve covered what happens when the buyer backs out of a property sale in Costa Rica. Today, we’ll turn things around. A real estate deal can be scary as hell, for both sides. Some people…
What is hasta el copete in Costa Rica?
When you are totally over your head in work, you can say “estoy hasta el copete de trabajo”. Then Ticos will understand you perfectly well. When you’ve had enough food, you can say estoy hasta el copete de la comida. Also, being totally fed up with someone’s behavior, you say estoy hasta el copete de…
The cost of groceries Costa Rica vs USA 2019
In this blog, you’ll find the comparison of the cost of groceries Costa Rica versus the cost of groceries in Florida 2019. Diego Xavier, an expat in Costa Rica since 2014, shared this tremendous information recently on Facebook. I’d like to thank Diego Xavier, for allowing me to use this incredible comparison between the cost…
Reflections of a home invasion victim
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes We were victims of a professional, well-planned home invasion. It is everyone’s worst fear of any crime because it happens in your home while you are there. The criminals were in our home for over an hour looking for a safe and money that was not there. This is not a…
6 Reasons why 5 bedroom homes are impossible to sell
Lately, we have been receiving quite a few requests to sell 5 bedroom homes. The problem is, they’re impossible to sell. Unless the price is extremely attractive! There are several reasons why these 5 bedroom homes in Costa Rica are impossible to sell. Unless they’re a large luxury beach home that caters to the rich…
Cheap Central Valley homes under $175,000
Are you looking for cheap Central Valley homes? Then you have arrived at the right place: GoDutch Realty. Real estate prices in Costa Rica have gone up so much that it is difficult to find any Central Valley homes under $175,000 anymore. BUT, you just need to know where to look. At GoDutch Realty, we…
7 Expenses that lower profits on Rental Investment Property
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you planning to invest in a rental investment property in Costa Rica? Then you first want to know what profit you can make on this investment, right? The profit in rental investment property depends on many factors. As you know, income is important, but profit is what makes the…
Everything about sales tax on real estate sales and rentals
Do real estate agents have to charge sales tax on real estate rentals and sales in Costa Rica? Do tenants now have to pay sales tax on top of their rental? Many real estate agents and their clients are not very clear about the sales tax on real estate sales in Costa Rica, so let’s…
What Means No Me Toquen El Pito in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes If you say no me toquen el pito in Costa Rica, make sure you’re sitting in your car. If you are not, this can become quite a misunderstanding, especially if you are a male. Tocar el pito means honking. Another way to say honking is tocar la bocina or tocar la…
Is it time for a price reduction on your property?
If your property in Costa Rica has been on the market for 3 months or more, it’s probably time for a price reduction. Has it been sitting for a while without a buyer? Often, I hear sellers say “my agent is not doing anything”. Or “I haven’t had a showing in months”. Well, it’s time…
View home listings by other realtors
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Jim asked about how realtors work in CR. Do real estate agents only show you their own home listings? Don’t they show home listings from other agents? Is it possible to use a realtor that will show you everything in a certain area even if it’s not listed by them?…
25 Things That Are Different in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Let me show how different things can be in Costa Rica. I am going back to an old theme here, but the culture of Costa Rica is a constant source of amazement to me. Here are a few differences I have observed. In Costa Rica, there are many things different…
How to recognize the different police forces in Costa Rica
policemenTheWhen you move to Costa Rica, you should know how to recognize the different police forces, know what they do and recognize them. As you all know, Costa Rica has not had an army since Pepe Figueres abolished it on December 1st, 1948. The country needed a police force that came under the command of…
What is qué vaina in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Qué vaina is one of those expressions your landlord might use when you complain about a leak in the roof. Or when your coffee maker stopped working and you’re asking for another. In this case, the translation is “what a problem”. But. instead of qué vaina, it is also possible…
What is Digital Signature for corporations and why is it needed?
Firma Digital is a digital signature, which is used for making or signing an electronic document using the technology known as public-key cryptography. It allows you to digitally sign a document. Only as such will a document be received and accepted by the Costa Rican government or finance agency. The card is personal, and meant…
Is an unfinished house difficult to sell in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes An unfinished house in Costa Rica is as difficult to sell as a rented house. I don’t even know why I sometimes make the mistake of accepting to list an unfinished house anymore. I rarely do because I know they’re almost impossible to sell. Most of the time, it is…
11 Important Expat recommendations and experiences
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Can you learn from other expat recommendations and their experiences? Of course, you can, those expat recommendations will help you tremendously to learn what they did right and wrong. So it won’t happen to you. A couple of weeks ago, I published an article Why Bill does not consider Costa…
8 Dumb responses from homeowners on why they are selling
I have decided to give sellers 8 dumb responses from homeowners they should NOT use if they’re really motivated to sell. First of all, I always recommend sellers to not even be at home when the agent is showing the property. But, I understand how difficult that is. It’s even harder to keep your mouth…
Why Bill does not consider Costa Rica for retirement
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Bill, a subscriber on Ivo’s blog, does not consider Costa Rica for retirement anymore. Future retiree Bill (I changed his name), has been a reader since January 2015 and has read 30.5% of our weekly blogs. This is more than the average subscriber. His email, asking me to unsubscribe him.…
Can the buyer back out of the property purchase?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Are you afraid the buyer can back out of the property purchase? Don’t be! Just make sure you take the necessary steps it can’t happen. Or, if it does, you’ll be paid well for your efforts. If a buyer has put in an offer, and the seller has agreed to…
Are bathrooms in Costa Rica different?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are bathrooms in Costa Rica different than they are in your home? Maybe you expect to find a different bathroom in Costa Rica than you are used to? It’s important to learn all you can about bathrooms before moving to another country, isn’t it? Some might think that in Costa…
Best Indian food in Costa Rica Taste of India506
Looking for the best Indian food in Costa Rica? Then read on. Taste of India506 is an incredibly good choice if you enjoy the taste of Indian food in Costa Rica. Located in Escazu Village, just southeast of the Escazu toll on highway 27. Their phone number is, for any reservations 2208 8879, and you…
Pull a cake – Jalarse una torta
Have you ever tried to pull yourself a cake or jalarse torta? That doesn’t make a lot of sense in English, but it does in Spanish. You really wouldn’t want to pull yourself a cake, believe me. That’s why learning a new language can be so difficult for many. You cannot just translate word for word…
Can someone steal your property in Costa Rica?
Can they steal your property in Costa Rica? Yes, they can! Sadly enough, it happens. Charles emailed me this question a week ago: Can someone steal your property in Costa Rica? A great question, which needs an even better answer! It’s sad this happens, and it’s bad for our business. We assist buyers and sellers…
10 Important Tenant Requirements and Frequently Asked Questions
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I always try to keep track of important tenant requirements, so we can include them in the listings. For years, we didn’t pay attention to the fact that people who moved to Costa Rica wanted to bring their pets. Now we included “pets allowed” in our listings. We learn as…
Can Canadian home buyers purchase property in Costa Rica?
A common question from Canadians is if Canadian home buyers can purchase property in Costa Rica or not? Our friendly partner in Vancouver Canada strawhomes.com often mentions property in Costa Rica is on the tips of their buyers’ tongues. Extended winters have led to an increase in Canadians affected with SAD. But the north’s frosty…
New condo towers in Costa Rica offer a change of lifestyle
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Life in the suburbs is changing, tremendously, with new condo towers everywhere. I remember like yesterday, that we had cows and horses in the street a while ago. Jeez, time flies. And the world has changed so much. And Costa Rica is now a whole different world than the one…
What does Tuanis mean and how to greet in Costa Rica
When you live in Costa Rica, you’ll hear the word tuanis quite a bit. You’ll hear tuanis used by the younger population, it’s a “cool” word to use. It’s a word that you wouldn’t use in a business meeting or with your doctor unless you grew up together or are drinking buddies. Tuanis is a…
How to check Costa Rica property title yourself
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…
How much are sales commission and other fees to list a property?
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.…
Can household mold in Costa Rica affect your health?
If you live in Seattle, WA and you have a mold problem, you can just call a specialist to eradicate this household mold problem. If you live in Costa Rica, and you have a household mold problem, you’re in trouble. The reason is that there are no household mold specialists in Costa Rica. Does that…
How important is a clean house on closing day?
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…
Why is the rooster so important in Costa Rica?
Did you know that a rooster is a very important animal in Costa Rica? Wherever you turn, you’ll hear people talk about the rooster. I’m sure you all know about Gallo Pinto (no, not Pinto Gallo Kathy!) and más Tico que el Gallo Pinto if you follow my weekly blogs. If you’re a good Catholic, you’ll…
How important is a real estate for sale sign on a property?
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…
Costa Rican Coffee – What Makes It So Special?
Have you ever wondered what makes Costa Rican Coffee so special? In terms of coffee production, Costa Rica is way down the list. But when we talk about quality, this small country can hold its own against any origin you care to name. A long history – a head start on the neighbors Costa Rica…
7 Disasters absent property owner can suffer for not having a property manager
Having property in another country and being an absent property owner is not so easy. Worse, it can easily turn into a disaster. Just yesterday, someone called me to tell me his story about having to pay an attorney a “ridiculous amount of money” to recover lost property. Of course, this absent property owner didn’t…
Plaza Tempo Escazu gourmet plaza – a huge variety of international cuisine
Today, I’d like to tell you all about Plaza Tempo Escazu Gourmet Plaza. It has been a while since I’ve recommended any restaurants. The last time, I recommended a restaurant, I recommended you to Go Fish, which I still like a lot. Escazu has always been an amazing place for wining and dining. There are…
12 Reasons to buy a second home in Costa Rica
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?…
Why is the property location a carefully kept secret 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…
What does chaineado mean in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes You won’t be able to prevent culture shock by learning how to use chaineado, but it is quite a good start. I have not been able to find proof that chainear comes from the English verb “to shine”. There are some references that in chainear is also used in Chicano,…
6 Weird reasons your home is not getting showings
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Homes in Costa Rica do not sell in 72 hours, and you can count on not even getting showings during the first couple of days. I’ve written about the reasons a property doesn’t sell quite often. If nobody even shows your property, it will never sell. You’d like buyers to…
Real estate vocabulary that does not exist in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Quite a large real estate vocabulary does not exist in Costa Rica. Ask a real estate agent in Costa Rica about A HUD loan, a Fannie Mae, a dual agency, or a spring cleaning and they won’t know what you’re talking about. As you probably know, real estate is not…
Annoying behavior by buyers during the showing appointment
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…
Is my crystal ball too fuzzy to predict a sales price?
Sellers sometimes think I own a crystal ball. When listing a home for sale, sellers always ask me to predict a sales price. When I give them a number, they don’t like it. Why do you think I get that reaction? If I’d own a crystal ball, I would be filthy rich and we would…
Can you buy a home with a pool in Atenas within your budget or not?
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…
Ticos are all family
Some way or other, Ticos are all family. Just like Smith is a very common last name in the U.K. and in the U.S., Rodriguez, and Vargas are the most common last names in Costa Rica. When you marry a Rodriguez, your first born might be number 102,498 of the Rodriguez clan. There is a…
Does a 24-7 real estate agent exist in Costa Rica?
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…
How can property sellers handle multiple offers?
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…
Why do sellers increase the listing price when the property does not sell?
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…
9 Benefits of owning a Cariari single story home
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 seems like a good investment – is it really?
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…
I want to work in Costa Rica – am I allowed to?
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Some want to work in Costa Rica, and it seems to be very attractive just to jump on a flight to San José and get a job in paradise. Is it that easy? There are over 275 high-tech multinationals in Costa Rica. Can you get a job with them? Or…
Why not lend money to a friend or employee in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes If you’re a nice person, you’ll find yourself obliged to lend money to a friend or employee soon after you arrive in Costa Rica. You know, they are poor, and you are rich. That’s how some will see it. Probably, where you come from, you’re too proud to ask anyone…
Are vacation rental restrictions common on condos in Costa Rica?
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…
Is small town living possible in Costa Rica?
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.…
Why are Costa Ricans called Ticos and Ticas?
Costa Ricans are proud of calling themselves Ticos and Ticas. The female Costa Ricans are Ticas. The males are Ticos. The general population is Tico. Costa Ricans use the term Tico every day, just like the word Pura Vida. Why is that? Where does it come from? Ticos have the tendency of turning words into…
When is a good time to list a property in Costa Rica for sale?
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…
Don’t keep your AOL email account when you move to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes If you decide to keep your AOL email account even after you move to Costa Rica, you will ask yourself soon why nobody gets in touch with you anymore. If you keep using your AOL email account, you will stop hearing from your beloved family members, your former neighbors and…
Why is it smart to buy turnkey real estate in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that buying turnkey real estate can be an incredible deal? Sad enough, there are lots of sellers in Costa Rica who want to move back home. Each one will have their story to tell, but that’s for another day. Many sellers don’t want to take their furniture…
5 Cities in Costa Rica with the best temperatures
Moving to paradise is not easy. It’s even more difficult to figure it all out if you are looking for best temperatures and less rain. But, what are the best temperatures for you? Eskimos probably think that the best temperatures are under zero. On the other hand, residents of Atenas, Costa Rica believe their town…
4 Top locations with outstanding Central Valley views
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes There are 4 amazing top locations where you can buy or build a home with outstanding Central Valley views. Mind you, there are plenty of other locations too, but you’ll be ready to hang yourself when you try to sell again. Living on a property with a great valley view…
Wearing flip flops to work in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Those who know me personally, know that wearing flip flops to work is normal for me. Every day. I also wear shorts. But, I do dress up a bit when I have clients who have never met me before. I live in a country where wearing flip flops to work…
11 Reasons why buying a home in Cariari is a great idea
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Buying a home in Cariari is not such a bad idea at all, and you will agree with me once you’re done reading this. Cariari, also called Ciudad Cariari, is not very well known. It’s a master-planned community, for those residents who are looking for value. If you and your…
19 Cool hand gestures you can use safely in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes When you come from a different country and you want to use hand gestures in Costa Rica, you have to be a bit careful. Even if you’re not planning to learn Spanish, although you should, you might want to learn a bit about hand gestures. You might be saying something…
Is it difficult to change money in Costa Rica?
