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…
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…
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…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I call myself a 24-7 real estate agent. But am I really? It’s 9:30 pm and my phone rings. The phone number is from Miami, Fl., so I answer. The caller asks if it’s too late to call. Pretty nice of him. Almost nobody who calls after business hours asks…
It does not happen very often, but once in a while, our agents receive multiple offers on a property. The Costa Rica real estate market behaves very differently than other markets. As you probably know, real estate agents here also behave differently. Everything is different in Costa Rica than it is elsewhere and so are…
When in a bad market, and a property doesn’t sell, some sellers want to increase the listing price. Is it smart to increase the listing price, even in a good market? What do other sellers think about this idea? A seller, Kellyfoota, answered a question on the Houzz forum: Is raising the price on your…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes When you get older, the knees cooperate much less, as do some other joints. That’s probably when it’s time you need to buy a Cariari single story home. Why in Cariari might you ask? Well, there are quite some good reasons and even more benefits to buying a Cariari single…
Flipping fixer uppers might seem like an interesting business in Costa Rica. Buying a cheap home that needs TLC, revamping it, and reselling at a much higher price seems simple to do. In some countries, there are people who make a living by flipping houses. Generally, the most difficult part of this business is finding…
Estimated Reading Time: 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…
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…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Before buying a condo in Costa Rica, you first want to know if there are any vacation rental restrictions in the condominium. There are already some condo owners in Costa Rica who have had their problems with the condo administration about their short-term rental clients in their condo. Some do…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Many expats, before they move to Costa Rica, ask if small town living is possible in Costa Rica. I come from a big city in Holland myself, so I do not have much personal comparison. I can only refer to the experiences of my clients and give you some guidance.…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes 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…
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…
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…
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…