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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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’…
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…
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…