When moving to Costa Rica or just visiting you will need to change money for your day to day expenses. Often, clients ask if it is difficult to change money and if it is really necessary. The legal currency in Costa Rica is the Colon. Nonetheless, U.S. dollars are used for more expensive items like…
13 Reasons to look for a new lifestyle in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Now that you found this article, I’m sure you’re looking for a new lifestyle in Costa Rica. You’ve done the same thing all your life and you’re now totally fed up with it. It’s time you start thinking of yourself now and not everyone around you. Costa Rica is so…
8 ways to block the neighbor from your life in Costa Rica
Have you ever had the need to block the neighbor from your life? Well, I certainly did. And I’m pretty sure you do too. When you buy or rent a home, the neighbor comes with it. And … maybe you’re ready now to block the neighbor from your life. If you own or renting doesn’t…
Should vacation rental accommodations have to pay taxes soon?
Is there a chance that vacation rental accommodations will have to start paying taxes soon? Many vacation rental owners are probably wondering what’s happening with that topic. Paying or not paying taxes makes a huge difference to your ROI if you have a vacation rental investment. It’s a fact that if you have income from…
Is showing late for an appointment acceptable in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Even though we all wake up early, almost everyone comes late for an appointment in Costa Rica. Is it hard to adjust to that? Yes, it is, unless you make the rules. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, and salespeople, few have respect for someone else’s time. They are always late for an…
Will I lose earnest money in escrow if I don’t close?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Not very often buyers ask if they lose earnest money in escrow if they will not close on time. Most of the time, they have an agreement to back it up. You don’t want to lose part of your nest egg because you made the wrong decision. It’s horrible to…
How to finance vacation rental investment in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Potential buyers often ask how to finance vacation rental investment in Costa Rica. Owning a vacation home in paradise is a beautiful dream but not always financially possible. Does having a vacation rental make sense financially or not? You can expect an annual net return of 4 – 6% on…
Most Popular Living in Costa Rica blogs 2017
This year, for the Holiday Season, I’ve decided to re-publish the 4 Most Popular Living in Costa Rica blogs 2017 as well as those that I wrote for the Tico Times. The Most Popular Living in Costa Rica blogs means those that were visited most and readers took at least 2.5 minutes to read them.…
Everything about utilities in Costa Rica
When you move to Costa Rica, utilities are very important, if you purchase or even rent. Some just forget about it, others leave it for the last possible moment. How can you figure this all out? Imagine having to live without the internet for 3 days? Not ready to buy a house but planning to…
What is a chorreador de cafe in Costa Rica?
I’m pretty sure you don’t know what a chorreador de cafe in Costa Rica is. In simple English, it’s a Tico coffee maker. The correct verb for using a chorreador is chorrear café = to pour coffee. Ticos swear by a real cup of coffee. Why wouldn’t they, we have the best coffee in the…
Terrace homes in Atenas in the spotlight
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that we are the ultimate solution for terrace homes in Atenas? By we, I mean GoDutch Realty, your preferred real estate company in Atenas. Ever thought that a terrace home in Atenas would be your choice? Last March, I did a blog on terrace views but this…
Why we do not take property listings outside our area code
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Some property sellers do not understand that we do not take property listings outside our area code. I decided on this blog because a property seller wanted one of our agents to take a listing outside her area code. Agent Brooke Bishop works in the Grecia area, but lives in…
What is a rancho in Costa Rica real estate?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The nice weather allows us the use of the rancho in Costa Rica for all our fiestas. At any time of the day or night. And not to mention, the siestas. Is that what a rancho in Costa Rica is good for? Find out now. In Mexico and most parts…
8 Important things to do before moving into your new home
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes The closing date is coming up and there is so much to do before moving into your new home. Getting nervous already? Don’t! Use this checklist to make it easier on yourself. We do this all the time and you don’t. There are so many things you need to do…
Aguevado or Pura Vida, depending on your mood
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes In Costa Rica, the word Aguevado is kind of the opposite of the well-known Pura Vida. This word is almost as much used as Pura Vida, tuanis, or Mae. So I thought it necessary you include agüevado in your dictionary when you live in Costa Rica. Moving to Costa Rica…
Is double dipping common in Costa Rica real estate?
Double dipping is not only common in Costa Rica real estate, it is perfectly legal. Why is that? How can a seller or a buyer make sure there is no double dipping going on? Costa Rica real estate is quite different from how it functions in other countries. You can agree or not with the…
How to get mail when moving to Costa Rica
Wondering how to get mail to Costa Rica once you’ve moved here? To get mail is really one of those tasks you should take care of BEFORE you move to another country. You have to take into account that we don’t have street addresses in Costa Rica. Getting a mailing address is another story. So…
Do you want to learn Pachuco when you live in Costa Rica?
I learned to speak Pachuco before I learned Spanish. I didn’t have a clue until I started dating a local woman. She thought I was pretty vulgar and I had no idea what she was talking about. When I moved to Costa Rica in 1980, my brother and I started a window cleaning company. Our…
Homes with a flower garden in Atenas
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Have you ever thought of buying a home with a flower garden in Atenas? Well, you should! We have plenty of homes with a flower garden on our inventory. Don’t worry; a home with a flower garden in Atenas doesn’t cost more than one without a flower garden. I grew…
How to stop home buyers in their tracks during a showing
Did you know there are several ways to stop home buyers in their tracks during a showing? When selling a home, the first impression for home buyers is of utmost importance. Whether the initial impression is good or bad, it forms the home buyers’ opinion about the property. It is very well possible the first…
What the heck is a casita in Costa Rica real estate?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you know what a casita is? If you’re looking to purchase a luxury house in Costa Rica, you really need to learn what a casita is. You’ll see the word casita used in many real estate listings. You will find a casita mostly on luxury home properties. The Spanish…
Can you rent a furnished house without furniture?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Why not just rent a house without furniture? That was my first reaction to Claire asking if she could rent a furnished house without furniture. Claire couldn’t make up her mind when renting, although she really wanted a furnished home. Then I got intrigued. I was intrigued because we often…
What exterior house color is the hardest to sell?
I’d love to hear from my readers which exterior house color makes a home hardest to sell. Feel free to leave your comments in the comment box at the end of this blog. I have listed hundreds of homes in Costa Rica in my real estate career and I’ve seen some seriously colorful houses myself.…
Avoid a Do Nothing Retirement for a Better Final Phase of Life
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Is a Do Nothing Retirement your future? Back in the day when retirement was mandatory at age 65 and one’s lifespan was much shorter, becoming a couch potato may have made sense. Or not. Currently, consider how many years you have for retirement. Doesn’t it make sense to set goals…
Más Tico que el Gallo Pinto!
In Costa Rica, you will hear the expression Mas Tico que el Gallo Pinto. Literally translated, this means a person is more Costa Rican than a spotted rooster. Does that make sense? Gallo is rooster and Pinto means spotted. Gallo Pinto is the #1 food for the Ticos. It is the famous rice & beans…
7 Benefits of renting an apartment in the Central Valley
Some of you are not even thinking of renting an apartment in the Central Valley when moving to Costa Rica. And others do. Why is that? Are there any benefits to renting first? Most our clients from up north and Europe are retirees, looking for a much different lifestyle than they were used to. No…
Is a lifestyle at the beach for you?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes A dream of a lifestyle at the beach usually involves white sand beaches, palm trees, and quite a few piña coladas. This dream can easily turn into a nightmare if you don’t figure it all out in time. GoDutch Realty services only the west side of the Central Valley. That…
Rent furnished or unfurnished when moving to Costa Rica?
Moving to Costa Rica and you don’t know if you should rent furnished or unfurnished? I know that is quite a difficult decision. But don’t go crazy over it, that’s why we are here: to assist you. The very first question you need to ask yourself is if you will move to Costa Rica permanently…
Go-Fish seafood in Distrito 4 Escazu
You don’t need to Go-Fish it yourself, and they’ll serve it cooked. We’re not family, although we sound like it. Go-Fish is not the same as GoDutch. Go-Fish does fish and GoDutch does … real estate in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. At GoDutch, we are incredibly good at doing real estate. Go-Fish is…
Is there a severe water problem in Atenas?
The severe water problem in Atenas was in the news again, this time in the Diario La Extra. Before you decide that Atenas is not for you and close this blog, let me tell you: the severe water problem in Atenas is only in certain parts. The gringo communities don’t have any problems because they…
8 Items not necessarily included in a Costa Rica property purchase
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Sometimes, buyers want strange things included in their Costa Rica property purchase. Other times, sellers want to include even stranger things in their turnkey property sales. What is included and what is not? Check on that before you pay. On your first tour of a house for sale, you might…
7 Ways property sellers can be a pain in the butt
Are you a motivated seller? Help yourself and don’t become a pain in the butt. It’s amazing how some sellers become so desperate, they become a pain in the butt for everyone. They become a pain in the butt for everyone around them, not only with their real estate agent. Motivated or desperate Quite often…
Any idea who Tica Linda is?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Any idea who Tica Linda is? You’ll probably say “something like a Miss Costa Rica”? You’re partially right. She is the queen of the “festejos populares de San Jose”, but more about that later. This was the start of the use of the word as a designation used by…
8 Smart steps to buy a new construction home in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes You’re looking at this incredibly well-designed promotion material of a new construction home by a builder. You instantly fall in love with what you see. This is the place you want to spend the rest of your life or your vacations. This new construction home looks just what you…
Residencial Los Arcos de Heredia is more than just a great location
Just imagine living in a beautifully master planned community. Picture a large pond with ducks and huge arches at the entrance. Residencial Los Arcos de Heredia is a small community just off highway 1 with quite a few beautiful homes. The first things you see when you arrive at Los Arcos de Heredia are the huge…
Stand back, I am having a creative moment
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you often have a creative moment, just like I do? If you are a creative person, Costa Rica is probably a good place for you. In fact, you need to be creative to be able to survive. It doesn’t necessarily mean you can make a living by being creative,…
A cry for Grecia rental property investors
This is a cry for Grecia rental property investors. The reason I am inviting you to invest in Grecia rental property because you can make a smart and safe investment without running any risk at all. Our rental market in Grecia assures any investor of a 6% ROI as an absolute minimum, being very conservative.…
The 9 things I hate the most about tenants in Costa Rica
I am a landlord myself. Dany and I thought it was a good idea to purchase a small 2 bedroom condo in Sabana as income property some years ago. Hey, I’m a real estate broker, so we should own some rental property too, right! First, we had several tenants from hell, one after another. Sadly,…
What does Pa’l Tigre mean in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Ricans use animals quite a bit in their expressions. The tiger is one of them. Pa’l Tigre means not feeling well, feeling sick, or not having done well. Estoy pa’l tigre = I feel terrible. Something that is not usable anymore, out of order, esta “pa’l tigre”. Esta…
Wow gardens and retirement in Grecia
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes The year-round spring-like weather and the volcanoes are the best ingredients for an entertaining retirement. Are you wondering what you are going to do with all that free time when you retire? Gardening is a great option, isn’t it? Therefore, wow gardens and retirement in Grecia are a perfect…
16 Magnificent terrace views of Atenas homes
As you have probably noticed before, I like to use visual materials to show our clients and readers what Costa Rica is all about. Visual materials show the magnificent terrace views of Atenas homes better than any beautiful write-up, even though our Atenas agent does a real good job on that too. That’s the advantage of…
Ned Nossaman and another Costa Rica poem
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Did you read Ned Nossaman’s Costa Rica poem last year? The title of this Costa Rica poem was Costa Rica ~ Pura Vida! in which Ned shared his feelings for Costa Rica with us. Is moving to Costa Rica a consideration for you? Ned wrote another Costa Rica poem, with…
Can you pitch a lowball offer when you need owner financing?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Cash is king, but you already knew that I’m sure. If you are looking for an incredibly good deal, you better bring cash if you want the seller of a property in Costa Rica to even think about accepting a lowball offer. Of course, if you are looking for owner financing…
Can I use my cell phone in Costa Rica while traveling?
Wondering if you can use your cell phone in Costa Rica while traveling? You need to be able to stay in touch with your family back home while having a good time, right? You live in Costa Rica and you have family and friends coming to visit all the time? Of course, they want to…
Why do Ticos talk about the mother of Tarzan?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes You don’t want to be called The Mother of Tarzan in Costa Rica, you know why? In the past, I have been telling you about certain slang words used in Costa Rica, to give you the opportunity to go a little bit native when you move here. Learn the…
How to select a Costa Rica real estate closing attorney
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes How to select a Costa Rica real estate closing attorney Isn’t the internet a marvel? You are looking for a Costa Rica real estate closing attorney and you just go to Google and type “Costa Rica real estate closing attorney”. This is what you get: 8.5 million results. That’s worse…
Should a couch potato look for a home in Costa Rica?
