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.…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…