Do you want to become a couch potato? Probably you’re not, because you wouldn’t be reading this article. But maybe your spouse wants to be a couch potato? We have the solution for it: move to Costa Rica! Once you take that decision we can assist to look for a home in Costa Rica. You have…
Use a self-directed IRA to buy a vacation rental long before retirement
You might not be able to retire for another few years. For sure you have the picture of your dream retirement home tucked away in a corner of your mind. Maybe it looks pretty much like the home in this photo? Did you know you use a self-directed IRA to buy a vacation rental? Retirement…
Why rent a furnished home in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Should you rent first? And if you rent, should you rent a furnished home in Costa Rica? Or would it be better unfurnished? Moving to Costa Rica can be a huge pain in the butt. Just taking the decision of moving or not is huge for most. Let me…
What is Que Chapa in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The use of slang in Tico Spanish is just as common as it is in any other language. Que chapa is one of those often used words in Tico slang. It would be helpful for you to understand why someone might call you a chapa. Or maybe when someone is…
The amazing views Grecia properties have
Did you know you can get amazing views in Grecia? There are many reasons expats want to live in Grecia. The amazing views from Grecia properties is one of those reasons. They’re amazing, those vistas, in case you didn’t know. Vistas mean views in English. In the rural areas of Costa Rica, you’ll hear the word…
Please crack my neck – the best chiropractor in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes How did I end up having my neck adjusted by the best chiropractor in Costa Rica? It took me years to find Dr. James D. McLellan in Santa Ana. Now I visit Dr. Jim (506) 2282-3998 / 8702 -0172 just for maintenance, once in a while. When I don’t forget. As…
How to purchase property in Costa Rica on remote control
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Maybe one day it will be necessary for you to purchase property in Costa Rica on remote control. One good reason is that the wire from your bank, to pay for the property, needs to be in person. Most banks will not allow you to just put in a phone…
The best solution to a cracked windshield in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I had a cracked windshield and what started as a good story, ended in a disaster. Having a cracked windshield in Costa Rica is quite common. Lots of roads in and outside the Central Valley are unpaved. Especially if you are adventurous, you can find yourself driving on some pretty…
What is manda huevo in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The translation of huevo in English is egg, but manda huevo is something totally different. When you move to Costa Rica, you will want to communicate with your local neighbors. In their own language of course, not in yours. They speak Spanish. Spanish is a really easy language to learn…
How to save on your appliance purchase in Costa Rica
Want to save on your appliance purchase? Then follow the instructions.
When buying appliances in Costa Rica, you can expect to pay a lot more than what you pay in another country.
5 Magic tips for a normal life while selling your house
Planning on selling your house or you already have it for sale? I bet you already know that selling a house in Costa Rica can take a while. Some don’t realize that the time that it takes, is really up to the seller. Pricing is usually the reason that a house sells quickly, or not!…
What is parado de uñas in Costa Rica
If you really want to go native when living in Costa Rica, you should learn the typical Tico slang or Tiquismo that is used by the locals. In other blogs, I have told you about Chunches, Upe, and some others. Today’s turn is for “estar parado de uñas“. What is parado de uñas in Costa…
What is Upe in Costa Rica?
Everyone in Costa Rica knows what upe is. Or uuuuupeeeeeee, when you yell it. If you don’t say upe loud enough, nobody will hear you and they won’t come to the door. Do you want to know what Upe in Costa Rica is? Alf Giebler, in his book “A lo Tico”, says that is means…
Costa Rica ~ Pura Vida poem
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes Pura Vida is everywhere here, but this is the first Costa Rica Pura Vida Poem written. I always enjoy it when the expats who moved to Costa Rica have a good time, especially when they tell others about it. There is already enough negativity in this world. Costa Rica ~…
20 Genius household hacks that work in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes My blogs are meant to make things easier for you when you live in Costa Rica. That’s why this time I have tried to find 5,555 genius household hacks that should work in Costa Rica. I decided to start with only 20 of them and leave a few for some other…
12 facts that everyone living in Costa Rica takes for granted
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes When you first arrive in a new country, there are concepts, habits, and unique facts that everyone notices. They might be the reason you move to Costa Rica or not, but you assume you’ll do all you can to enjoy them. After a while of living in Costa Rica, you…
7 Costa Rica Real Estate Contract Killers You Should Know About
Do you think that as soon as the real estate contract is signed, you can take the day off and celebrate? Had you heard about those horrible contract killers than can happen to anyone? I’m sorry but unless you have the perfect real estate contract and everything else falls in place, you will not be…
How to save money on liquor in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that you can save a lot of money buying liquor in Costa Rica in the right place? If you don’t drink before you move to Costa Rica, there might several reasons to start doing so pretty soon. It can be pretty warm some days and for…
The death of a landmark in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Did you know that a landmark can be incredibly important so visitors can find your house? Few things are as hard as directions or finding an address in Costa Rica if you have recently arrived. Even if you are fluent in Spanish. Our addresses are weird. Even if you use…
Adjust to food in Costa Rica
Do you think you will be able to adjust to the food in Costa Rica? Moving to another country is a much bigger step than most think it is. Especially when it’s about trying to adjust to the food in Costa Rica. There is so much information available online. Nonetheless, I find that only a few…
Will property in Costa Rica sell faster on an exclusive listing agreement?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes Unless you love to suffer, do not sign an exclusive listing agreement for your property in Costa Rica with any real estate agency, no matter how sexy, famous, smooth, handsome, or successful the agent who promises to sell your property next week is. Why would you put all your eggs…
Which powers of attorney does your property manager in Costa Rica need?
Many homeowners forget to give their property manager the necessary powers of attorney to do the job. Then they find out when it’s too late. This is more or less how it happens: Everybody involved in the real estate closing is exhilarated, the buyer most of all. Of course, she is. Susan just closed on…
7 Luxury homes in the Central Valley worth checking out
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes Have you ever wondered what luxury homes in the Central Valley can look like? Depending on your timing, you can find great listings of luxury homes for sale. Maybe you’d like to hire a buyer’s agent or run around with 10 different agents? How does the luxury home market in…
9 Jaw dropping ways to make things work in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes If you’re planning to move to Costa Rica, we would like to mention that living costs in Costa Rica are below average, but you better learn how to make things work. If you were born and raised in a developed country, you are used to going to the store and…
Are appliances included in your Costa Rica home purchase or rental?
“Darling, I love that luxury condo in Escazu, all those appliances are included; I just sent you the link so you can have a look at the photos. I asked the realtor if that 36” Sub-Zero side-by-side built-in is included in the sale.” “And you should see the rest of the appliances in the kitchen;…
La chilera and the hot sauce in Costa Rica
Do you know what a chilera is? Costa Rican cuisine offers quite a variety of vegetables. You can purchase those at any farmers market or grocery store as you all know. What many do not know is that those vegetables are also used in one of the most important ingredients of that Costa Rican cuisine:…
Moving offshore to Costa Rica saves Americans
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Moving offshore with your family is much easier than it was ever before. The internet made the world smaller and Costa Rica is now home to thousands of expats and retired foreigners, many of them Americans. Costa Rica is not just a place to hide dirty money anymore like it…
9 Weird ways to transport your belongings in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes In Costa Rica, people have weird ways to transport stuff. Planning on moving to another home in Costa Rica? Are you remodeling your home and need to purchase large building materials like cement, gypsum, steel beams, and others? Need to take your cow to your sister’s house? Organizing a wedding…
Can you use US Dollars in Costa Rica?
Yes, you can use US Dollars to make payments for almost everything in Costa Rica. BUT, they’ll always give you a horrible exchange rate. Here are some tips. Although I sometimes wish we could get rid of the local currency, the Colon, I must admit that they designed beautiful bills. Money is not something you…
Can we help the Ninis in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Ninis? No, they’re not weird creatures from outer space. Cultural diversity will many times interfere in your life once in a while when living in Costa Rica. Cultural differences between Costa Rica and your home country are plenty; you will find that out as soon as you move to Costa…
Do we really get a lot of sunshine in Costa Rica?
Is there a lot of sunshine in Costa Rica? When they read that Costa Rica has the best climate in the world, some think it’s all advertising techniques. Is it for real? Is the climate in Costa Rica really so good? Or doesn’t have the number of sunshine hours so much to do with the…
13 Unexpected costs first-time vacation condo buyers should consider
You have now decided to buy that vacation condo in Costa Rica that you fell in love with. Isn’t it awesome! But before you sign the Reciprocal Option to Buy / Sell, you want to know what costs are involved. Can you afford that vacation condo? Can you afford the extra things that are involved?…
Why is selling a rented house in Costa Rica a mission impossible?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Did you know that selling a rented house is almost impossible? Just getting a real estate listing agreement on a house in Costa Rica is easy, but getting a good listing is much harder. Now guess what a good listing that is rented is? You got it, it’s a mission…
Before moving to Costa Rica – consider the people location
How important is to consider the location before moving to Costa Rica? Everybody knows that buying a house, it is all about location. The physical location is most vital, but what about the “people location”? If you are considering moving to Costa Rica, it is critical to plan. There are people who “stick a pin…
Design a bar and outdoor kitchen for your house in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 13 Minutes Would you like an outdoor kitchen or a bar in your home in Costa Rica? If you haven’t already bought a house in Costa Rica through a GoDutch Realty agent, I’m sure you will as soon as you learn how to design the coolest bar in the neighborhood! Now, I’m…
Think hard before your rent on VRBO in Costa Rica
Looking to rent on VRBO? Are you sure? Really? Then read this: Late on a Saturday afternoon, my office phone is ringing while I’m on my cell phone with a lawyer discussing some details on a real estate closing. I’m alone in the office and the office phone is ringing off the hook. I first…
16 Stupid Things Gringos living in Costa Rica do all the time
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Is it true that gringos living in Costa Rica do stupid things? Hey, I found 16 stupid things. Maybe you’ll come up with a few more. Post them in the comment box, please. The first thing that I should do, in case someone misunderstands the term “gringo”, is to explain…
Looking for privacy on your property in Santa Ana, is it possible?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes My neighbors are looking at me all the time, I want privacy! I also want security because I travel a lot. This is typically a request we get a lot. Last week I showed prospective buyers a half-acre property in Santa Ana with a small house on it. The buyers…
How to retire for less in Costa Rica and still be happy
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that you can retire for less in Costa Rica? Until now you thought you can’t afford to retire abroad? You’ve probably been reading on forums and news sites that Costa Rica has become more expensive than it was before. So now you’re afraid you will not be…
Are Costa Ricans proactive or not?
One of the most difficult things for me adapting to the Costa Rican culture has been the fact that Ticos are not really proactive. Of course, there are those who are, but they are an exception. Most are pretty reactive. If you wonder, yes I am still trying to adapt to a different culture after…
Mal Pais and Santa Teresa are booming beaches in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Have you ever been to Mal Pais and Santa Teresa? I went surfing. In my case, that means looking at how kids grab their surfboards, run into the ocean and jump on a surfboard to ride the waves for hours. It’s amazing what they do. I just watch. The last…
I want to be a good neighbor in Atenas – Costa Rica
I own a building lot in an Atenas gated community and I want to be a good neighbor. The months of December, January, and February are famous for the strong winds in Costa Rica. They mean the change from the rainy season to the dry season. These 62 mph (100kph) winds can become pretty dangerous.…
Beware of Costa Rican real estate developer marketing tricks
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Most Costa Rican real estate developers sell pre-construction dreams by using marketing tricks! Do yourself a favor and dream with your eyes open. In the past, I have written quite a few articles about buying a property in residential developments. Check out 9 steps to stop a developer from deceiving…
2 Ways to not get hit by the train in Costa Rica
The train was such a wonderful way of transport to a country like Costa Rica. Costa Rica does not have any heavy industries at all, but the country exports a lot. Therefore, for many years, the train was very important. Until Jose Maria Figueres closed the railroad in his government. The train stopped running. Now,…
How important is family in Costa Rica and how to deal with them
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Did you know that the family in Costa Rica is very important for everyone? In Costa Rica, family sticks together, even if they can’t stand each other. Costa Ricans do anything and everything with the family as much as they can. They are very traditional in their family lifestyle and…
Is selling Costa Rica real estate a joke?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Is selling Costa Rica real estate a joke? I have met a lot of really nice people in my real estate career, probably 90% of the buyers and sellers we deal with are nice, easy-going people who appreciate the hard work we do. They recommend us whenever they can. Thank…
12 Bugging reasons for not moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Let’s do something different today; let’s talk about reasons for NOT moving to Costa Rica. Thanks to Marian, our real estate agent in Atenas, and her almost-famous tenant, I’m able to write another blog. This story is about the tenant who has done us a favor by writing a 7-page…
How to reduce mistakes when buying mountain property in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Buying mountain property in Costa Rica is not difficult at all, as long as you do your homework. Many buyers do not realize that Costa Rica is famous for its microclimates and that every mountain in Costa Rica is different. First, climate preferences are very important, as well as rainfall.…
10 Life changing facts when you marry a Costa Rican
Of course, you want to find out about the 10 life changing facts or think twice before you marry a Costa Rican. I’ll tell you why. Most men who move to Costa Rica, except for the blind ones, agree that Costa Rican women are beautiful. In some cases, this can turn into a problem. For…
Should I stay or should I leave Costa Rica for a lower cost of living?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Many of you know that the cost of living in Costa Rica has gone up a lot in the past few years. One of the reasons is that the Costa Rican government decided to stop with the mini-devaluations in 2006. They then moved to exchange rate bands that kept…
Sexy thoughts about buying a house with pool or without
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Don’t we all love a house with pool? So why not have sexy thoughts about buying a house in Costa Rica? With a pool maybe? I always recommend our agents use a swimming pool photo as the first listing photo for promotion. Especially if there is a great view in…
12 Noisy reasons to terminate an Atenas lease agreement (or anywhere else)
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Is it easy to terminate a lease agreement in Costa Rica? At GoDutch Realty we don’t do many lease agreements. The main reason for this is that many tenants feel that the agents are responsible for every detail until the tenants pass out or pass away. There is not much…
The pros and the cons of buying a condominium in Costa Rica
If you are buying a condominium in Costa Rica, will you be able to adapt to a new lifestyle? Those who have always lived in a single-family home might find a new lifestyle unacceptable. For your information, a condominium in Costa Rica can be an apartment building, a townhouse in a gated community, or even…
7 reasons to live in El Cajon de Grecia
Cajón what? El Cajon de Grecia! Few imagine that is the name of one of the nicest communities to live in the Central Valley. It’s close to Grecia, not to be mistaken with Greece in Europe. I know El Cajón de Grecia reasonably well myself because I’ve joined Brooke Bishop, our Grecia agent many times…
Several reasons to build a house in Costa Rica without construction permits
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes It’s amazing how many people get away with building a house in Costa Rica without getting construction permits. I’ve been in the Costa Rica real estate business way for over 25 years. And I have seen lots of constructions shut down by the local engineering department for lack of a…
Should you trust people you meet just because they speak your language?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Should you trust people you meet in Costa Rica just because they speak your language? At home, you grew up in a certain environment and you learned how to recognize the people you don’t want in your life and those you cannot trust. When you move to Costa Rica, it…
6 Handy Costa Rica grocery shopping tips
I’m sure you’ll love these grocery shopping tips that I have for you. Just to make grocery shopping in Costa Rica easier for you. Every culture has different ways of doing things and as soon as you move to Costa Rica, you will find out that a lot of things are different than they were…
How to make payments to your Costa Rica home builder or not
Do you have faith in your home builder? I used to, I thought he was good and honest! Many home lot owners in Costa Rica, once they are ready to start building, do all the wrong things. That is mostly for lack of experience. Most of us only build one house in a lifetime, or…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
7 Ways Ticos will think you are an Ugly American
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes It’s really easy to be an ugly American in Costa Rica if you want to be one. There is an ugly American in every country, (and I don’t mean physically ugly) not only in Costa Rica. The 1958 novel turned into the 1963 movie with Marlon Brandon has made such…
Costa Rican Construction Standards
“What are the Local Construction Standards?” is an often asked question by expats who are considering buying a house in Costa Rica. Are the construction standards for building materials and installation methods that Ticos are accustomed to the same as yours? If you have not spent much time in Costa Rica, you may not initially…
For your information, we have lots of volcanoes in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes For your information, we have lots of volcanoes in Costa Rica When I started selling real estate in Costa Rica, roads were less crowded and we were very few real estate agents in Costa Rica. It was necessary to take listings that were within 5 hours drive from your real…
Do your eyes see a different Costa Rica than your spouse does?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Making the decision for your spouse to move to Costa Rica is probably not a good idea. Maybe your eyes see a different Costa Rica than your spouse does? As we all know, men and women see things differently, though they’re both looking at the same thing. It’s one of…
The solution to Costa Rica’s high product prices
Costa Rica News published The real reason behind Costa Rica’s high product prices on April 8, 2015. This is a really interesting article about the fact that Costa Rican produced products are cheaper in neighboring countries than in Costa Rica itself. This article explains that commercial protectionism of certain Costa Rican industries, the high import…
Book an Atenas vacation rental on time or sleep in the park
The Atenas vacation rental is the hottest item this season. If you are looking to rent a home in Atenas – Costa Rica, you need to reserve on time; please do so. If you don’t, you will have to sleep on a bench in the park of Atenas. Atenas has a very nice park, mind…
Russian property buyers interested in Costa Rica via Tranio
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Recently, GoDutch Realty Costa Rica has been able to secure an alliance with us at Tranio. Tranio is the largest directory of overseas property for international buyers. This international property website offers property for sale worldwide in over 30 countries. This will make the Costa Rica real estate listings more…
Prohibition during Easter week and Election Time
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Prohibition during Easter week in Costa Rica is something you should know about. I know, it’s like going back to the Stone Age, but we have this liquor prohibition or dry law here. Oh, and we also have a dry law, countrywide, on election day. The United States had Prohibition…
US Embassy security message warns for living in Escazu
I was surprised to read a US Embassy security message from the U.S. Embassy in San José, forwarded to me by one of our real estate agents, who is an American citizen. You can read the US Embassy Security message at the end of this blog in case you haven’t received it yourself. In this…
How to go about tipping in Costa Rica
You are here to learn all about tipping in Costa Rica. In most countries, you’re expected to tip, even if you’re not happy with the service. In others, tipping is simply not done. You just arrived at the international airport in Costa Rica. As soon as you walk outside arrivals, 10 guys jump on you,…
How To Find An Excellent Real Estate Agent In Your Area?
When selling your home in Costa Rica, the most important thing is to find an excellent real estate agent to make the entire process easy and efficient. However, the main question is how to find an excellent real estate agent who is able to promote your home better than others? The best agent may not…
What is a granizado or copo in Costa Rica?
When the weather is hot, you need to order a granizado, also called a copo. Summertime in Costa Rica is around the corner although we really have an eternal spring. The December winds are making overtime and we’re almost in Easter week or “Semana Santa”. Therefore, we still have a lot of winds. It keeps…
Ticos have flaws, had you noticed?
Have you noticed that Ticos have flaws, just like we all do? But let me show you that they have different flaws than you and I have. Sometimes these flaws are funny. And sometimes they’re quite the opposite. And that’s when you need to keep your cool! Costa Ricans, we call them Ticos, have a…
Water, water everywhere in Costa Rica and not a drop to drink
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes When you live in the United States, as we do, you tend to take water for granted. In the 30 years we’ve been living in Washington DC we’ve had a water interruption only once. And the limits of our concern generally are the hope that the pipes won’t freeze at…
5 reasons to be disappointed about living in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Disappointed about living in Costa Rica? All that glitters is not gold! Some who have moved here found out that is also true for Costa Rica. At least for a few. I personally think it’s terrible to have to live in a place that you hate, no matter where it…
4 Top Design Elements of Portable Buildings
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The increasing demand for secure and, budget-friendly housing units has led many people to turn towards portable buildings. It is totally a new concept in the construction industry. Manufacturers can build these structures in a closed unit and can deliver them to customers in the form of a modular building.…
What can happen at the traffic light in Costa Rica?
Stopping at a traffic light in Costa Rica can bring a lot of surprises, driving is different. A traffic light in Costa Rica creates a surprising business center. A traffic light is a great place to try to sell you something or beg for money. Because there is nowhere to go but wait for the…
5 Costa Rica Moving Tips and Guidelines
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes It’s not every day that you move to another country, so here are some must-read moving tips for you. There are many reasons for expats to move to Costa Rica, from its unique and beautiful natural appeal to the rich and diverse cultural heritage and business opportunities. One thing remains…
Neighbors to avoid when you buy a Costa Rica property
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes There are always reasons you should NOT purchase a Costa Rica property. Cultural differences can be obstructive, especially if you are not aware of them and your neighbors could be one of them. Some of those issues, your real estate agent might or might not be aware of. Your agent doesn’t live there…
The Costa Rica Vehicle Inspection or RTV
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Those who own a vehicle in Costa Rica should know about the Vehicle Inspection or RTV, also known as RITEVE or DEKRA. All new or used vehicles must pass RTV every year before they’re allowed to circulate on the country’s public roads. At Godutch Realty, we sell homes and land…
No passing zones in Costa Rica are more dangerous than you think
Today’s turn is for the no passing zone and the lack of it. Como, qué dice? A no passing zone? What’s that? I have written quite a few blogs about driving in Costa Rica and strange and funny things you might find on the roads of Costa Rica and show you that driving in Costa…
Put a lock on your house in Costa Rica when you go on vacation
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you lock your house in Costa Rica well enough when you go away? It is summertime again in Costa Rica and that means trips to the beaches and national parks for all of us. For sure, you will have family and friends from back home visiting. They will want…
Brush fire created by your Costa Rica neighbor
Beware of the brush fire during the dry season! If you own property in Costa Rica, you should pay attention to the windy months of December, January, and part of February. Brush fires are easily started and might be a danger to your property as well as to you and your family. If you are…
6 Tax Tips That Every American Expat in Costa Rica Should Know
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes If you’re an American expat, living in Costa Rica, you will love these 6 tax tips. According to recent statistics, Costa Rica is one of the best countries to live in. It ranks in top positions when it comes to the happiest and greenest places. The tropical paradise combines magnificent nature…
Flush the paper down the toilet in Costa Rica
Not allowed to flush the paper down the toilet? How is that? Once in a while, people who visit me in my office, ask if they can use the restroom. Some, who have been staying in an older hotel or Bed & Breakfast or live in a rural location, open the door of my restroom,…
There is no Black Friday in Costa Rica real estate yet
Who would have guessed that we have Black Friday in Costa Rica now too? Black Friday in Spanish is Viernes Negro, but almost nobody uses that. Last Friday, I saw no Black Friday signs on any Costa Rica real estate offices. I have asked a couple of sellers but they didn’t think I was serious.…
Ever heard of Christopher Howard’s famous Live in Costa Rica tours?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Moving to Costa Rica? Be smart and first take Christopher Howard’s famous Live in Costa Rica tours. Too many property buyers end up running all over the country without having a clue where to purchase or rent a vacation home or retirement home in Costa Rica. You have heard friends…
Sidewalks in Costa Rica are different
Sidewalks in Costa Rica? What’s that, a sidewalk? Who needs sidewalks anyway? Costa Ricans don’t use sidewalks, even if they have one. Costa Ricans walk on the road, mostly for lack of sidewalks or there are too many obstacles. A few weeks ago, I wrote about obstacles on the roads of Costa Rica. This blog…
Try tango, wine and bife de chorizo in Costa Rica
Do you like bife de chorizo? I had never heard of this Argentinian restaurant in San Jose, though I had driven past it many times. I don’t go to San Jose that often anymore, but it looks like the city is becoming a good place for great restaurants again. Once in a while, when I…
Road Obstacles when driving in Costa Rica
Be careful when driving in Costa Rica, there are lots of road obstacles. Driving in Costa Rica can be overwhelming when you first arrive. I compare it to driving in Paris, Rome or Madrid, any Latin American city in Europe. It’s mainly the lack of discipline that turns roads into a madhouse, especial at peak…
What is a chorizo in Costa Rica
Most people know a chorizo as a sausage made of minced meat and spices, usually dark red or brown and of elongated cylindrical shape. In Costa Rica, we have two types of chorizo, a legal one and an illegal one. Most butchers in Costa Rica make their own chorizo or sausage, some good and some…
American Football in Costa Rican sports bar
There are a lot of die-hard American football fans in Costa Rica, and they go to a sports bar. I have to admit I belong to that group and when not working will be at a sports place – restaurant, watching a game. Some places are great because they have the ability to show 2-3…
The Costa Rica Asada Saga
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes A water certification is needed for building permits and our building lot is serviced by the local Asada. My wife, Katya, and I speak some Spanish (though probably not enough). Still, we thought we knew the word “asada.” It meant “roasted” and frequently modified “carne” or, in a masculine form,…
How to get a Costa Rican mailing address
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes You are living in Costa Rica and need a new mailing address, which seems like a simple task. It can be a very simple task, depending on how easy you want to make it yourself. When ordering online, you’ll find that the space for the address is very small. Some…
Do Ticos love or hate gringos?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do Ticos love or hate gringos? You can read some nice and some not so nice comments on this same issue on Costa Rica Living Forum, where some tend to be a little blunt. Please leave your comments at the end of this blog, it will be appreciated very much.…
6 More tips to turn your home into a successful vacation rental
I published the first 3 tips on how to turn your Costa Rica house into a successful vacation rental last week. My wife and I purchased a house in Costa Rica before we were ready to retire. Now we are trying to cover the cost of the maintenance of the property by renting the property…
Water issues obstruct building permits in agricultural subdivisions in Costa Rica
Did you know that water can be an issue when you request a building permit in an agricultural subdivision? Do you have a building lot in an agricultural subdivision in Costa Rica? Or maybe you are planning to buy one? If so, you better read this blog, so you can save yourself a lot of…
3 Tips to Turn your house into a successful vacation rental
In this blog, and another one next week, I will provide some tips to turn your house into a successful vacation rental. These tips may assist you to increase your success rate if your intent is to purchase a property to rent out part or all of the time. This is based on my own…
Can a realtor be successful wearing tattoos or a different haircut?
Do you like my hairdo and tattoos? I try not to discriminate, quite the opposite. My parents have educated me very liberally, like good and open-minded Dutch. In other blogs, I have been quite outspoken about gay issues and racism. How important is it for a real estate agent in Costa Rica to dress well,…
Free Que Pasa Website Serving Grecia and Sarchi Communities
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Que Pasa, the free-membership Grecia & Sarchi community information website started in 2014. This incredibly informative website serves the English-speaking residents and ex-pats who plan to live in Grecia and Sarchi. Debi Gedling, former Que Pasa editor, and co-founder said: “We felt that as a no-cost community information website serving…
Is it true that Costa Ricans never say no?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that Costa Ricans never say no? There are many reasons for moving to Costa Rica. But the most attractive one is that Costa Ricans are nice people. They never say no. If you compare the Ticos, with their neighbors, the Panamanians and the Nicaraguans (Nicas), they come…
Expats and InterNations in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Nobody Stands Alone is one of InterNations’ slogans and the expat community in Costa Rica is no exception. Costa Rica has well-established expat communities in many of its towns and cities. For instance, as an InterNations member, you are able to connect with fellow expatriates and share the wonderful experiences…
Will new visa fines stop perpetual tourism in Costa Rica?
Will the new visa fines stop or control perpetual tourism? In 2011, a new article of the immigration law was approved. The law came in effect on August 1st, 2014. This article fines tourists $100 per month after their tourist visa expires. Those who cannot pay or are unwilling to do so, will not be…
Renting our Home as a Costa Rica Vacation Rental Property
We decided to use our home as a Costa Rica vacation rental property. It has been some time since I reported on my experience with buying property in Costa Rica and living there. I thought it would be useful to give you an update. My wife and I are not yet at the point of…
Not retiring to Costa Rica because of your kids?
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Are you ready to retire but you’re worried about your kids? and you are dreaming to do so in Costa Rica. You see yourself already walking the beach or sitting on your terrace at your pool, enjoying the views, while having piña coladas. But, there is one but……. Your kids.…
Pablo’s decision making process to purchase Atenas property
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I’d like to tell you about the decision making process before we purchased an Atenas property. Walt Disney said that “dreams really do come true.” Now we believe it – or at least we are starting to. Ten years ago, Katya and I first visited Costa Rica. We stayed on…
Piropos or catcalling in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Last week, in my blog on Machismo in Costa Rica, I told you a bit about piropos or catcalling. They are like pick-up lines in English. A piropo is the Latin American way of giving another person a compliment and they are a tradition in Costa Rica, like it or…
Why is MacGyvering a must in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Why must MacGyvering be used in Costa Rica quite often? In this blog, I’d like to recount an experience I had recently that is indicative of the way you’ll find product availability in this country. Learn more about MacGyver in Costa Rica now. My story is about buying lumber. It…
Machismo in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Machismo is part of the Latin American culture and though education and travel are changing this gender gap, you will still see a lot of machismo in the lower and middle social classes in Costa Rica. But what is machismo? Machismo is a concept of masculine pride, associated with men…
How to obtain your Costa Rican drivers license
Estimated Driving Time: 6 Minutes Did you know that you need a Costa Rican drivers license when you have been in the country for more than 3 months? Nearly all obstacles to our residency in Costa Rica are in the rear-view mirror except for the matter of getting our Costa Rican drivers license. If you…
Smoking in Costa Rica in Public and Private Places
Is smoking in Costa Rica becoming outdated? I grew up in a smoker’s family. The ashtrays were huge in our house. To quit smoking, was the most difficult thing I have done in my life. First I tried patches, gum, acupuncture, and other methods. I quit by using Champix (also called Chantix). By then, I…
How Ticonuevo got his Dimex residency card in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Did you receive your Dimex residency card yet? Our “moving-to-Costa-Rica” travails are pretty much behind us. Our recent focus has been getting our Dimex residency card (cedula de residencias) making us official full-time retired residents of Costa Rica. It was the biggest item and the one that has also taken the…
An Orosi Valley real estate can of worms
Estimated Driving Time: 7 Minutes I’d like to introduce you to a couple of Orosi Valley real estate agents: Carol and BF Wilkinson of Land and Homes in Costa Rica. Not that I want you to purchase real estate from them! It’s quite the contrary to that. If you are not careful when you buy…
Our tips for moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes I titled this blog, “our tips for moving to Costa Rica” it easily could have been titled “our moving nightmare.” It seems that even when you are careful, get recommendations, and follow expert advice, everything still can go to heck in a handbasket. I have already covered some tips for…
Costa Rica lost the soccer game and is still happy
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Costa Rica lost the soccer game against The Netherlands! But the Ticos are still happy! But, it is no wonder Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world because the country has the highest life satisfaction in the world. Even when they lost the soccer game against the Netherlands…
Low cost skilled labor makes it affordable in Costa Rica
Pretty much every inexpensive good or service mentioned in this blog is a result of low-cost labor. In the States, we always wished that we could afford a housekeeper. We just never could find a way to fit it into our budget, even if only twice a month. We are now retired in Costa Rica…
Used and New Clothing Shopping in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes In this blog, I will cover used and new clothing shopping as well as leather. When clothing shopping, you’ll learn that some of those are inexpensive comparing Costa Rica and North America. Costa Rica has quite a low labor cost. The result is inexpensive goods and services. Many more…
Shopping for an Healthy Diet in Costa Rica
In this blog, I’m going to cover some food for a healthy diet that is in abundance and an inexpensive way to have a healthy diet. So, let’s eat. I’ll also mention several other specific examples of where to save money. This, in a few cases, means to go native. I can’t remember if I’ve…
Costa Rica had pasta for breakfast last Friday
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Pasta is an unusual type of food to have for breakfast and Ticos usually have Gallo Pinto at that time of the day as you all know by now. You might not know that soccer is almost a religion in Costa Rica. Last Friday, the Costarican National Soccer Team…
The Cost of being a Homeowner in Costa Rica
Now, let’s talk about being a homeowner first. When comparing with homeownership in North America, it is, perhaps, the largest single savings experienced. The cost of being a homeowner by comparison to the States is much cheaper in Costa Rica. It depends on what you buy and where you buy. Remember, the real estate saying,…
Discover inexpensive things in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Inexpensive things are important if you want to keep your cost of living at an acceptable level. Here we go. I’ve been spending a lot of time and ink in the last four blogs talking about and giving advice on expensive or hard-to-find articles in Costa Rica. Therefore, I…
Looking for hard to find articles in Costa Rica
Sometimes it’s really hard to find articles in Costa Rica. I’m going to mention a couple of more non-perishables before leaving the territory of hard-to-find products in Costa Rica. Here’s an eclectic list of a couple of expensive and hard to find articles plus a bit about cellphones. Luckily, we shipped a couple of box…
Property near the Cariari Golf and Country Club offers an exciting lifestyle
The Cariari Golf and Country Club is the country’s premier and located in the most beautifully designed master-planned community in the Central Valley. This beautiful country club features the perfect location right between the cities of San José, Heredia, and Alajuela. Ciudad Cariari, a lifestyle community, is commonly called just Cariari. The community is wonderful…
Searching for specialty goods in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I needed some specialty goods and really had a hard time finding them. There are other food items to cover on Costa Rica’s hard-to-find list. But I thought men are less interested in edibles. So today, as a men’s section of blogs, I’ll explain how I found a shortage of…
Jopco Costa Rica not willing to take responsibility for accident
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Jopco Costa Rica does not feel responsible for accidents that happen to their clients in their store. Would you buy anything from them? Haven’t we all heard of the “McDonald’s Hot Coffee Case”? Let me refresh your memory. In 1992, 79-year-old Stella Liebeck bought a cup of takeout coffee at…
Should a Type A personality move to Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Are you a type-A personality or a type B personality? A move to Costa Rica is not for everyone. Maybe it is not for you? Moving to any other country is not for everyone, and certainly a Type A personality is one of those. It takes a lot of hard…
Gringo food I cannot find in Costa Rica
This week, I’m going to continue with a partial grocery shopping list of our hard- or impossible-to-find gringo food items. Again, I expect to elicit a sizeable reaction from readers informing me where they found gringo food items I said we couldn’t find or couldn’t afford. Maybe you missed my blog 2 weeks ago? Then, I’ll…
Opening a Euro savings account in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Today’s story is about this Euro savings account that we needed to open. This should be an easy task. But it is not! Banking in Costa Rica is not as simple as it is in other countries. Please do not see this blog as a complaint about Costa Rica banks…
Can I buy my customary delicacies in Costa Rica?
Do you think you will miss your customary delicacies after moving to Costa Rica? If you are going to reside in Costa Rica, there is one adjustment you are probably going to be required to make. It is learning to find or invent substitutes for delicacies that don’t exist here. Other delicacies are so obscure…
Buying a Costa Rica condo in a broke or underfunded HOA?
When buying a condo, you might not realize it, but the condominium might have an underfunded HOA, or it’s almost broke. The problem is that you won’t find out until the HOA sends out a notice about an upcoming extraordinary assessment. With 30 years of selling properties in Costa Rica under my belt, I’ve hardly…
Ticonuevo’s medical appointment and medical exams in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I couldn’t connect with a recommended English-speaking specialist for a medical appointment. You’ll see, I’ve learned to have patience. I was having a troubling medical situation. So now my Plan B is to attempt to see a GP in the town next to mine. I called and the receptionist connected…
Looking for medical attention in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes When moving to Costa Rica you’ll need medical attention. So what’s available when you retire here? While we’re still waiting for our “cedula de residencia” as “pensionados” we’ve kept our MediCare in the States. Just in case there is a real medical necessity. So, if something major required a return…
How to be a killer Costa Rica real estate buyer, or not?
IVO HENFLING | APRIL 17, 2014 This week, because its Easter week, I had a real hard time coming up with a topic for a blog. But I was saved by the bell. Thank God for emails, what would I do without them? I received a request on a property for sale in Tamarindo that…
Living in Costa Rica and you miss the traditions from your home country?
When you are living in Costa Rica, you soon might miss your countrymen, your own customs and traditions. Sometimes, it’s also fun to be able to speak your own language again. Some nationalities are well presented in Costa Rica and some are not. And they all have their own traditions. There might be certain food…
TicoNuevo figures out how to pay his Costa Rica utility bills
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I’ve found out how to pay my utility bills. But I’ll start this blog with a disclaimer. My chosen topic for today’s blog, paying utility bills in Costa Rica, is a bit like an unfinished symphony: the final stanza has yet to be written. It also reflects my own personal…
Housewarming party ideas for your new house in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Here are some housewarming party ideas for when you purchase a house in Costa Rica. A couple of months ago, TicoNuevo was planning his housewarming party. He asked me where to find musicians to turn this into a real happening. Who else to ask than your Costa Rica real estate…
My 90 day perpetual tourist visa stamp for Costa Rica
It is tourist visa stamp time for my wife and me. Our 90-day visa was expiring and we needed to make a border run. Therefore, we had to leave Costa Rica and re-enter to renew our visa. That was the only way to keep our U.S. driver’s license and Costa Rican driver’s insurance in force.…
Winter in the US and Canada vs Winter in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes I hate winter, don’t you? But, unfortunately, it seems never to stop being cold up north, even the realtors on Google+ complain about it almost every day, and we’re almost in May! It never rains in Southern California is a lie because it does. Although we get hail once every…
Tennis outfits Grecia perfect for active retirement in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Did you know there are two tennis outfits Grecia? When showing property with clients a while ago, I saw a couple of tennis rackets and a basket full of tennis balls in the garage of the Grecia home for sale. We were way up in the mountains of Grecia and…
Can you legally drive on a pending residency
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes How can you legally drive when you have just moved to Costa Rica? Can you legally drive on a pending residency? Have you decided to settle down and start living in Costa Rica? Maybe giving it an extended tryout? Then you’re going to have to leave the country every 90…
TicoNuevo dodging obstacles at the horse parade
TicoNuevo joins ranks at the horse parade. A little-known fact for novice “tope-goers”: you can actually rent a horse and join the riders in most Costa Rican tope or horse parade. We had this offering at our horse parade. Some of the renters, to be delicate, “detracted somewhat” from the aura surrounding my vision of…
How to dissolve your Costa Rican corporation
Maybe you have a reason to dissolve your Costa Rican corporation? As many of you are aware, or certainly should be aware by now, the Costa Rica government imposed an annual corporation tax on all Costa Rican corporations. This is done by way of Law No. 9204 in 2012. The date the law was implemented…
Is Daylight Savings Time used in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes In the United States, Daylight Savings Time (DST) 2014 is on Sunday, March Nine and in most European countries on March 30. In Costa Rica, Daylight Savings Time was used for the first time in the summer of 1979, once in 1980 (from February until May), and in 1991 from…
TicoNuevo experiences his first Tope in Costa Rica
If you want to move here, I insist you learn about the tope in Costa Rica. As my practice riding sessions continued on schedule, I recalled the team’s uniform requirements mentioned weeks ago during our get acquainted dinner (a black cowboy hat, white dress shirt, black jeans, western belt and buckle, and a pair of…
Costa Rica home inspections now hotter than ever
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes When I started selling properties in Costa Rica, nobody believed in getting home inspections done. Back then, real estate agents were afraid of recommending home inspections because they could lose the sale if the inspection would turn up a serious problem. I am talking about 25 years ago! This morning,…
TicoNuevo starts practicing for his first tope in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes TicoNuevo starts practicing for his first tope, a whole new experience. One more neighborly communication came through our shared caña India fence. I was reminded of my first horseback riding “lesson”, I needed practicing for my first tope or horse parade. This was going to happen on the first Tuesday…
Ticonuevo wishes for his first tope in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes This is how the wish for my first tope started. Your Costa Rican guide books and online resources probably define a “tope” like a horse parade. Using a very liberal interpretation after my first experience with one, that’s as accurate a description as I can give. Every town of any…
Medicinal herbs in Costa Rica
A Costa Rica real estate client asked me to write about medicinal herbs in Costa Rica. This, fortunately, comes pretty easy to me. That’s because my dad, together with his partner, Hendrik Stins, opened La Buena Hierba in 1986. This was the first real medicinal herb store in Costa Rica, although you could find medicinal…
Our home improvement project finished the Tico way
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes So, we’ve completed 98% of our home improvement project. Friends say that this is the Tico way of finishing things. Honestly, I think it happens everywhere. But allow me to tell you all about it, so you can learn from my mistakes. We have finished the business with my contractor…
3 Reasons a CMA cannot be produced in Costa Rica
Those used to the North American real estate market, always want to know if we can produce a CMA. For those who don’t know what that is, this is a Comparative Market Analysis. In Costa Rica real estate, it is impossible to produce a CMA for various reasons. At least for now, it is not…
The remodeled result of our Costa Rica home
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes I’m sure you now want to learn more about the remodeled result of our home. We went through a long and detailed process, but we’re all happy with the remodeled result. We bought our new property in Costa Rica at a price that allowed us to afford all of the…
Your imported household container — be careful and be patient
Planning to import your household container? Then be careful and be patient! Our construction projects continued. And based on our prior inquiries and due diligence, we thought we had timed the arrival of our household container pretty well with our move-in date. The ongoing progress of the work at our house to receive our container…
Decide Where to Rent Before Contacting an Agent
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes For some reason, new expats who don’t know where to rent, often ask an agent to give them a tour. I never understood why some assume that real estate agents want to drive them around for days, all over the Central Valley. So they can make a commission. I have…
When you have a car accident in Costa Rica – time consuming
A car accident is never fun nor is it ever convenient. One Saturday a couple of months ago my husband was driving through Barrio Mexico, going to a Little Theatre Group rehearsal. He stopped at a stop sign as required and was thinking about whether he should go straight or turn right (he wasn’t familiar…
Watch your pants for a scorpion in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I have now learned to watch my pants because I was stung by a scorpion. On occasion, the relevance of an event or experience needs to be related while it is fresh in one’s mind. Therefore, I’m taking a brief detour in this blog from writing about our home improvement…
Changing color of my car and Riteve
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Carole and Don from Atenas bought a cheap car that needed a paint job. Instead of painting it the same color, which was identical to the gardener’s car, they changed it to red. They had no idea what an adventure it would be getting the legal transfer in order until…
The renowned Annual Atenas Charity Chili Cook Off
Atenas expats always enjoy the Annual Atenas Charity Chili Cook Off. Are you a great cook? Do you like to eat? Do you have a great Chili recipe that’s been in your family for over a century? Are you ready to have some fun? Even if you don’t live in Atenas, you should join the…
I Bought A Turquoise Car So I Had To Paint It Red
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I had to paint my car red. That’s the color of the taxis in Costa Rica. But there was a reason. The business was dead. Picturesque Capitola, a seaside village in California, my hometown for twenty years, was abuzz with summer tourists. My seafoam green XJ8 Jaguar was parked outside…
Living in a house under construction in Costa Rica
I told you last week that we had to move into our home under construction in Costa Rica. It didn’t matter that the contractor was still working on the reconstruction job. Unfortunately, less than 48 hours after we moved into our new home, we were on a flight back to the States. It was a…
Moving day to a home that is under reconstruction
Our house is under reconstruction and it’s moving day! This is the first time in our lives that we move into a home that’s still under reconstruction. I’m not trying to use my blog as a pulpit. So, I’ll try my best not to get too preachy here. But I’ve been meaning to say this…
3 Surprising ways a Costa Rica real estate seller can lose the sale
There are many surprising ways a seller can lose the sale of a property in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, we do not have lockboxes. So, we need to organize a day of showing ahead of time and adjust our agenda (and our buyer’s agenda) to the availability of the sellers. In Costa Rica real…
How we started remodeling our home in Costa Rica
After the remodeling contract was signed between us and the contractor and House Hunters International Renovations in the rear-view mirror, it was time to get started. We had many plans and remodeling projects that we were intent that would eventually yield to us our dream home. I made that 30-plus minute commute from our rental…
Picking the best contractor estimate and House Hunters International
We have to pick the best contractor estimate. Selecting the contractor with the best quotation is never an easy task. But for us, it was a very simple process of selection by default. I was always dubious regarding Builder #1’s enthusiasm to quote for a second time despite his agreement to do so. So, I…
Mickey Mouse controls mosquitoes and rodents in Costa Rica
Yes, we have mosquitoes in Costa Rica, lots of them! And also plenty of rodents, like cockroaches, ants and even fleas! Brooke Bishop, our Grecia expert real estate agent, went the extra mile as usual. She took care of the pest control or fumigation as we call it in Costa Rica, for an absentee buyer.…
3 Home Renovation Contractors visit TicoNuevo
Before closing, we had invited 3 contractors for the new home renovation. Two things happened at about the same time. Actually, it’s more accurate to say, our escrow closing HAPPENED. But having an acceptable contractor ready for the repairs and home improvements HADN’T HAPPENED…yet Brooke Bishop, one of the GoDutch “Realtors Extraordinaire” had made contact…
What if I don’t pay my Annual Costa Rica Corporation Tax?
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes I get questions by email about the annual Costa Rica corporation tax that was approved in January 2012. In a past article, I explained what this annual Costa Rica corporation tax is all about and why it was created. This is important information for most of my readers since many of…
Our Costa Rica home improvement quote
It’s time to tell you about the home improvement quote. We passed the point of no return on our purchase of House #3. The decision could be responsibly taken after a favorable home inspection report. We decided to get serious about getting a formal home improvement quote from the architect and contractor who had visited…
8 Costa Rica Grocery Shopping Secrets
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I’d like to show you 8 Grocery shopping secrets. That’s because shopping in another country like Costa Rica is a science. In today’s blog, I’d like to give you a hand with your grocery shopping in Costa Rica, you know how to get started and what to look for. Costa…
Does my Costa Rican wife beat me?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Does my Costa Rican wife beat me? Mine doesn’t, but I know a couple of guys in Costa Rica who get beat up by their Costa Rican wives. And the women get away with it. Marrying is so easy, especially when you’re in love with a beautiful woman. But divorcing…
Sharing my unusual Costa Rica living experiences on the farm
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Let me tell you about my first living experiences in Costa Rica, right after I purchased my coffee farm in 1993. The day after closing, I went down to set “things” up. I inherited a peon that I let stay on the job till I decided what I was going…
21-Step Costa Rica Property Buying Guide for an enjoyable purchase
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes You can use this 21-step Costa Rica property buying guide to make a relaxed purchase without making any mistakes. You have visited all the countries that were on your due diligence list before moving to or retiring in Costa Rica. Now you are visiting to look to purchase a property…
5 Top Places to visit in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Ethical Traveler, a non-profit organization, believes that Costa Rica is one of the best places to visit. For many years the country has been a center of attraction for many people from all over the world. Especially for those who want to take holiday while exploring the amazing features that…
Shall we make an offer on this home in Costa Rica?
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Are we ready now to make an offer on a home? It was on our first day of searching for a Costa Rican home that we found an interesting one. There were more than a few red flags waving at us if we wanted to make an offer on House…
How to do your laundry in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Like you don’t know how to do your laundry, right? Well, the best way to do your laundry in Costa Rica is to hire a maid and have her do it. I have written lots of blogs about the difference in culture between back home and Costa Rica and I…
The First Day of our Home Search in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes This was the first day of our home search as “potential Costa Rican homebuyers.” We loaded up with GoDutch realtor, Isabelle Jones, and headed out to meet the other GoDutch realtor, Brooke Bishop. The plan was to start our home search with three homes that Brooke had arranged to view…
How we began our Costa Rica housing search
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Let me tell you a bit about our housing search. For a while, Ivo has been subtly steering me toward talking about our experiences buying and renovating our house here. Until now, I have been trying to avoid it by talking about anything and everything else. But now I am…
Culture bumps are normal when moving to any foreign country
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Culture shock or culture bumps? That depends on the experts you hire for your move to Costa Rica. Recently, we have been publishing blogs by ex-pats TicoNuevo and FloridaTico that our readers seem to like. Why do readers like them? Because they tell you the truth! Because they don’t only…
I learned four lessons when we moved to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes There are four lessons I learned when we moved to Costa Rica. If I would have known these facts, we would have had a much easier start. I’d like to share those four lessons with those with an interest to learn from other’s mistakes. My good friend Ivo has asked…
Cultural differences between Costa Rica and the United States
Let’s talk about cultural differences today. I’m going to spend this blog on small items of note and a few observations. Some of it similar to the culture we are used to being part of in North America. Some of it is a derivative of the Spanish influence and, while I am no expert, some…
Quality assisted living in Costa Rica at reasonable prices
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Assisted living is now available in Costa Rica. Florida became famous for its retirement communities and Costa Rica will be the next. The first REAL retirement community in Costa Rica is Verdeza is under construction and located in Escazu. This beautiful community will be fully operational on the 11th of…
Online shopping and getting it to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Online shopping is now becoming a routine for most. My past three blogs discussed shopping in Costa Rica. Let me now spend a bit of time on online shopping. About what happens when you decide to give up looking for that special something. Or if you believe it is easier…
Dishwasher Installation – Stories by a Former Expat in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Have you ever tried to do your own dishwasher installation in Costa Rica? Ralph did! Ralph and Gloria have lived in Costa Rica in the nineties and moved to Florida. Now, they miss Costa Rica a lot. Ralph loves to read Ivo’s blog every week Ralph has some great stories…
If you are scared of bugs in Costa Rica do not move here
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes We have lots of bugs in Costa Rica, so for those who have a bug phobia… My first meeting with a monster spider, made me ask myself what I was doing on a coffee farm in Costa Rica. Gradually I adjusted to my new life in the tropics and learned…
Grocery shopping and department stores in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Everyone wants to learn about grocery shopping and department stores in Costa Rica. Almost every town has, at least, one Pali supermarket. The department stores have a different location and are usually in larger cities. The Pali grocery stores are structures carrying the bare bones of grocery and sundry items…
I was Two Feet from a Toucan in Atenas
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Carole and her husband Don live in Atenas and met a toucan for the first time in their life. They are baby boomers and retired in Atenas, Roca Verde to be exact. It’s a pity that Carole’s blog doesn’t exist anymore. But you can order her book “Flying High with…
What is a MacGyver in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you know what a MacGyver in Costa Rica means? TicoNuevo wrote a blog about hardware stores in Costa Rica this week. I would like to go a bit deeper into the matter. He said: “be prepared to substitute or make do with something other than the perfect solution”. If…
All about hardware stores in Costa Rica
Let me tell you all about hardware stores in Costa Rica or ferreterías in Spanish. For your shopping pleasure in addition to supermarkets, mini-supers, ferias, central markets, carnicerías, and librerías, in towns of any considerable size, generally included are ferreterías or hardware stores, the standard Ropa Americana store (new and used clothing), jewelry repair, paint…
Shopping in Costa Rica and the different store types
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Shopping in Costa Rica, for just about anything and everything, is a change from what you are used to in North America. The shopping environment in Costa Rica is much more similar to what I experienced in Europe about 40 years ago. By that I mean, chain stores are here…
What to wear after you move to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Do you have any idea of what to wear after moving to Costa Rica? I have just moved to Costa Rica. I came from a place where during the summer, it can be 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and windy and 55 degrees F. at night. So, I was…
I found Yoga in Costa Rica at 51 years old
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes I found yoga when I turned 51 and I’d like to tell you a bit about it. I am a fan of Ivo’s blog and especially enjoyed the recent submission, some suggestions on what to do with your free time in Costa Rica by guest blogger, TicoNuevo. Humbly, I would…
Costa Rica is a tropical country – some weather observations
Did you know that Costa Rica is a tropical country? And that there a few things you should know about living in a tropical country before you move? You may have already guessed, I’m from the West Coast. A second-generation native Californian, in fact. Both sides of my family lived In California for about a…
10 Suggestions on what to do with your free time in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes What to do with your free time when living in Costa Rica? Have you arrived without a job, without a mission, or without a business to found? Then that probably makes you a retiree of whatever age. Also, those who do have a job, or run a business, will have…
The behavior of trucks and buses in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Expats and visiting tourists should know about the behavior of trucks and buses on the Costa Rican roads. Most Costa Rican roads originated as oxcart paths in the valleys and on the winding hillsides. When these roads got converted to asphalt, they weren’t widened much. Buses in Costa Rica are…
Driving in Costa Rica is a new experience
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes How difficult is driving in Costa Rica? I am now assuming for a minute that you have a valid drivers’ license. The kickback style of Costa Rica’s citizens is reflected in the posted speed limits throughout the country. Remember, I said “posted” speed limits. Sometimes, even I find it hard…
City planning and public works in Costa Rica are not what you expect
by Ivo Henfling City planning and public works departments in Costa Rica are not as well organized as you are used to. Actually I don’t think the locals have ever heard of city planning and therefore planning their public works. The not planning of a city is part of the Latin mindset: live the…
Open a bank account in Costa Rica without a cedula
After moving here, you will need a bank account in Costa Rica. Without it, you’ll be in trouble. How are you going to pay your bills? I certainly hope you paid attention to my previous blogs and prepared for gaining easy and ongoing access to your funds back home. At the moment, it’s difficult to…
How much is the Costa Rica real estate closing cost
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes When buying a property, you will want to know how much the closing cost is, right? You just found this absolutely gorgeous property in Costa Rica and you want to purchase it. Before you start negotiating the purchase price, you would like to know what the final cost of that…
My arrival as a new Costa Rica expat
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Our arrival was exciting, just like our decision of moving to Costa Rica. Now that we are here living in Costa Rica, I’m throwing my chronological approach out the window. I’m trying to cover topics that may have value for you. Hopefully, they’re interesting subjects and observations that perhaps will…
Reading the menu in a Costa Rican restaurant
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes It’s time to eat in a Costa Rican restaurant or soda, and learn to read the menu. Once you move to Costa Rica, you will want to eat out once in a while. Depending on where you are going to live, you will be able to read the menu or…
Take the car to Costa Rica or sell it
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Everyone who moves to Costa Rica asks if they should take the car with them to Costa Rica or sell it. So how to plan to get your possessions moved to Costa Rica? First, you need to focus on moving yourself and your loved ones south. But what about and…
Do not be afraid of speaking bad Spanish
Speaking bad Spanish is better than no Spanish. If you want to live in Costa Rica and you want to communicate with the locals, do not be afraid of speaking bad Spanish. Most people, when they are learning a new language, they are afraid of making mistakes. When I started learning Spanish, I used to…
What to bring when relocating and what not
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes What to bring when moving to Costa Rica? I bet you don’t know! There is stuff you love and there is stuff you think is important. When you’re asking what to bring when relocating, you should probably make a list. Well, The house is sold, Also, the cars are sold,…
The use of short names in Costa Rica
Just like in many other countries, it is customary for people to have short names in Costa Rica, just like in other languages. You will find it interesting to know why the city of San Jose is called Chepe (look up the name Jose below) and why your gardener is called Juancho or Chuz (pronounced…
Do a final walk-through on your Costa Rica home before closing
Do you know it’s important to do a final walk-through before closing? Today’s the day, you have almost made it! Today is the closing date on this beautiful Costa Rican home you are buying. Now you are only hours away from “home sweet home”. Your home inspector came up with a perfect home inspection report.…
The reality of getting your belongings to Costa Rica
How easy do you think it is getting your belongings to Costa Rica? Moving everything you own after all of the garage sales and donations are completed can still be tricky. Especially, if you: 1) Plan to rent in Costa Rica before you decide to make it permanent your home; and 2) Live on the…
Imagine…you wake up in the morning…and the sun shines
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Imagine visiting all these beautiful places in Costa Rica! and on top of that, the sun shines! Yes, for many people on the planet, to imagine that you wake up in the morning and the sun shines, is just that: an imagination. For us, the ones who are lucky enough…
4 Important Steps When Preparing for Relocation to Costa Rica
Once you have decided on relocation to Costa Rica, there a few things you should do first. Okay, now you’ve had an offer on your house for sale and accepted. You will soon be faced with the prospect of nowhere to live. Pre-plan all you want, but it can still happen that you now are…
7 Good Reasons Why NOT to Sign An Exclusive Listing Agreement
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes You could end up on a leash if you sign an exclusive listing agreement without having read this blog first. Property sellers should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of signing an exclusive listing contract with a realtor. You should be aware of what this contract obliges you to.…
Before you move to Costa Rica ⌂ get rid of your stuff
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Before you move: get rid of your stuff! If we were going to make a successful move to our new land, there was no choice but to sell our house. Most websites counsel you to take it slowly. But, before you get rid of your stuff, decide if you want…
6 important financial decisions before moving to Costa Rica
How important are financial decisions before you move? I can’t overemphasize how much potential difficulty and inconvenience you can avoid once you move to Costa Rica. If you’ve attended to your financial details with a customized, flexible transaction plan. You will need ready access to your assets, so you have to take financial decisions ahead…
Some things are surprisingly different in Costa Rica
Some things are surprisingly different in Costa Rica than we think they are. Two weeks ago, I told you my experiences on setting up banking and utilities after our real estate. And today I am in my final blog about my story that started on January 25th, 2013. My wife and I think it turned…
Burgers and Johnny Rockets in Costa Rica
When you grow up with burgers, you cannot live without them. Moving to Costa Rica doesn’t change your eating habits. If you have grown up eating hamburgers and hotdogs, you cannot just start eating Gallo Pinto the next day. The advantage is that if you move to Costa Rica, thousands of US citizens have done…
Yoga in Costa Rica in Harmony with Horses
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes I am often asked, with a lot of skepticism, why yoga and horses? Where is the connection? My standard answer is; I have experienced the similarities between riding and yoga practice. The same stillness and union I find in my yoga practice I feel when I ride. Last week I…
Get your financial act together before moving to Costa Rica
by guest blogger TicoNuevo Back home, before I tackled the financial flowchart, we were dealing with a number of banks, and credit card and financial institutions; some of whom we felt either we would not need, whose fees would be too expensive to use when moving to Costa Rica or would not be easy to…
Hail and Lightning in Costa Rica
Yes, we have hail and lightning in Costa Rica. Real estate agents always write about the beautiful weather in Costa Rica, but this time I wanted to write about bad weather in Costa Rica, in fact, about hail and lightning in Costa Rica. The girl in the photo below is not in Denver, Colorado. She…
Baby boomers survive in Grecia by doing nothing important
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes You have been doing important things all your life. Now it is time to take it easy, by doing nothing important for a while. Hundreds of baby boomers who live in Grecia are barely surviving by doing nothing important. Grecia seems to be the perfect place on earth to do…
Setting up Banking and Utilities after our real estate closing
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Setting up Banking and Utilities after our real estate closing was a treat! During the two weeks we visited the country during our Costa Rica real estate closing, we enjoyed some downtime. Also, we did some touring and exploring and learning more about our newly-adopted second home. While meeting more…
Change in Temporary Costa Rican residency
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes There have been several changes in the temporary Costa Rican residency policy and law that affect the financial wellbeing of long-term visitors. This includes those visitors applying for one of the three immigrant resident categories. Just before our arrival, Immigration made changes in the temporary Costa Rican residency. We received…
3 More Challenges Before Closing on Our Property
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes We hit on 3 more challenges before closing on our property. I apologize for the length of time that has passed since my last blog in late February. I wanted to let some time go by to digest our house purchase, before writing the last chapter, and wrap up our…
Developing your timeline before your move to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes When you move to another country, it’s important to create a timeline for your plan. If you are changing countries, there’s a pot full of planning, changes, and notifications that need to be implemented. This is necessary to achieve a successful and less stressful transition. In my last blog, I…
US Tax Return Due Dates for Americans Living Abroad
Most U.S. citizens and green card holders rushed to file a US tax return by April 15. However, Americans living abroad on the regular due date of their tax return can take advantage of several extensions. We updated this blog on 3/27/2020 First and foremost, American expatriates get an automatic two-month extension until June 15…
Who is Macho and who is Negro in Costa Rica
by Ivo Henfling The first time I was standing in line in a hardware store in Escazu, the attendant asked me “Y vos macho, en que te puedo servir”? And you “Macho”, what can I do for you. I didn’t realize I was being called blondy. (I was far from blond, I used to be…
Organize your Moving Plan – The Devil is in the Details
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I recommend everyone to create a moving plan. Everything you read online might be inaccurate. That is why it is vital for you to stay on top of your moving plan; because I can tell you from recent first-hand experience about requirements, policies and laws nonetheless their enforcement is all…
Weather considerations before moving to Costa Rica
Before you pick where to live in Costa Rica, you need to have some weather considerations. If you decide on the wrong location, it’s possible you end up hating it, which might oblige you to move elsewhere. Or return where you came from! November-April is the high season—or the dry season or tourist season. Ticos…
How important is learning Costa Rican Spanish during due diligence?
Now that we are in the country, we are scrambling to learn Costa Rican Spanish. Try to find the time before you leave North America or wherever your home country is, to learn some Latin American Spanish. Latin American Spanish, and more specifically Costa Rican Spanish, is not the King’s Castilian Spanish as spoken in…
Blooms ladies club in Costa Rica
Have you heard of Blooms Ladies Club Costa Rica? I love following Irina and Jim Just’s blog, called “Just Costa Rica, living la Pura Vida” because they both always have interesting things to say in their blog. In all my years selling property in Costa Rica, I rarely saw a couple retire in Costa Rica…
Building an Information Database on Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes How much help can you get from a database that you should build before moving to Costa Rica? Once you are committed to moving to Costa Rica, there is a huge amount of information to read and absorb. So, my advice again: be detailed, be methodical (even if it’s hard…
The Polaco and the pulperia – Costa Rica’s working class shopping options
The pulpería and the polaco are two typical ways of purchasing for Costa Rica’s working class. Every week, “El Polaco” visits a poor neighborhood of Costa Rica, with a car full of merchandise. The Polaco is a department store on wheels and he sells on credit. He offers mainly clothing, women’s, men’s, and children’s. But…
Why Spousal Compromise and Commitment are fundamental
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes How important is the spousal compromise when moving to Costa Rica? My purpose in this blog is to show that there will be surprises and unknowns harbored by all parties when making the decision to move. The success of your move to Costa Rica will be measured by how well…
A disastrous title problem on an Escazu building lot
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes More properties have a title problem than you imagine. Property owners just trust that their attorney does his job when they purchase. Unfortunately, very few real estate agents check the property title before they list the property. At GoDutch, as well as on the American European MLS, this is a…
4 Reasons Potential Costa Rica Expats Fail to Make the Transition
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Here’s something to think about: a significant number of all of the expats fail. This mostly happens within their first year in Costa Rica, then they return home. I have some ideas about why this happens, and how to avoid becoming a statistic. I’ll discuss the most prominent reasons that…
Bits and Pieces from our due diligence trip to Costa Rica
When we returned from our due diligence trip to Costa Rica in February of 2012, the work really began. Now things started to get pretty interesting. So first, before we head home from our due diligence trip, let me pass along a few bits and pieces that I haven’t covered yet or require reinforcement. As…
The retired gringo and the fisherman in Costa Rica
Have you heard the story about the gringo and the fisherman? I’ve seen several versions, now that I Googled it. But it’s an interesting story, that I heard back in the ’80s. It shows the mindset of the average gringo and the mindset of the average Tico. Understanding both, is a fantastic assistance to anyone…
Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties and bird watching
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutos Costa Rica retirement vacation properties and bird watching go together well, the reason so many have decided to retire or buy a vacation home in Costa Rica. When you retire to a country like Costa Rica, you must love nature and in particular birds. If you don’t, why even bother…
Dining in Costa Rica While Keeping an Eye on Expenses
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Today, I’d like to cover dining in Costa Rica, as well as the cost of it. While the country isn’t renowned for its own cuisine, you will find a multitude of international restaurants. Additionally, there are well-known restaurant chains. In case you yearn for a taste of home. Although, then…
Music and entertainment in Jazz Café Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Some might think otherwise but there is great music and entertainment in Costa Rica. A client told me he met a gringo in the hotel who was complaining there was nothing to do in San Jose and he was bored to death. In less than half an hour, I showed…
Who is responsible for your car when parking at the mall?
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Who is responsible for the security of your car while staying in a hotel or shopping at the mall? Well, you of course! That’s not the legal truth, but the reason for this blog. Last week, my clients were staying at the Best Western Irazu Hotel and while waiting for…
Another reason to retire in Atenas
Many found another reason to retire in Atenas and in other locations in Costa Rica after my post a couple of weeks ago with pictures takes by our ex-pat and I’ve received a lot of emails from readers asking for more quality photos of birdlife and views in Paradise. In February this year, I already…
Costa Rica blogs by expats who have retired in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I decided to create a blog page so you can easily find great blogs about moving to Costa Rica and retire in Costa Rica written by people who are going through the experience of becoming and being an expat in Costa Rica. Just last week, at a party, I heard…
Movin’ On to our retirement destination: Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Allow me to show you how we got to the point of looking at Costa Rica as our retirement destination. My story is an introduction to Costa Rica as seen through the eyes of a retiring expat. To briefly recap our decision criteria to find the right retirement destination, I…
A grand housewarming party of a new home in Grecia
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes As real estate agents, we have housewarming parties all the time. A month ago, we received an invitation by email from Irina. The invitation said “Jim and I have moved into our house in El Cajón (the one we bought from Joan & Sally). We would like to invite you…
Making Retirement Decisions before moving to Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes To make important retirement decisions, we needed to be specific about our criteria. In my introduction, you know that we have decided to make Costa Rica our permanent retirement residence. So, I’d like to show you how made retirement decisions based on a step by step process. Our criteria and…
Drivers in Costa Rica must provide email address now
by Ivo Henfling If you have a Costarican driver’s license, no matter if you have legal residency or not, you should read the following information. In the past, when the Costarican transit police would write out a ticket, it would go to the tag of the car. In December, when you’d pay your road taxes,…
An Introduction to Costa Rica as Seen Through the Eyes of an Ex-pat
Allow me to introduce you to our new ex-pat and guest blogger “TicoNuevo”. Ticonuevo and his wife arrived in Costa Rica this week to start another leg of his journey. Therefore, they are now both an ex-pat in Costa Rica. TicoNuevo has exchanged probably a couple of hundred emails with the GoDutch real estate team.…
John Doe is drawing to a clos(ing) on his property in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes The builder and we had agreed on closing in February. We only have to make the final payment for our amazing property in Costa Rica. As soon as we wire the payment, we can proceed with closing the deal. Of course, these situations almost always have hurdles. The best…
A lo Tico – Learn Spanish the Tico way
A lo Tico is a Spanish dictionary with words used in Costa Rica. A week or so ago, in another blog, I asked you to learn Spanish and told you how the Ticos will respect you if you make an effort to learn their language. Today, I’ll make it even more interesting for you. You…
Enjoy incredible sunsets and birdlife in Atenas before even moving there
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Our hobby photographer Peter Boyer shows off with his photos of birdlife and sunsets in Atenas. That’s because he can! Peter and Edie Boyer moved into their new home in Vista Mar Estates in Desmonte in October 2012 and are enjoying the marvelous wonders of living in Atenas. Desmonte…
Learn Spanish in Costa Rica and they will respect you too
Did I learn Spanish before moving here? No, I didn’t. And that was stupid. Before I moved to Costa Rica there was so much to do and there was no time to take Spanish classes nor did I realize how important it was to learn at least the basics. As soon as I started to…
John Doe decides to go ahead with the purchase process
Wrapping up a purchase process is even more important than shopping for a property. Maybe you have read John Doe’s first blog, “A big step in the property purchase process” in December last year. We are now 1 month later and time for wrapping it up. John described the initial stages of their property purchase…
Fog protection solution for your property in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Have you heard of fog protection for your home? Probably not! What if a burglar could not see anything, and could therefore not steal anything? Once in a while, like almost every day, we see on the news or read in the local papers that another burglary has happened. The…
A guide to be happy in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes I am totally happy in Costa Rica, even after all these years. I was born again in February 1980, when I was 25 years old. It all started when I was coming down the steps of a KLM flight into Juan Santamaria International airport. I am not saying this…
Be a guest at Casa de las Tias Boutique Hotel in Escazu
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes A Country Bed & Breakfast in Town – Casas de las Tias is a perfect place for you to stay. When you come to visit us in Costa Rica, no matter if you will be buying, renting Costa Rica real estate, or coming to spend your holidays, be sure…
Interesting Costa Rica property showings
Homeowners should not be present at any property showings out of respect for the buyers and the real estate agent. Allow me to give you a few reasons. When I get a new property to list, I always set a few rules first. The most important one is I ask the sellers is to disappear…
Why Costa Rica real estate offices close during the Christmas holidays
by Ivo Henfling Every year I get surprised emails from interested people asking to see Costa Rica real estate during the Christmas holidays. They act surprised when they find out our real estate offices close down a couple of days before Christmas until after the 2nd week of January of the next year. Thousands of…
A big step in our Costa Rica property purchase process
John Doe and his wife finally decided to make the big step in the property purchase process. This is the real story of a husband and wife who are purchasing property in Costa Rica FSBO. They bought directly from the real estate developer. Nonetheless, they wanted to tell us all about the purchase process they…
How to keep your Costa Rica home, family and belongings safe
How to keep your home in Costa Rica safe? As you all know, I never try to hide anything that would be negative about moving to Costa Rica. Security is an issue that might stop people from moving to Costa Rica. In other blogs, I have explained why we have security issues in Costa Rica…
The 2012 International Living Fast-Track Costa Rica Conference
What is the International Living Fast-Track Costa Rica Conference? Over 200 future retirees attended the 2012 International Living Fast-Track Costa Rica Conference from the 12th – 14th of November in the San Jose Marriott Hotel. Many of those 200 have come by our table at least 4 times. My feet are still hurting, imagine my mouth! It…
Costa Rica real estate agent on call
Is there a reason everyone thinks a realtor is on call 24/7? I really don’t understand why anyone would call about a property at 11:00 pm or 6:00 am. Do you? When you are a Costa Rica real estate agent, you seem to be on call, just like a doctor or a priest in the…
The life of expats in Atenas, Costa Rica
Learn more about the life of expats in Atenas. Two sisters – Judy and Roxi – are creating a whole new life in Costa Rica post-retirement from the United States. They were in touch with our Atenas real estate agent before they moved to Costa Rica and gave Isabelle Jones a raving testimonial. Learn about…
Get fit again with a personal trainer
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes After I quit smoking, I needed to get fit again. Getting back in shape is hard work but a lot of fun if you do it in the right place and with the right guides. No matter where you live now, and if you are in good health or not,…
Costa Rica real estate agents want you to vote for Obama
I am not a political person, I cannot even vote in the US, but I want you to vote for Obama. Some might smile at this comment and some might hate me for it. That’s why I generally stay away from politics, religion, and issues that should not be mixed in business in my blogs.…
Enjoying the Atenas Lifestyle – a dream come true
I knew I would enjoy the Atenas lifestyle even before my wife and I started this adventure. In another blog, a couple of weeks ago, I told you who I am and how I ended enjoying the Atenas lifestyle in Costa Rica. Today, I will tell you more about the town of Atenas and more…
Moving to Costa Rica does not necessarily make you a happy person
Do you want to be a happy person? Maybe moving to Costa Rica will make you a happy person? There are quite some people who think that moving to Costa Rica will make them a happy person. But that is not always true. It’s not something that goes automatically. Many people who are thinking of…
Atenas home sweet home in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I made Atenas home sweet home in Costa Rica. My name is Claude Dugas and I was born in Quebec, Canada, where I lived for more than fifty years. I knew from a previous winter spent in Amazonia of Peru that living in a warmer environment could contain its charms.…
Orthopedic problem in knees and feet | get it fixed in Costa Rica
Do you also have an orthopedic problem? I have been struggling with bad pain in my feet for years and no doctor could find what the problem was. Thank God for the internet (not of Facebook this time), that made it possible for me to find out that I have a neurological problem. Well, it’s…
Costa Rica is pura vida – the happiest country in the world
Did you know that Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world? Who would not want to retire in the country where the happiest people on earth live? Costa Rica scores for the 2nd consecutive year # 1 on the Happy Planet Index for being the happiest country in the world. Their score is 64 points…
Should the seller move out before closing on Costa Rica property?
For a smooth closing, it’s better for the seller to move out before closing. But is it always possible? Are there other solutions? Serious Costa Rica real estate agents will write up an offer to purchase – sale agreement on the Costa Rica property for sale. This offer should show what the buyer and the…
Sexy condos and your ultimate costa rica real estate experience
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Costa Rican coffee and sexy condos in Costa Rica have a lot in common. They can both give you the ultimate experience. Both are for gourmets, connoisseurs, those who have higher standards than average. I remember very well my first cup of coffee in Costa Rica, it was totally horrible.…
How to find Ambulance Services in Costa Rica
Do you need ambulance services to get to the hospital in Costa Rica? Then make sure you know your Tico address. This is important so the ambulance will know where to find you. We don’t have real addresses you know! If you don’t want the ambulance to get lost, ask your neighbor for your address…
Public Hospitals and Ebais in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a pretty decent healthcare system with many public hospitals and Ebais clinics. By becoming a legal resident, you will have access to this social healthcare system. To obtain legal residency in Costa Rica you are obliged to register at the Caja Costarricense del Seguro Social or C.C.S.S. This government-managed health care system…
Costa Rica Private Hospitals
Wondering about Costa Rica private hospitals? Lately, I’m seeing a lot of the inside of Costa Rica hospitals. Since I quit smoking 3 years ago, I started going to the doctor. I haven’t seen any doctor in my life and now suddenly I need to see all kinds of doctors. Most doctors in Costa Rica…
Are gay people also moving to Costa Rica
Because I grew up in Holland it comes easy to talk about the topic and quite a few gay people email me asking that question: “are gay people moving to Costa Rica”. The answer is yes. When I was a kid, there was a gay kid on my block and at the time nobody would…
How to pay the new Costa Rica corporation tax when out of the country
Any idea of how to pay the corporation tax when out of the country? Do not lose any sleepless nights over the new Costa Rica corporation tax or “Impuesto a las Personas Jurídicas”. I updated this blog on 3/14/2019. Do you own a corporation or Sociedad Anonima or S.A. in Costa Rica? Then you are supposed…
Absolutely trying hard to adjust in Costa Rica
Trying to adjust in Costa Rica is very hard work, did you know that? In November 2009, I was introduced by an old client, to a very unusual couple. I mean unusual because they were much younger than most of my clients. This couple is barely in their 30’s. Husband Ethan, the 7-month, his pregnant…
A memorable sale of property in Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Once in a long while, there is a memorable sale of property in every real estate agent’s career. To be a real estate agent in Costa Rica, you really need to love what you do. I DO enjoy what I do, every day. When I get up in the morning, I know something is going…
Costa Rica promoted to International Living crowd
I am sitting next to Belize and I am in Cancun, at the International Living Convention 2012. Rudy Matthews and I are promoting Costa Rica living and Costa Rica real estate to future retirees, mostly from the US and Canada. Obama might be doing us a favor by winning the next US elections. This will…
Bouldering in nature in Costa Rica
Have you ever heard of bouldering? Well, they do bouldering in Providencia de Dota. Where the heck is that? It’s a beautiful little town tucked away in the Los Santos mountains, near the National Park Los Quetzales. Most of you have never heard of El Valle de Los Santos. Well, we use to have a…
Costa Rica bank loses harassment trial for pushing credit cards
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Banks are pushing credit cards and Costa Rican courts stopped them. Finally! Years ago, we would all get hundreds of flyers in the mail. Companies offering all kinds of services and products, that we really didn’t need anyway. A few years later, the faxes started, in the middle of the…
GoDutch Realty Costa Rica now International Living approved
Of course, you have heard of International Living. We have great news!! In 2012, GoDutch Realty was approved by International Living ® and their commercial division Pathfinder, as their representative for the Central Valley of Costa Rica. AND we are invited to attend their next convention in Cancun, Mexico 21-25th February 2012. Rudy Matthews and…
Costa Rica real estate agent in suspense novel
Have you ever been a character in a suspense novel? Well, I have! I would like to share this funny story about a Costa Rica real estate suspense novel with you. When you think you’ve seen it all, you learn that you haven’t. This is not a fairy tale. Though all the actors involved in…
Strawberry Fields Forever and Costa Rica real estate
We have plenty of strawberry fields in Costa Rica, imagine that! On New Year’s Day 2012, it was such a beautiful day, Dany and I decided to take a day trip to Poas. As usual, because we never use a sweater in Costa Rica, we forgot to bring any and I was cold for the…
Costa Rica insurance agent wins most honest agent award
Estimated Reading Time: Looking for a Costa Rica insurance agent? Nothing is better for business than good service to your clients. In my business, Costa Rica real estate, I have always tried to excel in service as in my opinion it means the continuity of your business and it is a lot easier to…
Costa Rica culture | do we have any
Lots of expats just moving to Costa Rica don’t know if we have any culture in Costa Rica or not. Costa Rica real estate agent Margaret Sohn told me she was invited by a friend to go to the Nutcracker ballet by P.I. Tchaikovsky and sent me an email after the show “It was fantastic last…
Virtual Tours in Costa Rica by Isaac Martinez
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Now that most of you are on holiday, and I am not, you might have some more time available to enjoy the work of Isaac Martinez. Isaac is a panoramic photographer and does panoramic photos and virtual tours. I met Isaac the first time in the year 2,000 when I…
How do I experience Christmas in Costa Rica
Christmas in Costa Rica is quite different from what I was used to. Where I was born and raised, December is pretty cold. I’m from Haarlem, a city almost right on the North Sea, close to Amsterdam. Christmas in Haarlem, when I grew up, was generally under 32ºF and we could skate the famous canals…
Costa Rica Nature and Music mixed by Manuel Obregon
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Talented musician Manuel Obregon is someone you’d want to check out. Many of you might remember Catalina, who was my assistant for quite some time. When I hired Catalina, I didn’t know that she is Manuel Obregon’s sister. Manuel is one of Costa Rica’s most talented musicians and now Laura…
New Costa Rica Dimex residency card important for banking
The new Costa Rica Dimex residency card is worrying some residents unnecessarily. Some online newspapers in English reported this week about the new DIMEX cards. But the information wasn’t clear what a DIMEX is. As a result, I have received several emails from my readership. They are worried about not being able to do any…
The nicest Costa Rica real estate closing of my life part 1
I just went through the nicest Costa Rica real estate closing of my life. Even though it was probably one of the most difficult ones too. I have had some really nice closings, But I’ve also had some real impossible ones. Allow me to explain. Well, during this transaction, we went through practically every obstacle…
The nicest Costa Rica real estate closing of my life part 2
I hope you’ve read part 1 of this blog series about the nicest real estate closing of my life. Not every Costa Rica real estate closing is fun. Who had expected that the bank appraiser obliged to seller to get involved in all kinds of extra payments? Especially because in Costa Rica, you buy a…
The nicest Costa Rica real estate closing of my life part 3
A Costa Rica real estate closing can be a nerve-racking issue if you don’t know what you are doing. Or worse, if you’re not in the good hands of a knowledgeable realtor. I just went through the nicest real estate closing of my life as described in part I and part II. This was a…
Costa Rica Retirement Dreams | get real
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes My mom and dad had Costa Rica retirement dreams over 30 years ago. They made them happen. At the time, retiring in Costa Rica was an incredible adventure. Although it still is, times have changed. My mom and dad didn’t buy their home in Costa Rica from a GoDutch Realty…
Cariari real estate and the busy bee
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes We have a busy bee in Cariari! Being a real estate agent in Cariari is never an easy job, but it’s fun most of the time. There are twists and turns in every deal. Patience and nerves are always on edge. It means putting up with a lot of things…
Medical Emergency Care in Costa Rica
Last Thursday, our 20-year-old son Taylor had a medical emergency in San Jose due to a seizure. That day, we found out that the medical emergency care in Costa Rica is very good. And important enough, quite affordable. A good friend needed help in getting his new ID number to reflect on his new drivers’…
Roca Verde homes in Atenas | An oh so different gated community in Atenas
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Did you know that Roca Verde homes are amongst the most popular homes in Atenas? I have lived in Atenas for almost 8 years now, own property in Atenas, and I still enjoy it. Over ten years ago, two French Canadian pioneers in Costa Rica, started to develop Vista Atenas…
10 Guidelines for not being an abusive buyer of Costa Rica real estate
Once in a while, we have an abusive buyer. You didn’t know they exist? Becky Clower of Blue Water Properties in Tamarindo wrote an article for We Love Costa Rica “how not to treat your realtor”. For some time, I have been thinking about writing a blog about an abusive buyer of Costa Rica real…
Costa Rica now has a Super National Soccer Stadium
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes The soccer stadium just finished as a gift from the Chinese Government is certainly a state of the art. My son and I went to the soccer game between our national team and Argentina. We went early to look over the new National Stadium and support Costa Rica against one…
A tourist visa renewal trip to Bocas del Toro in Panama
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes If it is time to get out of the country for a tourist visa renewal because you are not a legal resident of Costa Rica, Bocas del Toro, Panama, is a good option. My mom was visiting and stayed longer than expected. So it was necessary to make a tourist…
English Language Theatre in Costa Rica
Estimated Reading Time: 2 Minutes Unfortunately, the English Language Theatre in Costa Rica does not exist, since 2022, anymore. But, I’m going to leave this blog online, so when they revive this great theater group, I’ll make the adjustments. If you enjoy going to the theater, and willing to check out a play in the…
Horse Parade in Santa Maria de Dota
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Looking for something to do this coming weekend? There will be a Tope, typical horse parade in Santa Maria de Dota at 12:00md this Saturday (Feb 5th, 2011). If the usual happens, it will start an hour or two late. But there will be plenty of people watching the horse…
Real Estate tip by Rudy: For Sale by Owner
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes I want to share comments about For Sale by Owner that I hope will be informative. My comments are based on my personal perspective of the real estate market here in Costa Rica. Several months ago, there was a discussion about buying For Sale by Owner property on the Costa…
Costa Rica Turtles nest in Ostional Beach
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes More than 680,000 turtles or Atlantic Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) have nested in 2010 on Ostional beach. This beach is located 65 miles from downtown Santa Cruz de Guanacaste. This was confirmed with Laura Brenes, manager of the protected area. On January 16 000 animals arrived and in February 9000. In…
Toro 3 Hidro-electric Proyect promoted by ICE, BCR and Jasec
Estimated Reading Time: 2 Minutes Toro 3 Hydro-electric Project promoted by ICE, BCR, and Jasec. The Banco de Costa Rica (BCR), the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE), and the Administrative Board of Cartago Electric Service (JASEC) signed a trust agreement reported yesterday by these entities. This agreement is to build the Toro 3 hydroelectric project.…
